Cyril Towers
Encyclopedia
Cyril Towers was an Australia
n rugby union
player, a state and national
representative centre who made 57 appearances for the Wallabies
, played in 19 Test matches and captained the national side on three occasions in 1937.
in Sydney for whom he made 233 first grade appearances. Along with Wally Meagher his senior at Randwick, Towers pioneered the application of running rugby tactics at the club. "Attack" was the main credo, setting up the wings the main goal and kicking for touch was frowned upon.
to appear against a touring All Blacks
outfit. New South Wales won the match 26-20 and Towers was recalled for the fourth encounter which the hosts lost 21-28. With no Queensland Rugby Union
administration or competition in place from 1919 to 1929, the New South Wales Waratahs
were the top Australia
n representative rugby union
side of the period and these debut matches were in 1986 decreed by the Australian Rugby Union
as official Test matches.
Towers was selected for the 1927-28 Waratahs tour of Britain, France and Canada, turning 21 on the ship going over. He played in 25 matches of the tour exceeded only by Wylie Breckenbridge (29), Tom Lawton
(27) and Alex Ross
(29). With Jack Ford he was the equal top try scorer and the equal second highest point scorer behind Lawton. He played in three Test matches of the tour.
He wrote a travel diary of the 1927-28 tour which was serialised between June and December 1928 for the magazine Australian Banker. (Towers worked in banking). His Test match reports are quoted extensively in the tour article.
Towers toured New Zealand in 1928 with the Waratahs
under Syd Malcolm
as captain. Geoff Bland was the only other veteran from the 1927 World Tour squad and five matches in total were won and five lost. Towers played in all matches, including three Tests and was top scorer with 29 points. Howell quotes Chester and McMillan from The Visitors: "Towers was hailed by many critics as the best centre in the world rugby and was certainly one of the great Australian players of all time".
In 1929 the All Blacks
toured Australia, Towers was in two of the three Test sides captained by Tom Lawton
which for the first time in history beat the All Blacks 3-0 in a series whitewash. With the Queensland Rugby Union
now back in existence for the first time since 1919 this was the first truly national Wallabies side fielded since 1914.
toured Australia in 1930 and Towers played against them in four matches for state and country. Then in 1931 he was a senior in the full Australian side sent to New Zealand with Syd Malcolm
as captain. They won three, drew one and lost six matches including the single Test but Towers played in nine matches, was the tour's top try-scorer and was honoured for the first time with the national captaincy in a minor match against Seddon Shield Districts.
In 1933, Towers was left out of the squad that made Australia's first ever rugby tour of South Africa
. It was a controversial omission made by team manager Dr Wally Mathews because of Towers' forthrightness and perceived disruptiveness. Still he had further representative appearances ahead of him. In 1934 he played in the two match series against the All Blacks
in which the Wallabies wrestled away the Bledisloe Cup
for the first time. Then in 1937 perhaps his finest hour, as Australia's Test captain in the 9-5 defeat against the touring Springboks
then hailed as the finest side in the world, in which game Towers scored all of Australia's points and inspired the defence to hold out the Boks onslaught.
He retired in 1940 after having again been left out of the 1939 Wallaby side - a blessing since the team travelled to the other side of the world but did not play a match due to the outbreak of World War II
. He had played 57 matches for Australia, 19 of them Tests, 2 of those as captain.
His son-in-law Jake Howard
played in the front-row for the Wallabies in the 1970s. Jake's son, Cyril's grandson Pat Howard
, also played centre for Australia in the 1990s. A plaque in the Sydney Cricket Ground
's Walk of Honour commemorates Towers' career. In 2006 he was honoured in the second set of inductees into the Australian Rugby Union
Hall of Fame
Towers' great nephew, Brett Towers, represented NSW Junior Rugby Union as a 17 year old and captained the NSW CHS First XV in 1999 including an autumn tour of Canada.
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...
player, a state 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 centre who made 57 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...
, played in 19 Test matches and captained the national side on three occasions in 1937.
Club career
Born in Melbourne and raised in Queensland, Towers club career was with Randwick DRUFCRandwick DRUFC
Randwick District Rugby Union Football Club, also known as the Galloping Greens, is an Australian rugby union club which competes in the Sydney grade competition. The club was formed in 1882 and since then has won 31 first grade premierships and seven Australian club championships...
in Sydney for whom he made 233 first grade appearances. Along with Wally Meagher his senior at Randwick, Towers pioneered the application of running rugby tactics at the club. "Attack" was the main credo, setting up the wings the main goal and kicking for touch was frowned upon.
Representative career
His representative debut was as a 19 year old in 1926 when selected for the New South Wales WaratahsNew 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...
to appear against a touring 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....
outfit. New South Wales won the match 26-20 and Towers was recalled for the fourth encounter which the hosts lost 21-28. With no Queensland Rugby Union
Queensland Rugby Union
The Queensland Rugby Union is the governing body for rugby union in Queensland. It is a member and founding union of the Australian Rugby Union.-See also:*Queensland Reds*Australian Rugby Union*The Wallabies*Rugby union in Queensland...
administration or competition in place from 1919 to 1929, the New South Wales Waratahs
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...
were the top Australia
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 representative 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...
side of the period and these debut matches were in 1986 decreed by the Australian Rugby Union
Australian Rugby Union
The Australian Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Australia. It was founded in 1949 and is a member of the International Rugby Board the sport's governing body. It consists of eight member unions, representing each state and territory...
as official Test matches.
Towers was selected for the 1927-28 Waratahs tour of Britain, France and Canada, turning 21 on the ship going over. He played in 25 matches of the tour exceeded only by Wylie Breckenbridge (29), Tom Lawton
Tom Lawton, Snr
Tom Lawton Snr was an Australian rugby union player, a state and national representative five-eighth who made 44 appearances for the Wallabies, played in 14 Test matches and captained the national side on ten occasions....
(27) and Alex Ross
Alex Ross (rugby union)
Alex Ross was an Australian state and national representative rugby union player who captained the Wallabies in thirteen Test matches in 1933-34.-Career:...
(29). With Jack Ford he was the equal top try scorer and the equal second highest point scorer behind Lawton. He played in three Test matches of the tour.
He wrote a travel diary of the 1927-28 tour which was serialised between June and December 1928 for the magazine Australian Banker. (Towers worked in banking). His Test match reports are quoted extensively in the tour article.
Towers toured New Zealand in 1928 with the Waratahs
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...
under Syd Malcolm
Syd Malcolm
Syd Malcolm was an Australian rugby union player, a state and national representative half-back who captained the Wallabies' on seventeen occasions between 1928 and 1933.-Youth and representative debut:...
as captain. Geoff Bland was the only other veteran from the 1927 World Tour squad and five matches in total were won and five lost. Towers played in all matches, including three Tests and was top scorer with 29 points. Howell quotes Chester and McMillan from The Visitors: "Towers was hailed by many critics as the best centre in the world rugby and was certainly one of the great Australian players of all time".
In 1929 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....
toured Australia, Towers was in two of the three Test sides captained by Tom Lawton
Tom Lawton, Snr
Tom Lawton Snr was an Australian rugby union player, a state and national representative five-eighth who made 44 appearances for the Wallabies, played in 14 Test matches and captained the national side on ten occasions....
which for the first time in history beat the All Blacks 3-0 in a series whitewash. With the Queensland Rugby Union
Queensland Rugby Union
The Queensland Rugby Union is the governing body for rugby union in Queensland. It is a member and founding union of the Australian Rugby Union.-See also:*Queensland Reds*Australian Rugby Union*The Wallabies*Rugby union in Queensland...
now back in existence for the first time since 1919 this was the first truly national Wallabies side fielded since 1914.
National captain
Great BritainBritish and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
toured Australia in 1930 and Towers played against them in four matches for state and country. Then in 1931 he was a senior in the full Australian side sent to New Zealand with Syd Malcolm
Syd Malcolm
Syd Malcolm was an Australian rugby union player, a state and national representative half-back who captained the Wallabies' on seventeen occasions between 1928 and 1933.-Youth and representative debut:...
as captain. They won three, drew one and lost six matches including the single Test but Towers played in nine matches, was the tour's top try-scorer and was honoured for the first time with the national captaincy in a minor match against Seddon Shield Districts.
In 1933, Towers was left out of the squad that made Australia's first ever rugby tour of South Africa
South Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
. It was a controversial omission made by team manager Dr Wally Mathews because of Towers' forthrightness and perceived disruptiveness. Still he had further representative appearances ahead of him. In 1934 he played in the two match series 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 which the Wallabies wrestled away the Bledisloe Cup
Bledisloe Cup
Rugby Union's Bledisloe Cup is contested by the Australia national rugby union team and New Zealand national rugby union team. It is named after Lord Bledisloe, the former Governor-General of New Zealand who donated the trophy in 1931. The trophy was designed in New Zealand by Nelson Isaac, and...
for the first time. Then in 1937 perhaps his finest hour, as Australia's Test captain in the 9-5 defeat against the touring Springboks
South Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
then hailed as the finest side in the world, in which game Towers scored all of Australia's points and inspired the defence to hold out the Boks onslaught.
He retired in 1940 after having again been left out of the 1939 Wallaby side - a blessing since the team travelled to the other side of the world but did not play a match due to the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He had played 57 matches for Australia, 19 of them Tests, 2 of those as captain.
Post-playing and family
In retirement he was one of the first rugby commentators, becoming known as the "voice of rugby" from his broadcasts for the Australian Broadcasting Commission.His son-in-law Jake Howard
Jake Howard
Jake Howard is a former international rugby footballer who played prop for Australia.Howard gained 7 caps following his debut on the 6 June 1970 against Scotland...
played in the front-row for the Wallabies in the 1970s. Jake's son, Cyril's grandson Pat Howard
Pat Howard
Patrick William Howard, usually known as Pat Howard or Paddy Howard is an ex-head coach at Leicester Tigers and a former Australian rugby union international who played centre or fly-half. He was educated at Queensland University.He was born in Sydney...
, also played centre for Australia in the 1990s. A plaque in the Sydney Cricket Ground
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...
's Walk of Honour commemorates Towers' career. In 2006 he was honoured in the second set of inductees into the Australian Rugby Union
Australian Rugby Union
The Australian Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Australia. It was founded in 1949 and is a member of the International Rugby Board the sport's governing body. It consists of eight member unions, representing each state and territory...
Hall of Fame
Towers' great nephew, Brett Towers, represented NSW Junior Rugby Union as a 17 year old and captained the NSW CHS First XV in 1999 including an autumn tour of Canada.
Sources
- Collection (1995) Gordon Bray presents The Spirit of Rugby, Harper Collins Publishers Sydney
- Howell, Max (2005) Born to Lead - Wallaby Test Captains, Celebrity Books, Auckland NZ