1953 Kangaroo tour of New Zealand

1953 rugby league tour

1953 Kangaroo tour of New Zealand

Manager| Dudley F. Locke
George McLeod
Coach(es)| Clive Churchill
Tour captain(s)| Clive Churchill
Top point scorer(s)| Noel Pidding 63
Top try scorer(s)| Des McGovern 19
Top test point scorer(s)| Noel Pidding 13
Des White 24
Top test try scorer(s)| Ken McCaffery 2
Harry Wells 2
Ron McKay 3
Summary| | P|  W|  D|  L

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Total| | 09|  07|  00|  02

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Test match| | 03|  01|  00|  02

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Opponent| | P|  W|  D|  L

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|
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New Zealand| | 3|  1|  0|  2

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Tour chronology
Previous tour| 1949 to
1952 to
1952-53 to
Next tour| 1956 to
1952-53 to
1961 to

The 1953 Kangaroo Tour of New Zealand was a mid-season tour of New Zealand by the Australia national rugby league team. The Australians played nine matches on tour, including three tests against the New Zealand national rugby league team. The tour began on 24 June and finished on 18 July.[1]

## Leadership

[edit]

Clive Churchill was both the captain and the coach of the touring side. He appeared in eight of the nine matches.
In the one game in which Churchill was absent, against Northland, Ken McCaffery captained the Australian team.
The team was managed by Dudley Locke of Wollongong and George McLeod of Maryborough.[2]

## Touring squad

[edit]

The Rugby League News published the touring team including the players' ages and weights.[3] Match details - listing surnames of both teams and the point scorers - were included in E.E. Christensen's Official Rugby League Yearbook, as was a summary of the players' point-scoring.[4]
Crocker, Davies, Drew, Hornery, Banks, McCaffery, McGovern and Watson were selected from Queensland clubs. Carlson, Gill and Paul were selected from clubs in New South Wales Country areas. The balance of the squad had played for Sydney based clubs during the 1953 season.

Player  | Position | Age  | Weight  | Club  | Tests

Tour | Games  | Tries  | Goals  | FG | Points

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|
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|
|
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|

Ferris Ashton | Second-row | 26 | 14 st. 8 lb. (93 kg) |  Eastern Suburbs | 1 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 22
Roy Bull | Prop | 23 | 14 st. 4 lb. (91 kg) |  Manly-Warringah | 3 | 6 | 2 | 0 |  | 6
Brian Carlson | Wing | 20 | 13 st. 3 lb. (84 kg) |  Newcastle Northern Suburbs | 2 | 6 | 16 | 5 |  | 58
Clive Churchill | Fullback | 26 | 11 st. 7 lb. (73 kg) |  South Sydney | 3 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3
Les Cowie | Lock | 28 | 13 st. 4 lb. (84 kg) |  South Sydney | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
Harold Crocker | Lock | 24 | 15 st. 0 lb. (95 kg) |  South Brisbane | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
Brian Davies | Prop | 22 | 15 st. 0 lb. (95 kg) |  Brisbane Brothers | 3 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9
Bernie Drew | Second-row | 24 | 13 st. 7 lb. (86 kg) |  Ipswich Railways | 1 | 5 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 31
Charlie Gill | Prop | 30 | 13 st. 12 lb. (88 kg) |  Newcastle Northern Suburbs | 3 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5
Greg Hawick | Five-eighth | 21 | 13 st. 0 lb. (83 kg) |  South Sydney | 2 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 9
Keith Holman | Halfback | 25 | 11 st. 9 lb. (74 kg) |  Western Suburbs | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 10
Alan Hornery | Hooker | 27 | 13 st. 6 lb. (85 kg) |  Brisbane Western Suburbs | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5
Ken Kearney | Hooker | 27 | 14 st. 2 lb. (90 kg) |  St George | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
Bob Banks | Five-eighth | 22 | 12 st. 6 lb. (79 kg) |  Toowoomba Newtown | 3 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 16
Ken McCaffery | Centre | 23 | 13 st. 0 lb. (83 kg) |  Toowoomba Souths | 3 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 24
Des McGovern | Wing | 24 | 13 st. 4 lb. (84 kg) |  Toowoomba Newtown | 1 | 6 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 59
Albert Paul | Second-row | 25 | 14 st. 2 lb. (90 kg) |  Lakes United | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5
Noel Pidding | Wing | 26 | 12 st. 6 lb. (79 kg) |  St George | 3 | 8 | 9 | 18 | 0 | 63
Alex Watson | Centre | 20 | 13 st. 4 lb. (84 kg) |  Brisbane Western Suburbs | 0 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 20
Harry Wells | Centre | 21 | 14 st. 2 lb. (90 kg) |  Wollongong | 3 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 21

## Tour

[edit]

The Australians played nine matches on the tour, winning seven matches and losing two, both being tests against the Kiwis.

* * *

Wednesday 24 June

West Coast | 11 – 17  |  Australia

|
|

| [5]

Wingham Park, Greymouth
Attendance: 2,003

* * *

### First test

[edit]

Saturday 27 June

New Zealand | 25 – 5  |  Australia

|
|

Tries:
Ron McKay (2)
George Davidson
Jimmy Edwards
Des White Goals:
Des White (4/4)
John Bond (1/1)  | [6]
| Tries:
Ferris Ashton
Goals:
Noel Pidding (1/1)

Rugby League Park, Christchurch
Attendance: 5,509
Referee: Wally Wilkinson

New Zealand

Australia

|

|  |

|

FB  | 1 |  Des White
RW  | 2 |  Jimmy Edwards
RC  | 3 |  Ron McKay
LC  | 4 |  Tommy Baxter
LW  | 5 |  Bevin Hough
FE  | 6 |  Bill Sorensen
HB  | 7 |  Jimmy Haig (c)
PR  | 8 |  John Bond
HK  | 9 |  George Davidson
PR  | 10 |  Bill McLennan
SR  | 11 |  Bob Neilson
SR  | 12 |  Frank Mulcare
LF  | 13 |  Alister Atkinson
Coach:
Jim Amos |
|  |

|

FB  | 1 |  Clive Churchill (c)
RW  | 2 |  Brian Carlson
RC  | 3 |  Harry Wells
LC  | 4 |  Ken McCaffery
LW  | 5 |  Noel Pidding
FE  | 6 |  Bob Banks
HB  | 7 |  Keith Holman
PR  | 8 |  Roy Bull
HK  | 9 |  Ken Kearney
PR  | 10 |  Charlie Gill
SR  | 11 |  Brian Davies
SR  | 12 |  Ferris Ashton
LF  | 13 |  Harold Crocker
Coach:
Clive Churchill

* * *

Tuesday 30 June

South Island | 9 – 66  |  Australia

|
|

| [7]

Tahuna Park, Dunedin
Attendance: 2,956

* * *

### Second test

[edit]

Saturday 4 July

New Zealand | 12 – 11  |  Australia

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|

Tries:
Ron McKay
Bob Neilson
Goals:
Des White (3/3)  | [8]
| Tries:
Ken McCaffery
Brian Carlson
Goals:
Noel Pidding (1/2)

Basin Reserve, Wellington
Attendance: 5,394
Referee: Wally Wilkinson

New Zealand

Australia

|

|  |

|

FB  | 1 |  Des White
RW  | 2 |  Cyril Paskell
RC  | 3 |  Ron McKay
LC  | 4 |  Tommy Baxter
LW  | 5 |  Jimmy Edwards
FE  | 6 |  Bill Sorensen
HB  | 7 |  Jimmy Haig (c)
PR  | 8 |  Bill McLennan
HK  | 9 |  George Davidson
PR  | 10 |  John Bond
SR  | 11 |  Bob Neilson
SR  | 12 |  Frank Mulcare
LF  | 13 |  Alister Atkinson
Coach:
Jim Amos |
|  |

|

FB  | 1 |  Clive Churchill (c)
RW  | 2 |  Brian Carlson
RC  | 3 |  Harry Wells
LC  | 4 |  Ken McCaffery
LW  | 5 |  Noel Pidding
FE  | 6 |  Bob Banks
HB  | 7 |  Greg Hawick
PR  | 8 |  Roy Bull
HK  | 9 |  Ken Kearney
PR  | 10 |  Charlie Gill
SR  | 11 |  Brian Davies
SR  | 12 |  Harold Crocker
LF  | 13 |  Les Cowie
Coach:
Clive Churchill

* * *

Monday 6 July

Taranaki | 3 – 62  |  Australia

|
|

| [9]

Pukekura Park, New Plymouth
Attendance: 1,950

* * *

Wednesday 8 July

South Auckland | 11 – 63  |  Australia

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|

| [10]

Davies Park, Huntly
Attendance: 1,044

* * *

Saturday 11 July

Auckland | 4 – 26  |  Australia

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|

| [11]

Carlaw Park, Auckland
Attendance: 8,556

* * *

Wednesday 15 July

Northland | 7 – 98  |  Australia

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| [12]

Okara Park, Whangārei
Attendance: 1,051

* * *

### Third test

[edit]

Saturday 18 July

New Zealand | 16 – 18  |  Australia

|
|

Tries:
Jimmy Edwards
Frank Mulcare
Bob Neilson
Des White
Goals:
Des White (2/4)  | [13]
| Tries:
Harry Wells (2)
Bob Banks
Noel Pidding
Goals:
Noel Pidding (3/4)

Carlaw Park, Auckland
Attendance: 16,033
Referee: Roland Avery

New Zealand

Australia

|

|  |

|

FB  | 1 |  Des White
RW  | 2 |  Jimmy Edwards
RC  | 3 |  Ron McKay
LC  | 4 |  Tommy Baxter
LW  | 5 |  Vern Bakalich
FE  | 6 |  Cyril Eastlake
HB  | 7 |  Jimmy Haig (c)
PR  | 8 |  John Bond
HK  | 9 |  George Davidson
PR  | 10 |  Bill McLennan
SR  | 11 |  Bob Neilson
SR  | 12 |  Frank Mulcare
LF  | 13 |  Alister Atkinson
Coach:
Jim Amos |
|  |

|

FB  | 1 |  Clive Churchill (c)
RW  | 2 |  Des McGovern
RC  | 3 |  Harry Wells
LC  | 4 |  Ken McCaffery
LW  | 5 |  Noel Pidding
FE  | 6 |  Bob Banks
HB  | 7 |  Greg Hawick
PR  | 8 |  Roy Bull
HK  | 9 |  Ken Kearney
PR  | 10 |  Charlie Gill
SR  | 11 |  Brian Davies
SR  | 12 |  Bernie Drew
LF  | 13 |  Harold Crocker
Coach:
Clive Churchill

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Kangaroos Tour 1953 - Rugby League Project". www.rugbyleagueproject.org. Retrieved 2020-09-18.
2. ^ New South Wales Rugby Football League. (1920). "Manager For N.Z." The Rugby League News. 34 (5 (18 April 1953)). Sydney: N.S.W. Rugby Football League. nla.obj-643706177. Retrieved 17 Jan 2021 - via Trove.
3. ^ New South Wales Rugby Football League. (1920). "Sound Side For N.Z." The Rugby League News. 34 (16 (20 June 1953)). Sydney: N.S.W. Rugby Football League. nla.obj-643864189. Retrieved 16 Jan 2021 - via Trove.
4. ^ E.E.Christensen (1954). "Players' Records in N.Z.". E.E. Christensen's Official Rugby League Yearbook. 8. Sydney: E.E.Christensen.
5. ^ 1953 West Coast vs Australia – Rugby League Project
6. ^ 1953 New Zealand vs Australia – Rugby League Project
7. ^ 1953 South Island vs Australia – Rugby League Project
8. ^ 1953 New Zealand vs Australia – Rugby League Project
9. ^ 1953 Taranaki vs Australia – Rugby League Project
10. ^ 1953 South Auckland vs Australia – Rugby League Project
11. ^ 1953 Auckland vs Australia – Rugby League Project
12. ^ 1953 Northland vs Australia – Rugby League Project
13. ^ 1953 New Zealand vs Australia – Rugby League Project

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