New South Wales Warratahs 1904
The guys from Sydney in their sky blue jersey (the same as today...)
Some botanics for my French readers : the "warratah" is this Australian flower on their chest.
I have asked Sean Fagan (www.rl1908.com and www.colonialrugby.com.au) to tell me a bit more about the guys here, and he kindly returned me a copy this newspaper photograpghy evidencing that the NSW team was then visiting Brisbane (Queensland) in June 1904. This paper was provided by PatWalsh's grandson (Walsh is sitting on the front row, first from the left). It gives the name of all the players.
Sean has also identified another famous Warratah, i.e. Arthur Hennessy (front row, second from right), who just over 2 years later founded the now famous South Sydney "Rabbitohs" rugby league club (now NRL). Arthur Hennessy was the first captain of the Kangaroos (Australia national XIII team).
Technorati Tags: rugby, postcard, print, warratahs, "pat walsh", "arthur hennessy"
Interesting to also note that the NSW rugby union team were known as "the Blues" until the NSW rugby league team usurped that name in 1908 (no doubt both codes used "Blues" for some time thereafter, though it is now synonymous solely with rugby league's State of Origin). Conversely, in Queensland, the rugby union team held onto "Reds", while the rugby league team assigned themselves "Maroons".
"Waratahs" was not used for the NSW rugby union team until their UK tour of 1927/28. "Waratahs" was not permanently used as nickname for the NSW team until the 1990s and the arrival of Super 12.
Posted by: Sean Fagan | 09/05/2006 at 13:35
Sean > Cristal clear !
Posted by: Frederic | 09/05/2006 at 16:58
Hi, family history says, that Harry Bowman played for the Warratahs. He was a milkman in Surry Hills Sydney. Any history, love to find it. Cheers.
Posted by: Sylvia Bowman | 25/07/2006 at 07:01