St Helen’s ArchivePreserving the past for the future

PH257

Photograph

CIC

David Dow

1926-1927

Postcard, B&W, New South Wales rugby team 1926-27 who toured UK, Ireland and France. Dimensions: w 6" x h4" (w15cm x h10.13cm). Reverse has the Waratahs' fixture list and the touring squad's names, positions, height and weight.

This contemporary postcard depicting the 1926-17 New South Wales Waratahs is of particular interest as the version listing the fixtures gives an incomplete results list, suggesting the print run was made after the victory against Wales at Cardiff on 26 November 1926. The tour comprised 29 players, 28 of whom were New South Wales players with one Queenslander. They were captained by A C "Jonnie" Wallace, a Sydney University graduate who studied at Oxford and played nine matches for Scotland while there. His knowledge of British rugby and experience and adeptness at tactics made him a natural choice as captain. The tour comprised 28 matches in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland and 3 fixtures in France as well as playing exhibition matches in Canada on the return journey. The record at the end of the tour stood at 24 wins, 2 draws and 5 losses from the 31 matches. Of the 'Home' nations tests Wales and Ireland were beaten and losses were sustained against Scotland and England. Swansea played the Waratahs on 1 October 1926 at St Helen's and suffered an 11 - 0 loss to the tourists. Jack Elwyn Watkins was the Swansea captain.

1926-1927, 1926-27, NSW, waratahs, tour,