1912 Australia rugby union tour of Canada and the USA
Encyclopedia
The 1912 Australia rugby union tour of Canada and the USA was a collection of friendly rugby union
games undertaken by the Australia national rugby union team
against various invitational teams from Canada and the USA, and also against the US national team.
treasurer for a number of years. Howell attributes the team's poor performance to a lack of discipline stemming from weakly imposed tour management. Bohrsmann's name would later be given to the landmark Mona Road, Darling Point, Sydney
property Otto, which he bought in 1925 and which was retained by his descendants until 2010. His sister Altona would give her name to another Sydney landmark , a Point Piper
home which in 2007 set the mark as Australia's most expensive home when it sold for A$50million.
Billy Hill was the secretary of the New South Wales Rugby Union
, he toured with the squad as Assistant Manager and refereed some of the matches. At this time team coaches were frowned upon, with the team captain expected to fulfill these duties.
Ward Prentice
had toured with the 1908 Wallabies and had played both Tests of that tour. He had made three further Test appearances for Australia in 1910. He was a rugged on-field leader and the 1912 tour marked his swan-song in international rugby, appearing in fifteen of the sixteen matches. After World War I
he had a brief first-grade rugby league
career Sydney in 1920.
Tom Richards had also toured with the 1908 Wallabies and had played 1st grade rugby all over the world, making district representative sides in Queensland, New South Wales, South Africa and England. He was a leader in the forwards and a natural selection as tour vice-captain. He would later see active service with the AIF
, landing on day one of the Gallipoli Campaign on 25 April 1915
and he would be awarded the Military Cross
for conspicuous gallantry on the Western Front
.
and one of the three matches played against UC Berkeley
. The team played in the light-blue jersey of New South Wales with a Waratah
emblem and the word Australia on the chest.
The second match of the 1912 New South Wales
v Queensland
interstate series acted as a selection trial for the tour and the Blues won the match 12-3 in Sydney. The selectors chose only six Queenslanders in the squad including Tom Richards (who was residing in Sydney), Jimmy Flynn
, Lou Meibusch
, Copper Kent
, Peter Cunning and Bob Willocks. Willocks withdrew from the touring squad before departure and his place was taken by fellow Queenslander William Murphy
. Flynn and Meisbusch were still aged 18 years at the start of the tour.
Australia Alf Dunbar
, Lou Meibusch
, Larry Dwyer
, Ward Prentice
(c), Bob Adamson
, Daniel Carroll, Arthur Walker
, Harold George
, Tom Griffin, William Watson
, Ted Fahey
, George Pugh
, Tom Richards, Copper Kent
, William Murphy
Australia was scoreless and behind for most of the match, scoring all 12 points in the last 18 minutes to win.
----
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
games undertaken by the Australia national rugby union team
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
against various invitational teams from Canada and the USA, and also against the US national team.
The squad's leadership
Dr. Otto Martin Bohrsmann (1869–1944) was tour manager. He was a Sydney physician who served as New South Wales Rugby UnionNew South Wales Rugby Union
The New South Wales Rugby Union is the organisation responsible for the sport of rugby union in most of the state of New South Wales, Australia...
treasurer for a number of years. Howell attributes the team's poor performance to a lack of discipline stemming from weakly imposed tour management. Bohrsmann's name would later be given to the landmark Mona Road, Darling Point, Sydney
Darling Point, New South Wales
Darling Point is a harbourside, eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Darling Point is located 4 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of Woollahra Council....
property Otto, which he bought in 1925 and which was retained by his descendants until 2010. His sister Altona would give her name to another Sydney landmark , a Point Piper
Point Piper, New South Wales
Point Piper is a small, harbourside eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located six kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area known as the Municipality of Woollahra....
home which in 2007 set the mark as Australia's most expensive home when it sold for A$50million.
Billy Hill was the secretary of the New South Wales Rugby Union
New South Wales Rugby Union
The New South Wales Rugby Union is the organisation responsible for the sport of rugby union in most of the state of New South Wales, Australia...
, he toured with the squad as Assistant Manager and refereed some of the matches. At this time team coaches were frowned upon, with the team captain expected to fulfill these duties.
Ward Prentice
Ward Prentice
Warden Selby Prentice was an Australian sportsman who captained Australia at rugby union and New South Wales at first-class cricket and also played first-grade rugby league for the Western Suburbs Magpies....
had toured with the 1908 Wallabies and had played both Tests of that tour. He had made three further Test appearances for Australia in 1910. He was a rugged on-field leader and the 1912 tour marked his swan-song in international rugby, appearing in fifteen of the sixteen matches. After World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
he had a brief first-grade rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
career Sydney in 1920.
Tom Richards had also toured with the 1908 Wallabies and had played 1st grade rugby all over the world, making district representative sides in Queensland, New South Wales, South Africa and England. He was a leader in the forwards and a natural selection as tour vice-captain. He would later see active service with the AIF
AIF
AIF may refer to:*AIF , refer List of role-playing games by name*Accredited Investment Fiduciary*Adult Interactive fiction, a game genre*American India Foundation*Anti-Iraqi Forces*Apoptosis inducing factor...
, landing on day one of the Gallipoli Campaign on 25 April 1915
ANZAC Day
Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand, commemorated by both countries on 25 April every year to honour the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who fought at Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. It now more broadly commemorates all...
and he would be awarded the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
for conspicuous gallantry on the Western Front
Western Front
Western Front was a term used during the First and Second World Wars to describe the contested armed frontier between lands controlled by Germany to the east and the Allies to the west...
.
Tour itinerary
The squad travelled by ship from Sydney to the USA on the SS Moana with a number of the touring party confined to their cabins with sea-sickness for the first four days. Howell attributes the team's poor performance record to a focus placed on socialising. The squad was billeted out in college fraternity houses in California where the hospitality played havoc with team discipline. Howell quotes squad member Bob Adamson who spoke of the tour: "We were never in bed. That was the trouble. I've never had such a time in my life"Tour statistics
The tour took in 16 games with only 11 won by the Wallabies, including the sole Test of the tour played against the USA. All three matches played in Canada were lost by the Wallabies as well as the match against Stanford UniversityStanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
and one of the three matches played against UC Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
. The team played in the light-blue jersey of New South Wales with a Waratah
Waratah
Waratah is a genus of five species of large shrubs or small trees in the Proteaceae, native to the southeastern parts of Australia...
emblem and the word Australia on the chest.
Touring party
New South Wales Waratahs
The New South Wales Waratahs are an Australian rugby union football team, representing the majority of New South Wales in the Super 15 Super Rugby competition...
v Queensland
Queensland Reds
The Queensland Reds represent Queensland in the sport of rugby union in the Southern Hemisphere Super Rugby competition. Prior to 1996 they were a representative team selected on merit from the rugby union club competitions in Queensland...
interstate series acted as a selection trial for the tour and the Blues won the match 12-3 in Sydney. The selectors chose only six Queenslanders in the squad including Tom Richards (who was residing in Sydney), Jimmy Flynn
Jimmy Flynn (rugby)
James P. "Jimmy" Flynn was an Australian rugby union player, a state and national representative centre and half-back. His representative career lasted from 1912 to 1914 and he captained the national side on one occasion in 1913, the youngest player to ever do so...
, Lou Meibusch
Lou Meibusch
Ludwig Samuel "Lou" Meibusch was a rugby union player who represented Australia.Meibusch, a wing, was born in Toowoomba, Queensland and claimed 1 international rugby cap for Australia. His older bother Jack Meibusch also made a Wallaby appearance in 1904.-References:...
, Copper Kent
Copper Kent
Allan W. "Copper" Kent was a rugby union player who represented Australia.Kent, a flanker, was born in Toowoomba, Queensland and claimed 1 international rugby cap for Australia.-References:...
, Peter Cunning and Bob Willocks. Willocks withdrew from the touring squad before departure and his place was taken by fellow Queenslander William Murphy
William Murphy (rugby union)
William Murphy was a rugby union player who represented Australia.Murphy, a number eight, claimed 1 international rugby cap for Australia.-References:...
. Flynn and Meisbusch were still aged 18 years at the start of the tour.
Management
- Manager: Dr. Otto Bohrsmann
- Assistant: W.W Hill
- Captain: Ward PrenticeWard PrenticeWarden Selby Prentice was an Australian sportsman who captained Australia at rugby union and New South Wales at first-class cricket and also played first-grade rugby league for the Western Suburbs Magpies....
- Vice-Captain: Tom Richards
Three quarters
- Jimmy FlynnJimmy Flynn (rugby)James P. "Jimmy" Flynn was an Australian rugby union player, a state and national representative centre and half-back. His representative career lasted from 1912 to 1914 and he captained the national side on one occasion in 1913, the youngest player to ever do so...
(Brothers Brisbane) - Daniel Carroll (St. George)
- Bob AdamsonBob AdamsonRobert Wilson Adamson was a rugby union player who represented Australia.Adamson, a wing, claimed 1 international rugby cap for Australia.-References:...
(Sydney University) - Lou MeibuschLou MeibuschLudwig Samuel "Lou" Meibusch was a rugby union player who represented Australia.Meibusch, a wing, was born in Toowoomba, Queensland and claimed 1 international rugby cap for Australia. His older bother Jack Meibusch also made a Wallaby appearance in 1904.-References:...
(Queensland)
Half Backs
- Ward PrenticeWard PrenticeWarden Selby Prentice was an Australian sportsman who captained Australia at rugby union and New South Wales at first-class cricket and also played first-grade rugby league for the Western Suburbs Magpies....
(West SuburbsWest Harbour RFCThe West Harbour Rugby Football Club is a team in the Shute Shield, the premier club rugby union football competition in New South Wales.The club is based in Concord in the Inner West of Sydney, and play their home matches at Waratah Stadium, Concord Oval...
) - Arthur WalkerAlfred Walker (rugby)Arthur Stanley Billingsgate "Alfred" Walker was an Australian rugby union player, a state and national representative scrum-half. His representative career lasted from 1912 to 1924 and he captained the national side on fifteen occasions including eleven Test matches between 1922 and 1924...
(Eastern SuburbsEastern Suburbs RUFCThe Eastern Suburbs Rugby Union Football Club is a team in the Shute Shield and the Tooheys New cup, the premier club rugby union football competition in New South Wales....
) - William TaskerWilliam TaskerWilliam George Tasker was an Australian World War I soldier who had been a national representative rugby union player making six Test appearances for the Wallabies.-Early life:...
(Newtown RUFC)
Forwards
- Tom Richards (Queensland)
- Ted FaheyTed FaheyEdward Joseph "Ted" Fahey was an Australian rugby union player and World War I artilleryman. He was a state and national representative lock forward who made two international rugby tours and who captained the Wallabies on their 1913 tour of New Zealand.-School & club rugby:Fahey was born in...
(Eastern SuburbsEastern Suburbs RUFCThe Eastern Suburbs Rugby Union Football Club is a team in the Shute Shield and the Tooheys New cup, the premier club rugby union football competition in New South Wales....
) - William WatsonBill Watson (rugby)William Thornton Watson DSO, DCM, MC, was a New Zealander who served as an officer in the Australian Imperial Force in both World Wars. Prior to and after the First World War he had a distinguished rugby union career, representing Australia in eight Test matches and captaining the national side on...
(Newtown RUFC) - Harold GeorgeHarold Wesley GeorgeHarold Wesley George was an Australian representative rugby union prop forward who saw active service and fell in World War I.-Rugby career:...
(Eastern SuburbsEastern Suburbs RUFCThe Eastern Suburbs Rugby Union Football Club is a team in the Shute Shield and the Tooheys New cup, the premier club rugby union football competition in New South Wales....
) - Tom Griffin
- George PughGeorge Pugh (rugby)George Harold Pugh was a rugby union player who represented Australia.Pugh, a lock, was born in Glebe, New South Wales and claimed 1 international rugby cap for Australia.-References:...
- Allan KentCopper KentAllan W. "Copper" Kent was a rugby union player who represented Australia.Kent, a flanker, was born in Toowoomba, Queensland and claimed 1 international rugby cap for Australia.-References:...
(Queensland) - William MurphyWilliam Murphy (rugby union)William Murphy was a rugby union player who represented Australia.Murphy, a number eight, claimed 1 international rugby cap for Australia.-References:...
(Queensland) - Jimmy ClarkenJimmy ClarkenJames C. "Jimmy" Clarken was a rugby union player who represented Australia.Clarken, a prop, was born in Thames and claimed a total of 4 international rugby caps for Australia. His debut game was against New Zealand, at Dunedin, on 2 September 1905.-References:...
(Glebe RUFC) - Peter Cunning (Queensland)
Results
| Date | Opponent | Location | Result | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match 1 | Oct | Barbarians | Won | 29-8 | |
| Match 2 | Oct | Santa Clara College Santa Clara University Santa Clara University is a private, not-for-profit, Jesuit-affiliated university located in Santa Clara, California, United States. Chartered by the state of California and accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, it operates in collaboration with the Society of Jesus , whose... |
Won | 20-8 | |
| Match ? | Oct | Stanford University Stanford University The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San... |
Lost | ||
| Match ? | Oct | UC Berkeley University of California The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University... |
Lost | ||
| Match ? | Nov | Vancouver | Lost | ||
| Match ? | Nov | British Columbia | Lost | ||
| Match ? | Nov | Victoria | Lost | ||
| Match ? | Nov | Olympic Club Olympic Club The Olympic Club is a San Francisco, California, athletic club and private social club with three golf courses located at San Francisco's border with Daly City, California. The club's main "City Clubhouse" is located in downtown San Francisco. The club's "Lakeside Clubhouse" is located just north... |
Won | ||
| Match ? | Nov | UC Berkeley University of California The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University... |
Won | ||
| Match ? | Nov | UC Berkeley University of California The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University... |
Won | ||
| Match ? | Nov | St Mary's, College Saint Mary's College of California Saint Mary's College of California is a private, coeducational college located in Moraga, California, United States, a small suburban community about east of Oakland and 20 miles east of San Francisco. It has a 420-acre campus in the Moraga hills. It is affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church... |
Won | ||
| Match ? | Nov | University of Nevada University of Nevada, Reno The University of Nevada, Reno , is a teaching and research university established in 1874 and located in Reno, Nevada, USA... |
Won | ||
| Match ? | 16 November | USA | California Field California Field California Field was an outdoor football stadium on the campus of the University of California in Berkeley. It served as the home field for the University of California Golden Bears through the 1922 season.... |
Won | 12-8 |
| Match 14 | Nov | Won | |||
| Match 15 | Nov | Won | |||
| Match 16 | Nov | Won | |||
United States of America
USA Ben Erb, S.B Peart, A.E Allen, Charlie Austin, R.M Noble, P.R Harrigan, L.M Morris, J. Arrell, A.M Sanborn, J.L McKim, K.L Schaupp, W.L Smith, Deke Gard, W.N King, E. MomsonAustralia Alf Dunbar
Alf Dunbar
Alfred Robert "Alf" Dunbar was a rugby union player who represented Australia.Dunbar, a wing, was born in Glebe, New South Wales and claimed a total of 4 international rugby caps for Australia.-References:...
, Lou Meibusch
Lou Meibusch
Ludwig Samuel "Lou" Meibusch was a rugby union player who represented Australia.Meibusch, a wing, was born in Toowoomba, Queensland and claimed 1 international rugby cap for Australia. His older bother Jack Meibusch also made a Wallaby appearance in 1904.-References:...
, Larry Dwyer
Larry Dwyer
Lawrence Joseph "Larry" Dwyer was an Australian rugby union player, a state and national representative fullback who captained the Wallabies in 1913.Dwyer, a fullback, was born in Orange, New South Wales...
, Ward Prentice
Ward Prentice
Warden Selby Prentice was an Australian sportsman who captained Australia at rugby union and New South Wales at first-class cricket and also played first-grade rugby league for the Western Suburbs Magpies....
(c), Bob Adamson
Bob Adamson
Robert Wilson Adamson was a rugby union player who represented Australia.Adamson, a wing, claimed 1 international rugby cap for Australia.-References:...
, Daniel Carroll, Arthur Walker
Alfred Walker (rugby)
Arthur Stanley Billingsgate "Alfred" Walker was an Australian rugby union player, a state and national representative scrum-half. His representative career lasted from 1912 to 1924 and he captained the national side on fifteen occasions including eleven Test matches between 1922 and 1924...
, Harold George
Harold Wesley George
Harold Wesley George was an Australian representative rugby union prop forward who saw active service and fell in World War I.-Rugby career:...
, Tom Griffin, William Watson
Bill Watson (rugby)
William Thornton Watson DSO, DCM, MC, was a New Zealander who served as an officer in the Australian Imperial Force in both World Wars. Prior to and after the First World War he had a distinguished rugby union career, representing Australia in eight Test matches and captaining the national side on...
, Ted Fahey
Ted Fahey
Edward Joseph "Ted" Fahey was an Australian rugby union player and World War I artilleryman. He was a state and national representative lock forward who made two international rugby tours and who captained the Wallabies on their 1913 tour of New Zealand.-School & club rugby:Fahey was born in...
, George Pugh
George Pugh (rugby)
George Harold Pugh was a rugby union player who represented Australia.Pugh, a lock, was born in Glebe, New South Wales and claimed 1 international rugby cap for Australia.-References:...
, Tom Richards, Copper Kent
Copper Kent
Allan W. "Copper" Kent was a rugby union player who represented Australia.Kent, a flanker, was born in Toowoomba, Queensland and claimed 1 international rugby cap for Australia.-References:...
, William Murphy
William Murphy (rugby union)
William Murphy was a rugby union player who represented Australia.Murphy, a number eight, claimed 1 international rugby cap for Australia.-References:...
Australia was scoreless and behind for most of the match, scoring all 12 points in the last 18 minutes to win.
----