Len Smith
Encyclopedia
Len Smith was an Australia
n representative rugby union
and rugby league
footballer of the 1930s and 40s. He captained the Kangaroos
in two Tests 1948 and was controversially omitted from the 1948-49 Kangaroo tour
of Great Britain.
in the 1930s and after making state representative appearance for New South Wales
against Queensland, Victoria and the All Blacks
he was selected as a Wallaby for the ill fated 1939 tour of Great Britain. Docking at Southhampton the day before World War II was declared, the side left England without playing a game.
during World War II and served in Palestine, Egypt and Syria before returning home in 1942. Playing rugby league in the army Smith realised that many union players in Sydney had converted and on his return he switched codes to be able to compete against the best players. He remained in the Army whilst playing for Newtown
. For the 1944 semi-final against the St George Smith had to travel 25 hours by train from an army camp in Melbourne. Smith saw further active service and a command from 1944 to 1945 in New Guinea. At discharge in October 1945 he was a Captain in the 2/2 Australian Ordnance Stores Company.
in 1942 and played with the club till 1947 aside from the 1945 season when he was on active service.
He was selected in Sydney Firsts in 1946.
In 1947 at age 28 he was selected as captain of Sydney and NSW and won the NSW Player of the Year award.
He debuted for the Kangaroos
in 1948 being named as captain-coach for a two Test series against New Zealand. That year he was also named New South Wales player of the year.
The Australians were beaten in a shock upset 21-19 in the 1st Test in Sydney but regrouped to win the 2nd test in Brisbane 13-4. Smith's tactics of running himself like a forward at the Kiwi centres was critical to the victory.
In 2008, the centenary year of rugby league in Australia, Smith was named in the Newtown Jets 18-man team of the century.
It was unfathomable that the current Australian captain/coach having just won a Test would not be good enough to be in selected in the touring squad of 28.
There was press uproar at the time and lobbying for a change by Newtown. Some of those involved at the time when interviewd many years later by sporting journalists still spoke bitterly of the travesty.
In 1998 Rugby League historian Sean Fagan
interviewed Smith who confirmed his suspicion that his Catholicism was the cause of the problem. Several members of the selection panel were Masons and at that time the touring captain often needed to speak at Northern English clubs with Masonic links. The 1948 Kangaroos failed to win a Test in England.
After football Len Smith became a respected sportswriter and was involved in the trotting industry.
Sean Fagan
casts doubt on this, citing his 1998 interview with Len Smith wherein Smith advised that the game was played between one-half of the touring squad against the other with extra numbers made up by some military personnel on hand in Bombay. This is supported by the Pollard reference which records that the Wallabies played against a "Gymkhana XV made up of military men and others".
.
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 representative 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 of the 1930s and 40s. He captained 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...
in two Tests 1948 and was controversially omitted from the 1948-49 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...
of Great Britain.
Rugby union career
Smith played with the Eastern Suburbs RUFCEastern Suburbs RUFC
The 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....
in the 1930s and after making state representative appearance for New South Wales
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...
against Queensland, Victoria and the All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
he was selected as a Wallaby for the ill fated 1939 tour of Great Britain. Docking at Southhampton the day before World War II was declared, the side left England without playing a game.
Wartime
Smith enlisted in the AIFAustralian Imperial Force
The Australian Imperial Force was the name given to all-volunteer Australian Army forces dispatched to fight overseas during World War I and World War II.* First Australian Imperial Force * Second Australian Imperial Force...
during World War II and served in Palestine, Egypt and Syria before returning home in 1942. Playing rugby league in the army Smith realised that many union players in Sydney had converted and on his return he switched codes to be able to compete against the best players. He remained in the Army whilst playing for Newtown
Newtown Jets
The Newtown Jets are an Australian rugby league football club based in Newtown, a suburb of Sydney's inner west. They currently compete in the NSWRL Premier League competition, having left the top grade after the 1983 NSWRFL season...
. For the 1944 semi-final against the St George Smith had to travel 25 hours by train from an army camp in Melbourne. Smith saw further active service and a command from 1944 to 1945 in New Guinea. At discharge in October 1945 he was a Captain in the 2/2 Australian Ordnance Stores Company.
Rugby league career
Smith joined the Newtown BluebagsNewtown Jets
The Newtown Jets are an Australian rugby league football club based in Newtown, a suburb of Sydney's inner west. They currently compete in the NSWRL Premier League competition, having left the top grade after the 1983 NSWRFL season...
in 1942 and played with the club till 1947 aside from the 1945 season when he was on active service.
He was selected in Sydney Firsts in 1946.
In 1947 at age 28 he was selected as captain of Sydney and NSW and won the NSW Player of the Year award.
He debuted for 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...
in 1948 being named as captain-coach for a two Test series against New Zealand. That year he was also named New South Wales player of the year.
The Australians were beaten in a shock upset 21-19 in the 1st Test in Sydney but regrouped to win the 2nd test in Brisbane 13-4. Smith's tactics of running himself like a forward at the Kiwi centres was critical to the victory.
In 2008, the centenary year of rugby league in Australia, Smith was named in the Newtown Jets 18-man team of the century.
Selection controversy
It seemed a mere formality that Smith would be chosen to lead the team of young inexperienced Kangaroos on the end of year 1948 Tour of England but on the night the side was announced Smith was inexplicably left out of the party.It was unfathomable that the current Australian captain/coach having just won a Test would not be good enough to be in selected in the touring squad of 28.
There was press uproar at the time and lobbying for a change by Newtown. Some of those involved at the time when interviewd many years later by sporting journalists still spoke bitterly of the travesty.
In 1998 Rugby League historian Sean Fagan
Sean Fagan
Sean Patrick Fagan is a Sydney, Australia based sports historian, author and journalist, specialising in early Australian history and particular the origins and local development of the popular football codes in Australia. He has written articles for Australian national daily newspapers, numerous...
interviewed Smith who confirmed his suspicion that his Catholicism was the cause of the problem. Several members of the selection panel were Masons and at that time the touring captain often needed to speak at Northern English clubs with Masonic links. The 1948 Kangaroos failed to win a Test in England.
After football Len Smith became a respected sportswriter and was involved in the trotting industry.
Not a dual-code international
Regarding the 1939 Wallaby squad, the Whiticker reference records that "the squad played at exhibition match in Bombay on the journey home so that the players could be afforded international status" and consequently refers to Smith as a dual-code international. HoweverSean Fagan
Sean Fagan
Sean Patrick Fagan is a Sydney, Australia based sports historian, author and journalist, specialising in early Australian history and particular the origins and local development of the popular football codes in Australia. He has written articles for Australian national daily newspapers, numerous...
casts doubt on this, citing his 1998 interview with Len Smith wherein Smith advised that the game was played between one-half of the touring squad against the other with extra numbers made up by some military personnel on hand in Bombay. This is supported by the Pollard reference which records that the Wallabies played against a "Gymkhana XV made up of military men and others".
.
Sources
- Fagan, Sean (2000–2006) RL1908.com
- Whiticker, Alan (2004) Captaining the Kangaroos, New Holland, Sydney
- Pollard, Jack (1984) Australian Rugby Union: The Game and the Players Angus and Robertson Publishing