The 1961 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 two tests against the New Zealand national rugby league team. The tour began on 17 June and finished on 10 July.
Leadership Brian Carlson was both the captain and the coach of the touring side. Carlson did not play in the Second Test and tour vice-captain Barry Muir led Australia in that match. In the two matches in which neither Carlson nor Muir played, the Kangaroos were captained by Reg Gasnier (against Taranaki) and Ian Walsh (against Auckland). The team was managed by Jack Kessey of Newtown, New South Wales and G.W. (Jock) Allen of Toowooomba, Queensland.
Touring squad The Rugby League News published details of the touring team including the players' ages and weights; and a summary of match results and players' appearances and points scoring. 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. Beattie, Day, Gehrke, Gil, Muir, Paterson and Rasmussen were selected from Queensland clubs. Beaven, Crowe and Owen were selected from clubs in New South Wales Country areas. The balance of the squad had played for Sydney based clubs during the 1961 season.
Player Age Weightst.lb (kg) Club TestsonTour Games Tries Goals FG Points Dud Beattie 25 14.12 (94) Ipswich Railways 1 7 0 0 0 0 Ray Beavan 24 11.2 (71) Tumut 0 4 0 0 0 0 Brian Carlson Utility Back 28 14.4 (91) St George 1 3 0 3 0 6 Ron Crowe 27 14.12 (94) West Wyalong 2 7 1 1 0 5 Ken Day 25 15.0 (95) Brisbane Western Suburbs 0 1 0 0 0 0 Frank Drake 22 11.6 (73) Western Suburbs 1 7 9 0 0 27 Reg Gasnier 22 12.8 (80) St George 2 6 6 0 0 18 Bob Gehrke 23 11.7 (73) Brisbane Valleys 0 5 2 0 0 6 Alan Gil 22 12.4 (78) Toowoomba All Whites 0 6 1 0 0 3 Ken Irvine 21 12.4 (78) North Sydney 2 8 10 1 0 32 Eddie Lumsden 24 13.9 (87) St George 2 8 6 0 0 18 Ron Lynch 21 13.10 (87) Parramatta 2 6 0 0 0 0 Barry Muir 23 10.11 (68) Brisbane Western Suburbs 2 7 4 2 0 16 Bill Owen 25 13.7 (86) Newcastle Northern Suburbs 0 6 1 0 0 3 Don Parish Utility Back 23 12.0 (76) Western Suburbs 2 7 4 23 0 58 Jim Paterson 25 14.10 (93) Innisfail 2 6 2 0 0 6 Elton Rasmussen , 23 15.4 (97) Toowoomba All Whites 2 7 0 1 0 2 Jack Sinclair 24 13.4 (84) Manly-Warringah 1 5 3 0 0 9 Arthur Summons 25 11.0 (70) Western Suburbs 2 6 1 0 0 3 Ian Walsh 27 13.6 (85) St George 2 5 1 0 0 3
Tour The Australians played nine matches on the tour, winning seven matches and losing the last two.
First test
FB1 Gary PhillipsRW2 Brian ReidyRC3 George H. TurnerLC4 Tom HadfieldLW5 Reg CookeFE6 George MenziesHB7 Graeme FarrarPR8 Jim PattersonHK9 Jock ButterfieldPR10 Maunga EmerySR11 Don HammondSR12 Ron Ackland (c)LF13 Mel CookeCoach: Des WhiteFB1 Don ParishRW2 Ken IrvineRC3 Reg GasnierLC4 Brian Carlson (c)LW5 Eddie LumsdenFE6 Arthur SummonsHB7 Barry MuirPR8 Elton RasmussenHK9 Ian WalshPR10 Ron CroweSR11 Jim PatersonSR12 Ron LynchLF13 Jack SinclairCoach: Brian Carlson
Second test
FB1 Gary PhillipsRW2 Brian ReidyRC3 George H. TurnerLC4 Tom HadfieldLW5 Reg CookeFE6 George MenziesHB7 Bill SnowdenPR8 Jim PattersonHK9 Tom ReidPR10 Maunga EmerySR11 Don HammondSR12 Ron Ackland (c)LF13 Mel CookeCoach: Des WhiteFB1 Frank DrakeRW2 Ken IrvineRC3 Don ParishLC4 Reg GasnierLW5 Eddie LumsdenFE6 Arthur SummonsHB7 Barry Muir (c)PR8 Ron CroweHK9 Ian WalshPR10 Dud BeattieSR11 Elton RasmussenSR12 Jim PatersonLF13 Ron LynchCoach: Brian Carlson
References