1965 Kangaroo tour of New Zealand
The 1965 Kangaroo Tour of New Zealand was a mid-season tour of New Zealand by the Australia national rugby league team. The Australians played eight matches on tour, including two tests against the New Zealand national rugby league team. The tour began on 9 June and finished on 28 June.[1]
| 1965 Kangaroo tour of New Zealand | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manager | Arnold Stehr Des Green | ||||
| Coach(es) | Ian Walsh | ||||
| Tour captain(s) | Ian Walsh | ||||
| Top point scorer(s) | Les Johns 37 | ||||
| Top try scorer(s) | Nick Yakich 6 | ||||
| Top test point scorer(s) | Ken Irvine 9 | ||||
| Top test try scorer(s) | Ken Irvine 3 | ||||
| Summary |
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| Total |
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| Test match |
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| Opponent |
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 New Zealand |
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| Tour chronology | |||||
| Previous tour | 1961 by  to  1963 by to 1963-64 to   | ||||
| Next tour | 1967 by to 1969 by to 1967-68 to | ||||
Leadership
Ian Walsh was both the captain and the coach of the touring side. Walsh appeared in seven of the eight matches. Reg Gasnier captained the Australian team in the one match in which Walsh did not appear, against Canterbury.
The team was co-managed by Arnold Stehr (Manly, NSW) and Des Green (Ipswich, Qld).[2]
Touring squad
The Rugby League News published details of the touring team including the players' ages and weights.[3] A team photo was published at the conclusion of the tour.
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.[4]
Cavanagh, Gleeson and Wellington were selected from Queensland clubs. Beath, Buman and Pannowitz were selected from clubs in New South Wales Country areas. The balance of the squad were playing for Sydney based clubs during the 1965 season.
| Player | Position | Age | Weight st.lb (kg) |
Club | Tests on Tour |
Games | Tries | Goals | FG | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barry Beath | Prop, Second-row | 20 | 14.8 (93) |  Eugowra | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Allan Buman | Hooker | 24 | 13.0 (83) |  Newcastle Western Suburbs | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Noel Cavanagh | Lock | 22 | 13.10 (87) |  Brisbane Brothers | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Michael Cleary | Wing | 25 | 13.6 (85) |  South Sydney | 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Reg Gasnier | Centre | 26 | 12.12 (82) |  St George | 2 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 18 |
| John Gleeson | Five-eighth, Halfback | 24 | 12.4 (78) |  Toowoomba All Whites | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Brian Hambly | Lock | 27 | 14.9 (93) |  Parramatta | 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Ken Irvine | Wing | 25 | 12.2 (77) |  North Sydney | 2 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| Les Johns | Fullback | 22 | 11.10 (74) |  Canterbury | 2 | 7 | 1 | 17 | 0 | 37 |
| Graeme Langlands | Centre | 23 | 13.2 (83) | St George | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 7 |
| Jimmy Lisle | Five-eighth | 25 | 12.5 (78) | South Sydney | 2 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| John Morgan | Second-row | 21 | 15.7 (98) |  Manly-Warringah | 2 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Terry Pannowitz | Five-eighth, Lock | 20 | 12.9 (80) |  Maitland | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Paul Quinn | Prop | 27 | 14.10 (93) |  Newtown | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Billy Smith | Halfback | 22 | 11.4 (72) | St George | 2 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| Mick Veivers | Second-row | 26 | 16.2 (103) | Manly-Warringah | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ian Walsh | Prop, Hooker | 30 | 14.2 (90) | St George | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lloyd Weier | Prop | 26 | 16.6 (104) | North Sydney | 2 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Gary Wellington | Centre | 23 | 12.7 (79) | Ayr | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Nick Yakich | Wing | 25 | 12.1 (77) | Manly-Warringah | 0 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 18 |
Tour
The Australians played eight matches on the tour, winning all of the matches except for the second test against New Zealand.
First test
Saturday 19 June |
| New Zealand |
8 – 13 | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Australia |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Goals: Jack Fagan (2/2) Graham Kennedy (2/2) |
[9] | Tries: Ken Irvine (2) Lloyd Weier Goals: Les Johns (2/3) |
         New Zealand
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    Australia
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Second test
Saturday 26 June |
| New Zealand |
7 – 5 | Australia |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Roger Bailey Goals: Jack Fagan (2/2) |
[11] | Tries: Ken Irvine Goals: Les Johns (1/1) |
New Zealand
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Australia
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References
- "Kangaroos Tour 1965 - Rugby League Project". www.rugbyleagueproject.org. Retrieved 2020-09-11.
- New South Wales Rugby Football League. (1920). "Capable manager for N.Z." The Rugby League news. Sydney: N.S.W. Rugby Football League (Vol. 46 No. 11 (8 May 1965)). nla.obj-758692361. Retrieved 23 Jan 2021 – via Trove.
- New South Wales Rugby Football League. (1920). "How They Line Up". The Rugby League news. Sydney: N.S.W. Rugby Football League (Vol. 46 No. 18 (19 June 1965)). nla.obj-758992105. Retrieved 23 Jan 2021 – via Trove.
- E.E.Christensen (1966). "Australian Tour of N.Z.". E.E. Christensen's Official Rugby League Yearbook. Sydney: E.E.Christensen (Vol. 20).
- 1965 Wellington vs Australia – Rugby League Project
- 1965 Christchurch vs Australia – Rugby League Project
- 1965 West Coast vs Australia – Rugby League Project
- 1965 Taranaki vs Australia – Rugby League Project
- 1965 New Zealand vs Australia – Rugby League Project
- 1965 Waikato vs Australia – Rugby League Project
- 1965 New Zealand vs Australia – Rugby League Project
- 1965 Auckland vs Australia – Rugby League Project