Dally-M rugby advert : great contribution from down-under !

Sean Fagan is a passionate writer and editor from Sydney, Australia. Please visit his websites about Rugby League History (www.rl1908.com) and Colonial Rugby History (www.colonialrugby.com.au)... you won't be disappointed ! Sean is currently preparing a book about the gentleman pictured here, aka Dally-M

Sean gives us here the full story :

Herbert Henry "Dally" Messenger was a star rugby union player (NSW & Australia) in 1907. In August 1907 he turned professional and joined the New South Wales Rugby League (now NRL). Nicknamed "Dally M", he was known equally for his spectacular play, and his prodigous drop & place kicking.

This advertisement is from 1909, and is one of many products that Dally's name was used to endorse. Unfortunately, we don't know what he derived from allowing his name to be used (if he got anything at all!).

This advertisement is interesting as it is one of the oldest I've seen that uses a footballer by name to sell a product. I am sure this is because, of course, amateur RU players could not endorse a product and/or earn money. More bizarely perhaps, is that this advertisement (using a rugby league star) was placed in a rugby union magazine - at the time the NSWRU and NSWRL were at each other's throats in a bitter fight for the support of the Sydney public.

I am currently researching and writing a book on Dally Messenger, planned for a release in Spring (down under!) 2007.



Thank you, Sean !


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Comments

[rugbyman13]

Hi,

I have got a Dally Messenger book written in english. Are you interested by it ?

contact: [email protected]
and blog : http://rugbyman13.rmc.fr