The 1953 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 three tests against the New Zealand national rugby league team. The tour began on 24 June and finished on 18 July.
Leadership Clive Churchill was both the captain and the coach of the touring side. He appeared in eight of the nine matches. In the one game in which Churchill was absent, against Northland, Ken McCaffery captained the Australian team. The team was managed by Dudley Locke of Wollongong and George McLeod of Maryborough.
Touring squad The Rugby League News published the touring team including the players' ages and weights. 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. Crocker, Davies, Drew, Hornery, Banks, McCaffery, McGovern and Watson were selected from Queensland clubs. Carlson, Gill and Paul were selected from clubs in New South Wales Country areas. The balance of the squad had played for Sydney based clubs during the 1953 season.
Player Age Weight Club TestsonTour Games Tries Goals FG Points Ferris Ashton 26 14 st. 8 lb. (93 kg) Eastern Suburbs 1 5 4 5 0 22 Roy Bull 23 14 st. 4 lb. (91 kg) Manly-Warringah 3 6 2 0 6 Brian Carlson 20 13 st. 3 lb. (84 kg) Newcastle Northern Suburbs 2 6 16 5 58 Clive Churchill 26 11 st. 7 lb. (73 kg) South Sydney 3 8 1 0 0 3 Les Cowie 28 13 st. 4 lb. (84 kg) South Sydney 1 5 0 0 0 0 Harold Crocker 24 15 st. 0 lb. (95 kg) South Brisbane 3 5 0 0 0 0 Brian Davies 22 15 st. 0 lb. (95 kg) Brisbane Brothers 3 7 3 0 0 9 Bernie Drew 24 13 st. 7 lb. (86 kg) Ipswich Railways 1 5 9 2 0 31 Charlie Gill 30 13 st. 12 lb. (88 kg) Newcastle Northern Suburbs 3 7 1 1 0 5 Greg Hawick 21 13 st. 0 lb. (83 kg) South Sydney 2 6 1 3 0 9 Keith Holman 25 11 st. 9 lb. (74 kg) Western Suburbs 1 4 2 2 0 10 Alan Hornery 27 13 st. 6 lb. (85 kg) Brisbane Western Suburbs 0 5 1 1 0 5 Ken Kearney 27 14 st. 2 lb. (90 kg) St George 3 4 0 0 0 0 Bob Banks 22 12 st. 6 lb. (79 kg) Toowoomba Newtown 3 7 4 2 0 16 Ken McCaffery 23 13 st. 0 lb. (83 kg) Toowoomba Souths 3 6 8 0 0 24 Des McGovern 24 13 st. 4 lb. (84 kg) Toowoomba Newtown 1 6 19 1 0 59 Albert Paul 25 14 st. 2 lb. (90 kg) Lakes United 0 5 1 1 0 5 Noel Pidding 26 12 st. 6 lb. (79 kg) St George 3 8 9 18 0 63 Alex Watson 20 13 st. 4 lb. (84 kg) Brisbane Western Suburbs 0 5 6 1 0 20 Harry Wells 21 14 st. 2 lb. (90 kg) Wollongong 3 7 7 0 0 21
Tour The Australians played nine matches on the tour, winning seven matches and losing two, both being tests against the Kiwis.
First test
New ZealandPositionAustraliaDes WhiteFBClive Churchill (c)Jimmy EdwardsWGBrian CarlsonRon McKayCEHarry WellsTommy BaxterCEKen McCafferyBevin HoughWGNoel PiddingBill SorensenFEBob BanksJimmy Haig (c)HBKeith HolmanJohn BondPRRoy BullGeorge DavidsonHKKen KearneyBill McLennanPRCharlie GillBob NeilsonSRBrian DaviesFrank MulcareSRFerris AshtonAlister AtkinsonLFHarold CrockerJim AmosCoachClive Churchill
Second test
New ZealandPositionAustraliaDes WhiteFBClive Churchill (c)Cyril PaskellWGBrian CarlsonRon McKayCEHarry WellsTommy BaxterCEKen McCafferyJimmy EdwardsWGNoel PiddingBill SorensenFEBob BanksJimmy Haig (c)HBGreg HawickBill McLennanPRRoy BullGeorge DavidsonHKKen KearneyJohn BondPRCharlie GillBob NeilsonSRBrian DaviesFrank MulcareSRHarold CrockerAlister AtkinsonLFLes CowieJim AmosCoachClive Churchill
Third test
New ZealandPositionAustraliaDes WhiteFBClive Churchill (c)Jimmy EdwardsWGDes McGovernRon McKayCEHarry WellsTommy BaxterCEKen McCafferyVern BakalichWGNoel PiddingCyril EastlakeFEBob BanksJimmy Haig (c)HBGreg HawickJohn BondPRRoy BullGeorge DavidsonHKKen KearneyBill McLennanPRCharlie GillBob NeilsonSRBrian DaviesFrank MulcareSRBernie DrewAlister AtkinsonLFHarold CrockerJim AmosCoachClive Churchill
References