Joe Busch
Encyclopedia
Joe 'Chimpy' Busch was an Australian rugby league
footballer of the 1920s and 30s. A state and national representative halfback, his club career was played with Sydney based teams Eastern Suburbs
and Balmain
and UK team Leeds, in the 1930s. He has been named amongst the nation's finest footballers of the 20th century.
in 1907. As a newborn, one of his older brothers remarked that he looked like a chimpanzee and hence he gained the life-long nickname 'Chimpy'. Busch was a fisherman who played in the local side, Harwood Island. In 1926, at the age of 19, he was spotted by Eastern Suburbs
talent scout John 'Dinny' Campbell
and invited to trial for a position in the team. Busch had to borrow the £5 return boat fare to Sydney. Busch trialled for selection with the Eastern Suburbs and was successful, becoming the team’s half-back.
In his first year of professional rugby league, Busch was selected for the NSW state representative team and national team, the Kangaroos
. Busch played for the Kangaroos against the visiting English national side in 1928 and also for the Kangaroos 1929-30 Ashes tour of England the following year.
On the boat trip home to Australia after the 1929-30 Ashes tour of England, Busch met and became romantically involved with Josephina (Ina) Castrey, who was migrating from Scotland to Australia, the pair were eventually married.
Based on his performance in the 1929-30 Kangaroos tour of England, Busch was offered a position with Yorkshire club, Leeds, now known as the Leeds Rhinos
. Busch’s contract included a signing fee of £1,000 and match payments of £7 for a win, £6 for a draw and £5 for a loss.
While playing for Leeds, Busch was selected in the Yorkshire representative team and toured France in 1934. Busch played for Leeds for 5 years until 1935, when he returned to Australia where he took up the position of captain-coach for Balmain
. Busch remained at Balmain as coach-captain for 2 years before deciding to retire at the end of the 1936 season.
In 1945, Busch became a selector for the Australian side.
Busch’s wife, Ina died in 1996, they had been married more than 65 years. Busch passed away on May 29, 1999 aged 91. Busch’s death left Harry Kadwell
as the lone survivor of the 1929-30 Ashes tour.
Busch scored where he took the ball from a scrum
and shot down the blind-side with Souths
and Australian winger, Benny Wearing
, in support. As the Queensland
defence closed in, Busch held the ball back from Wearing - he dummied to him five times before scoring a brilliant individual try.
Busch played in 6 test matches
for Australia in his career; however, it is a controversial no-try incident on that tour that he is best remembered for. England had held the Ashes for almost 20 years, with only a few minutes remaining and the scores locked at nil-all in the third and deciding test, Busch collected the ball from a scrum
win 30 metres out and scooted down the sideline
. He crashed over the try-line in the corner with England's lock
Frank Butters on his back making a last-ditch attempt to stop him. As the corner post went flying the crowd spilled onto the field in excitement. Referee
Robinson looked set to award Australia the try
and the game (and with it the Ashes) when the touch-judge emerged through the crowd claiming Busch had taken out the corner post before grounding the ball. Even though the referee believed it was a fair try he had no option other than to rule 'no try'. The referee was reported to have said to the Kangaroos "fair try Australia, but I am overruled". The match finished as a 0-0 draw, leaving the series tied at one match apiece, a deciding fourth match was played a week later, which England won 3-0, to retain the Ashes. For the remainder of his life Busch insisted he scored the try, quoted as saying “I got it down all right…it was a fair try.” The corner where Busch scored the disallowed try in Swinton, is still officially known as Busch’s Corner.
Following his death in 1999, players from the two Australian clubs for which he played, Eastern suburbs and Balmain wore black armbands in his honour.
In February 2008, Busch was named in the list of Australia's 100 Greatest Players (1908–2007) which was commissioned by the NRL
and ARL
to celebrate the code's centenary year in Australia.
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...
footballer of the 1920s and 30s. A state and national representative halfback, his club career was played with Sydney based teams Eastern Suburbs
Sydney Roosters
The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...
and Balmain
Balmain Tigers
The Balmain Tigers are a rugby league football club based in the inner-western Sydney suburb of Balmain. They were a founding member of the New South Wales Rugby League and one of the most successful in the history of the premiership, with eleven titles...
and UK team Leeds, in the 1930s. He has been named amongst the nation's finest footballers of the 20th century.
Life and career
Born in the country town of Maclean, New South WalesMaclean, New South Wales
Maclean is a town in Clarence Valley Local Government Area in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia. It is on the Clarence River and near the Pacific Highway. At the 2006 census, Maclean had a population of 3,245 people...
in 1907. As a newborn, one of his older brothers remarked that he looked like a chimpanzee and hence he gained the life-long nickname 'Chimpy'. Busch was a fisherman who played in the local side, Harwood Island. In 1926, at the age of 19, he was spotted by Eastern Suburbs
Sydney Roosters
The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...
talent scout John 'Dinny' Campbell
John Campbell (rugby)
John Dennison 'Dinny' Campbell was a national representative for Australia in rugby union before switching codes and playing rugby league for the Eastern Suburbs club during the 1910-12 and 1921 seasons....
and invited to trial for a position in the team. Busch had to borrow the £5 return boat fare to Sydney. Busch trialled for selection with the Eastern Suburbs and was successful, becoming the team’s half-back.
In his first year of professional rugby league, Busch was selected for the NSW state representative team and national team, the Kangaroos
Australian national rugby league team
The Australian national rugby league team have represented Australia in senior men's rugby league football competition since the establishment of the game in Australia in 1908. Administered by the Australian Rugby League, the Kangaroos' are ranked number one in the RLIF World Rankings...
. Busch played for the Kangaroos against the visiting English national side in 1928 and also for the Kangaroos 1929-30 Ashes tour of England the following year.
On the boat trip home to Australia after the 1929-30 Ashes tour of England, Busch met and became romantically involved with Josephina (Ina) Castrey, who was migrating from Scotland to Australia, the pair were eventually married.
Based on his performance in the 1929-30 Kangaroos tour of England, Busch was offered a position with Yorkshire club, Leeds, now known as the Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League...
. Busch’s contract included a signing fee of £1,000 and match payments of £7 for a win, £6 for a draw and £5 for a loss.
While playing for Leeds, Busch was selected in the Yorkshire representative team and toured France in 1934. Busch played for Leeds for 5 years until 1935, when he returned to Australia where he took up the position of captain-coach for Balmain
Balmain Tigers
The Balmain Tigers are a rugby league football club based in the inner-western Sydney suburb of Balmain. They were a founding member of the New South Wales Rugby League and one of the most successful in the history of the premiership, with eleven titles...
. Busch remained at Balmain as coach-captain for 2 years before deciding to retire at the end of the 1936 season.
In 1945, Busch became a selector for the Australian side.
Busch’s wife, Ina died in 1996, they had been married more than 65 years. Busch passed away on May 29, 1999 aged 91. Busch’s death left Harry Kadwell
Harry Kadwell
Harry "Mick" Kadwell was an Australian professional rugby league footballer of the 1920s and 30s. An Australian international and New South Wales interstate representative fullback who later moved to the halves, he played his club football for South Sydney with whom he won the 1927 and 1928 NSWRFL...
as the lone survivor of the 1929-30 Ashes tour.
Notable tries
For many years after, fans would talk about a tryTry
A try is the major way of scoring points in rugby league and rugby union football. A try is scored by grounding the ball in the opposition's in-goal area...
Busch scored where he took the ball from a scrum
Scrum (rugby)
Scrum , in the sports of rugby union and rugby league, is a way of restarting the game, either after an accidental infringement or when the ball has gone out of play...
and shot down the blind-side with Souths
South Sydney Rabbitohs
The South Sydney Rabbitohs are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in Redfern, a suburb of South-central Sydney, New South Wales. They participate in the National Rugby League premiership and are one of nine existing teams from the state capital...
and Australian winger, Benny Wearing
Benny Wearing
Benny Wearing was an Australian rugby league footballer of the 1920s and 30s. An Australian international and New South Wales representative three-quarter, he played his club football in the NSWRFL Premiership for the South Sydney Rabbitohs....
, in support. As the Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
defence closed in, Busch held the ball back from Wearing - he dummied to him five times before scoring a brilliant individual try.
Busch played in 6 test matches
Test match (rugby league)
A Test match in rugby league football is a representative match between teams representing members of the Rugby League International Federation.The definition of a Test match differs from that of an international match...
for Australia in his career; however, it is a controversial no-try incident on that tour that he is best remembered for. England had held the Ashes for almost 20 years, with only a few minutes remaining and the scores locked at nil-all in the third and deciding test, Busch collected the ball from a scrum
Scrum (rugby)
Scrum , in the sports of rugby union and rugby league, is a way of restarting the game, either after an accidental infringement or when the ball has gone out of play...
win 30 metres out and scooted down the sideline
Sideline
Sideline may refer to:*Sidelines, lines which mark the outer boundaries of a sports field*Sideline reporter, sports term*"Sideline Ho," song by Monica...
. He crashed over the try-line in the corner with England's lock
Rugby league positions
A rugby league football team consists of thirteen players on the field, with four substitutes on the bench. Players are divided into two general categories: "forwards" and "backs"....
Frank Butters on his back making a last-ditch attempt to stop him. As the corner post went flying the crowd spilled onto the field in excitement. Referee
Rugby league match officials
Rugby league match officials are responsible for fairly enforcing the Laws of the Game during a match of rugby league football and imposing penalties for deliberate breaches of these Laws...
Robinson looked set to award Australia the try
Try
A try is the major way of scoring points in rugby league and rugby union football. A try is scored by grounding the ball in the opposition's in-goal area...
and the game (and with it the Ashes) when the touch-judge emerged through the crowd claiming Busch had taken out the corner post before grounding the ball. Even though the referee believed it was a fair try he had no option other than to rule 'no try'. The referee was reported to have said to the Kangaroos "fair try Australia, but I am overruled". The match finished as a 0-0 draw, leaving the series tied at one match apiece, a deciding fourth match was played a week later, which England won 3-0, to retain the Ashes. For the remainder of his life Busch insisted he scored the try, quoted as saying “I got it down all right…it was a fair try.” The corner where Busch scored the disallowed try in Swinton, is still officially known as Busch’s Corner.
Accolades
In 1998, for a rugby league memorabilia auction for charity Busch’s 1928 autographed jersey went for A$67,000.Following his death in 1999, players from the two Australian clubs for which he played, Eastern suburbs and Balmain wore black armbands in his honour.
In February 2008, Busch was named in the list of Australia's 100 Greatest Players (1908–2007) which was commissioned by the NRL
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
and ARL
Australian Rugby League
The Australian Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in Australia. It is made up of state bodies, including the New South Wales Rugby League and the Queensland Rugby League...
to celebrate the code's centenary year in Australia.
Sources
- RL1908.com - Sean Fagan
- The Encyclopedia Of Rugby League Players; Alan Whiticker & Glen Hudson