Bob Davidson (rugby)
Encyclopedia
Robert Alfred Lewars Davidson (1926–1992) was an Australia
n rugby union
footballer of the 1940s and 50s. A State
and national
representative prop-forward he made thirteen Test appearances and forty-nine additional tour match appearances for the Wallabies
, captaining the national side in six Tests matches
from 1957-58.
from 1945–47 and played in the College's rugby team while training to become a science teacher. He joined the Gordon RFC
in Sydney in 1947 making first-grade appearances from that year but cementing his place in the top-grade as a front-rower in 1949.
His representative debut came for NSW
in 1952 when he selected to meet a touring Fijian side
. His strong performance saw him elevated to the national side
for the two Test series against those same visitors played in Sydney
under captain John Solomon
. For the next six years Davidson was a regular in the Australian pack. He made the 1952 tour to New Zealand playing in seven of the ten matches including the two Test matches against the All Blacks
, the first of which the Wallabies won. He was selected for the 1953 tour to South Africa playing in fifteen games. He made only one Test appearance there of the four played, with selectors opting for Nick Shehadie
and Colin Forbes
up front.
In 1957 he was selected for two domestic Test matches against the visiting All Blacks
and then later in the year was honoured with the captaincy of the touring squad for the epic eight month 1957–58 Australia rugby union tour of Britain, Ireland and France.
had made ten Test appearances for Australia before the tour and had captained the Wallabies well in two 1957 Tests against the All Blacks
. Howell expresses a view that it was inexplicable that Tooth was not selected for the tour and not named as captain and partially blames this for the disappointing tour result. However Howell also writes that Davidson possessed outstanding qualities to make him a natural touring captain. He was a born leader of men, was immensely popular, he met people well, was highly intelligent and spoke well in public. He played in thirty-two of the forty-one tour games and did everything in his power to make the tour a success. The Wallabies
won twenty-two, lost sixteen and drew three of the matches played. They lost all five Tests of the tour under Davidson's captaincy.
On his return to Australia Davidson captained both New South Wales and the Wallabies matches in 1958 against the New Zealand Māori rugby union team
before retiring at the end of that year.
On the club front he captained the Gordon RFC
to Shute Shield
first-grade premierships in 1952, 1956 and 1958. He was the coach of the club from 1956 till 1961 and was Club President for a period from 1964.
He was Sports Master at North Sydney Technical High School from c1958 to (unknown).
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n 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 of the 1940s and 50s. A State
New South Wales Waratahs
The New South Wales Waratahs are an Australian rugby union football team, representing the majority of New South Wales in the Super 15 Super Rugby competition...
and national
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...
representative prop-forward he made thirteen Test appearances and forty-nine additional tour match appearances for the Wallabies
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...
, captaining the national side in six Tests matches
Test match (rugby union)
Test match in rugby union is a match recognised as being a full international match by at least one of the participating teams' governing bodies. It is an unofficial but widely used term in the sport....
from 1957-58.
Rugby career
Davidson attended Newcastle Technical High School and was school captain as well as rugby XV captain. He attended Sydney Teachers CollegeSydney Teachers College
The Sydney Teachers College was a tertiary education institution that trained school teachers in Sydney, Australia. It existed from 1906 until 1981, when it became a part of the Sydney Institute of Education which in turn joined the Faculty of Education at the University of Sydney in...
from 1945–47 and played in the College's rugby team while training to become a science teacher. He joined the Gordon RFC
Gordon RFC
Gordon Rugby Football Club are a rugby union club based on the North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales. The club, known as the Highlanders, play out of Chatswood Oval and compete in the New South Wales Rugby Union grade competition.-Club information:...
in Sydney in 1947 making first-grade appearances from that year but cementing his place in the top-grade as a front-rower in 1949.
His representative debut came for NSW
New South Wales Waratahs
The New South Wales Waratahs are an Australian rugby union football team, representing the majority of New South Wales in the Super 15 Super Rugby competition...
in 1952 when he selected to meet a touring Fijian side
Fiji national rugby union team
The Fiji national rugby union team is a member of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance formerly along with Samoa and Tonga. In 2009, Samoa announced their departure from the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance, leaving just Fiji and Tonga. Fiji are ranked sixteenth in the world by the IRB as of 26...
. His strong performance saw him elevated to the national side
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...
for the two Test series against those same visitors played in Sydney
Sydney Cricket Ground
The Sydney Cricket Ground is a sports stadium in Sydney in Australia. It is used for Australian football, Test cricket, One Day International cricket, some rugby league and rugby union matches and is the home ground for the New South Wales Blues cricket team and the Sydney Swans of the Australian...
under captain John Solomon
John Solomon
John Lewis Solomon is a public servant and former Canadian politician. Since 2001, he has been chair of Saskatchewan's Workers' Compensation Board...
. For the next six years Davidson was a regular in the Australian pack. He made the 1952 tour to New Zealand playing in seven of the ten matches including the two Test matches 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....
, the first of which the Wallabies won. He was selected for the 1953 tour to South Africa playing in fifteen games. He made only one Test appearance there of the four played, with selectors opting for Nick Shehadie
Nicholas Shehadie
Sir Nicholas Michael Shehadie, AC, OBE KStJ is the former Lord Mayor of Sydney and a former national representative rugby union captain, who made thirty career Test appearances...
and Colin Forbes
Colin Forbes (rugby)
Colin Francis Forbes was a rugby union player who represented Australia.Forbes, a prop, was born in Brisbane, Queensland and claimed a total of 6 international rugby caps for Australia.-References:...
up front.
In 1957 he was selected for two domestic Test matches against the visiting 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....
and then later in the year was honoured with the captaincy of the touring squad for the epic eight month 1957–58 Australia rugby union tour of Britain, Ireland and France.
Captaincy
Versatile back Dick ToothDick Tooth
Dick Tooth born 1929 is an Australian former rugby union footballer of the 1950s. He represented for the Wallabies in ten Test matches and nineteen total appearances and was Australian captain on two occasions. He resided at St Andrew's College while studying at Sydney University...
had made ten Test appearances for Australia before the tour and had captained the Wallabies well in two 1957 Tests 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....
. Howell expresses a view that it was inexplicable that Tooth was not selected for the tour and not named as captain and partially blames this for the disappointing tour result. However Howell also writes that Davidson possessed outstanding qualities to make him a natural touring captain. He was a born leader of men, was immensely popular, he met people well, was highly intelligent and spoke well in public. He played in thirty-two of the forty-one tour games and did everything in his power to make the tour a success. The Wallabies
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...
won twenty-two, lost sixteen and drew three of the matches played. They lost all five Tests of the tour under Davidson's captaincy.
On his return to Australia Davidson captained both New South Wales and the Wallabies matches in 1958 against the New Zealand Māori rugby union team
New Zealand Maori rugby union team
New Zealand Māori is a rugby union team that traditionally plays teams touring New Zealand. A prerequisite for playing in this team is that the player is to have Māori whakapapa or genealogy. In the past this rule was not strictly applied. In the past non-Māori players who looked Māori were often...
before retiring at the end of that year.
On the club front he captained the Gordon RFC
Gordon RFC
Gordon Rugby Football Club are a rugby union club based on the North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales. The club, known as the Highlanders, play out of Chatswood Oval and compete in the New South Wales Rugby Union grade competition.-Club information:...
to Shute Shield
Shute Shield
The Shute Shield is a rugby union competition in Sydney, New South Wales. It is the premier grade rugby trophy in NSW rugby. The Shute Shield is awarded at the end of the Sydney Club Rugby season to the team that wins the Grand Final...
first-grade premierships in 1952, 1956 and 1958. He was the coach of the club from 1956 till 1961 and was Club President for a period from 1964.
He was Sports Master at North Sydney Technical High School from c1958 to (unknown).
Published references
- Howell, Max (2005) Born to Lead - Wallaby Test Captains, Celebrity Books, Auckland NZ