Darby Loudon
Encyclopedia
Darby Briton Loudon was a New Zealand
born rugby union
player, a flanker
who made sixteen representative appearances for the New South Wales state
team in the 1920s. Four of the these matches have since been decreed as Test matches
by the Australian Rugby Union
and Loudon, who led the side in one such match in 1922, was therefore a captain of the Australian national team.
, New Zealand and relocated to Sydney during his youth. He attended Sydney Grammar School
and gained entry to Sydney University
to study medicine. The Sydney club rugby competition started up again after World War I
in 1919 and Loudon was captain of the Sydney University Football Club
the premiership winners, also winning himself a University Blue that year. He captained the side in matches against an AIF Rugby XV who toured NSW and Queensland and led by former Wallaby Lt.Willie Watson did much to rekindle public attention in rugby union
in the Australian eastern states.
Loudon made his representative debut on the New South Wales
tour to New Zealand in 1921, playing in nine of the ten tour matches scoring two tries, nine conversions and four penalty goals for 36 points, the second top-scorer of the squad. 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 a number of their 1920s fixtures played against full international opposition were decreed by the Australian Rugby Union
in 1986 as official Test matches. Thus Loudon's appearance against a New Zealand XV
at Lancaster Park in September 1921 marked his international Test rugby debut. So decreed also were the three matches Loudon played for New South Wales in 1922 when a New Zealand Māori rugby union team
toured to Sydney. He captained the side in the second match of that series, thus qualifying as an Australian national rugby union team captain with four international rugby caps appearances to his credit.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
born 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 flanker
Flanker (rugby union)
A flanker is a position in the sport of rugby union. Flankers play in the forwards, and are generally classified as either blindside, or openside flankers; numbers six and seven respectively. The name comes from their position in a scrum in which they flank each set of forwards...
who made sixteen representative appearances for the New South Wales 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...
team in the 1920s. Four of the these matches have since been decreed as Test 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....
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...
and Loudon, who led the side in one such match in 1922, was therefore a captain of the Australian national team.
Rugby career
Loudon, was born in LeestonLeeston
Leeston is a small town on the Canterbury Plains in the South Island of New Zealand. It is located 40 kilometres southwest of Christchurch, between the shore of Lake Ellesmere and the mouth of the Rakaia River...
, New Zealand and relocated to Sydney during his youth. He attended Sydney Grammar School
Sydney Grammar School
Sydney Grammar School is an independent, non-denominational, selective, day school for boys, located in Darlinghurst, Edgecliff and St Ives, all suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
and gained entry to Sydney University
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
to study medicine. The Sydney club rugby competition started up again after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
in 1919 and Loudon was captain of the Sydney University Football Club
Sydney University Football Club
Sydney University Football Club, founded in 1863 , is the oldest club now playing rugby union in Australia, and as such is nicknamed "The Birthplace of Australian Rugby" or simply "The Birthplace".The club are the current NSWRU Premiers.The club was a member of the inaugural Sydney club competition...
the premiership winners, also winning himself a University Blue that year. He captained the side in matches against an AIF Rugby XV who toured NSW and Queensland and led by former Wallaby Lt.Willie Watson did much to rekindle public attention in 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...
in the Australian eastern states.
Loudon made his representative debut on the New South Wales
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...
tour to New Zealand in 1921, playing in nine of the ten tour matches scoring two tries, nine conversions and four penalty goals for 36 points, the second top-scorer of the squad. 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 a number of their 1920s fixtures played against full international opposition were 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...
in 1986 as official Test matches. Thus Loudon's appearance against a New Zealand XV
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....
at Lancaster Park in September 1921 marked his international Test rugby debut. So decreed also were the three matches Loudon played for New South Wales in 1922 when a 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...
toured to Sydney. He captained the side in the second match of that series, thus qualifying as an Australian national rugby union team captain with four international rugby caps appearances to his credit.