John Brass
Encyclopedia
John Brass is an Australia
n former rugby union
and rugby league
footballer - a dual-code international. He made twelve international representative rugby union appearances with the Wallabies
from 1966–68 and six representative rugby league appearances for the Kangaroos in 1970 and 1975, as national captain on one occasion.
and went onto to play first grade rugby with the Randwick rugby club
in their premiership winning sides of 1965 to 1967.
He won national selection with the Wallabies
in 1966 playing Tests against the British Isles at home. In 1966-67 and 1968-69 he was selected on Wallaby overseas tours where he made further Test appearances.
club on a then record contract of A$30,000 pa.
In 1970, he was made captain of the Roosters' first grade side and was selected for New South Wales
in the interstate series against Queensland.
He represented Australia in rugby league in all three Tests against Great Britain in 1970. His international rugby league debut against Great Britain in Brisbane on 6 June 1970 alongside Phil Hawthorne
saw them together become Australia's 32nd and 33rd dual code rugby internationals.
For family reasons, he made himself unavailable for the 1972 Rugby League World Cup
and the 1973 Kangaroo Tour
but he was selected for the 1975 World Cup series and captained Australia to victory in a game against New Zealand in that campaign.
He was part of the Roosters'
premiership winning sides of 1974 and 1975, kicking two goals in the 1974 Grand Final and scoring two tries in the 1975 decider. During the 1976 NSWRFL season, Brass played as a centre three-quarter back for Eastern Suburbs in their unofficial 1976 World Club Challenge
match against British champions St Helens RFC
in Sydney.
competition in 1977-78. He had a long career in shopping centre management. In 1995 he was asked to join the board of Super League
and remained on the Board when the truce between the warring factions was called in 1997 and the National Rugby League
was formed. He remained on the board until 2005, when he was replaced by Gorden Tallis
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n former rugby union
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...
and 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...
footballer - a dual-code international. He made twelve international representative rugby union appearances with the Wallabies
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...
from 1966–68 and six representative rugby league appearances for the Kangaroos in 1970 and 1975, as national captain on one occasion.
Rugby union career
His junior football was with the South Coogee juniors. He was educated at Sydney Boys High SchoolSydney Boys High School
Sydney Boys High School is an academically selective public secondary school for boys, located in the City of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, with 1,180 students, from years 7 to 12...
and went onto to play first grade rugby with the Randwick rugby club
Randwick DRUFC
Randwick District Rugby Union Football Club, also known as the Galloping Greens, is an Australian rugby union club which competes in the Sydney grade competition. The club was formed in 1882 and since then has won 31 first grade premierships and seven Australian club championships...
in their premiership winning sides of 1965 to 1967.
He won national selection with the Wallabies
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...
in 1966 playing Tests against the British Isles at home. In 1966-67 and 1968-69 he was selected on Wallaby overseas tours where he made further Test appearances.
Rugby league career
Switching to rugby league in 1969 he joined the Eastern SuburbsSydney 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...
club on a then record contract of A$30,000 pa.
In 1970, he was made captain of the Roosters' first grade side and was selected for New South Wales
New South Wales Rugby League team
The New South Wales rugby league team has represented the Australian state of New South Wales in rugby league football since the sport's beginnings there in 1907. Administered by the New South Wales Rugby League, the team competes in the annual State of Origin series against arch-rivals, the...
in the interstate series against Queensland.
He represented Australia in rugby league in all three Tests against Great Britain in 1970. His international rugby league debut against Great Britain in Brisbane on 6 June 1970 alongside Phil Hawthorne
Phil Hawthorne
Phil Hawthorne was an Australian rugby league and rugby union footballer - a dual-code international. He represented the Wallabies in 21 Tests and the Kangaroos in 3 Tests. He captained Australia in rugby league the 3rd Test of the 1970 Ashes series.-Rugby union career:Hawthorne was born in 1943...
saw them together become Australia's 32nd and 33rd dual code rugby internationals.
For family reasons, he made himself unavailable for the 1972 Rugby League World Cup
1972 Rugby League World Cup
The sixth Rugby League World Cup was held in France in October and November of 1972. Australia started as the favourites to retain the trophy they had won just two years previously. New Zealand had beaten all three of the other nations in 1971 and France were expected to be tough opponents on their...
and the 1973 Kangaroo Tour
Kangaroo Tour
Kangaroo Tour is the name given to Australian national rugby league team tours of Great Britain and France. The first Kangaroo Tour was in 1908. Traditionally, Kangaroo Tours took place every four years and involved a three-Test Ashes series against Great Britain and a number of tour matches...
but he was selected for the 1975 World Cup series and captained Australia to victory in a game against New Zealand in that campaign.
He was part of the Roosters'
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...
premiership winning sides of 1974 and 1975, kicking two goals in the 1974 Grand Final and scoring two tries in the 1975 decider. During the 1976 NSWRFL season, Brass played as a centre three-quarter back for Eastern Suburbs in their unofficial 1976 World Club Challenge
1976 World Club Challenge
The inaugural World Club Challenge was actually an unofficial trial of the concept, with 1975 NSWRFL season premiers, Eastern Suburbs playing against 1975–76 Northern Rugby Football League season Challenge Cup winners St. Helens...
match against British champions St Helens RFC
St Helens RFC
St Helens Rugby League Football Club are a professional rugby league club from St Helens, Merseyside, North West England who play in the Super League. Nicknamed Saints, they were a founder member of the Northern Rugby Football Union. They have been league champions on 12 occasions and runners up...
in Sydney.
Post playing
Brass coached the Tweed Heads Seagulls in the Queensland Rugby LeagueQueensland Rugby League
The Queensland Rugby Football League is the governing body for rugby league in Queensland. It is a member of the Australian Rugby League and selects the members of Queensland State of Origin teams....
competition in 1977-78. He had a long career in shopping centre management. In 1995 he was asked to join the board of Super League
Super League (Australia)
Super League was an Australian rugby league football administrative body that conducted professional competition in Australasia for one season in 1997. Along with Super League of Europe, it was created by News Corporation during the Super League war which arose following an unsuccessful attempt to...
and remained on the Board when the truce between the warring factions was called in 1997 and the National Rugby League
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...
was formed. He remained on the board until 2005, when he was replaced by Gorden Tallis
Gorden Tallis
Gorden James Tallis is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played from 1992 to 2004. He captained Australia and Queensland as well as the Brisbane Broncos club, with whom he won three premierships and one Clive Churchill Medal...
.
Sources
- Whiticker, Alan (2004) Captaining the Kangaroos, New Holland, Sydney