Alex Burdon
Encyclopedia
Alexander "Alex" Burdon (31 March 1879 – 13 December 1943) was a pioneer Australian rugby league
and rugby union
footballer - a dual-code rugby international.
He was one of the founding fathers of rugby league in Australia, representing the Kangaroos in the first 2 Tests in 1908 & 1909. He was the fourth captain of the Australian team enjoying that honour in the decider Test of the inaugural tour.
he played first grade for the district from 1902 and the following year represented Sydney then New South Wales. He made his Australian representative
test debut as prop, against the All Blacks
in the 22-3 victory in Sydney, on 15 August 1903
In 1904 he represented against England
then toured New Zealand in 1905.
Folklore would suggest that Burdon's injury on the 1907 NSW Rugby tour of Queensland
and the resultant unfairness of him having to pay his medical expenses while suffering a loss of wages, was a catalyst leading to the 1907 split away from rugby union. Similar sentiments in the North of England
for working class players who could not afford time off due to injury had indeed prompted the changes that formed the new "Northern Union
" two years earlier. However the movement to start a rugby league competition in Sydney was already well under way before Burdon's injury.
He was one of the five selectors for the Pioneer Kangaroo tour of England. He played in 25 tour matches including the first and second Anglo-Australian Test matches. Eight former Wallabies had debuted for the Kangaroos in the Matches against New Zealand
earlier that year, Burdon's league Test debut in the first Test against England with Pat Walsh made them the 9th and 10th Australian dual code internationals.
In The First Kangaroos
, a 1988 British
–Australian
made for TV sports film, Bluey Burdon's role was played by Philip Quast
.
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
and rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
footballer - a dual-code rugby international.
He was one of the founding fathers of rugby league in Australia, representing the Kangaroos in the first 2 Tests in 1908 & 1909. He was the fourth captain of the Australian team enjoying that honour in the decider Test of the inaugural tour.
Rugby union career
Born in Glebe, New South WalesGlebe, New South Wales
Glebe is an inner-city suburb of Sydney. Glebe is located 3 km south-west of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the City of Sydney, in the Inner West region....
he played first grade for the district from 1902 and the following year represented Sydney then New South Wales. He made his Australian representative
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
test debut as prop, against the All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
in the 22-3 victory in Sydney, on 15 August 1903
In 1904 he represented against England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
then toured New Zealand in 1905.
Folklore would suggest that Burdon's injury on the 1907 NSW Rugby tour of Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
and the resultant unfairness of him having to pay his medical expenses while suffering a loss of wages, was a catalyst leading to the 1907 split away from rugby union. Similar sentiments in the North of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
for working class players who could not afford time off due to injury had indeed prompted the changes that formed the new "Northern Union
Rugby Football League
The Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...
" two years earlier. However the movement to start a rugby league competition in Sydney was already well under way before Burdon's injury.
Rugby league career
Burdon joined the newly formed Glebe Rugby League Club in 1908 and was named the club's foundation captain.He was one of the five selectors for the Pioneer Kangaroo tour of England. He played in 25 tour matches including the first and second Anglo-Australian Test matches. Eight former Wallabies had debuted for the Kangaroos in the Matches against New Zealand
New Zealand national rugby league team
The New Zealand national rugby league team has represented New Zealand in rugby league football since intercontinental competition began for the sport in 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name...
earlier that year, Burdon's league Test debut in the first Test against England with Pat Walsh made them the 9th and 10th Australian dual code internationals.
In The First Kangaroos
The First Kangaroos
The First Kangaroos is a 1988 British–Australian made for TV sports film directed by Frank Cvitanovich and starring Dennis Waterman, Chris Haywood and Dominic Sweeney. It depicts the first-ever rugby league tour of England by the Australian national team, the 1908-09 Kangaroos...
, a 1988 British
Cinema of the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom has had a major influence on modern cinema. The first moving pictures developed on celluloid film were made in Hyde Park, London in 1889 by William Friese Greene, a British inventor, who patented the process in 1890. It is generally regarded that the British film industry...
–Australian
Cinema of Australia
Cinema of Australia, more commonly referred to as the Australian film industry, refers to the system of production, distribution, and exhibition of films in Australia. Film production commenced in Australia in 1906 with the production of The Story of the Kelly Gang, the earliest feature film made...
made for TV sports film, Bluey Burdon's role was played by Philip Quast
Philip Quast
Philip Quast is an Australian actor perhaps best known for his role as Inspector Javert in the stage musical version of Les Misérables, or for appearances in numerous Australian soap operas including Sons and Daughters, The Young Doctors and Police Rescue.-Personal life:Quast was born in 1957 in...
.
Playing record
- Club: Glebe Rugby League Club1908-10 20 games, 3 tries
- Representative: Australia (1908–09) 2 Tests.