Dick Tooth
Encyclopedia
Dick Tooth born 1929 is an Australia
n 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. His club rugby was played with the Sydney University Football Club
and later with Randwick
in the Shute Shield
. He practised as an orthopaedic surgeon and was a sports medicine pioneer.As an international rugby union player who captained the Wallabies, Tooth had more than an academic interest in knee damage. Torn ligaments had put an end to the careers of many sports champions.}}
and his family relocated to Newcastle
when he was seven years of age. He attended Newcastle Boys' High School
and represented the school in rugby league, swimming (member of the 1943 Farlow Cup winning team) and athletics (member of the 1943 winning teams, CHS Juvenile Shield, Kerr and Lintott Cups). An all-round schoolboy athlete, he swam in the summer with the Cooks Hill Surf Life Saving Club
.
While studying science at the University of Sydney and domiciled at St Andrew's College
, Tooth played inter-collegiate rugby and grade rugby for the University. In 1949 he switched to medicine and at the same time cemented a spot in Sydney's University's
2nd grade side. From there was selected in an Australian Universities XV who met a New Zealand Universities side for a three match series in 1949.
and made his debut for Australia
with three Test appearances against the All Blacks
at five-eighth marking the experienced All Black fly-half Laurie Haig.
He focussed on his studies for the next couple of years but in 1954 was back in the national side in a series of games against the visiting Fijians
playing in one Test at fullback and another at centre. In 1955 he was selected in the Wallaby touring party to New Zealand captained by his University colleague John Solomon
. He appeared in twelve of the thirteen tour games at either fullback or fly-half and had a sound tour.
In 1957 he captained the Wallabies on two occasion when the All Blacks toured Australia. It was a surprise when at the end of that season and as the current Australian captain, he was not selected in the 27 man Wallaby side to tour Britain, Ireland and France. Howell reports that his omission defied explanation given his positional versatility but Tooth took it in his stride and travelled himself to the United Kingdom at that time to continue his medical studies. While there he captained the Rosslyn Park club side in England, played for Middlesex and while a resident at a Belfast Hospital was selected in the invitational side the North of Ireland Wolfhounds.
in Australia. In 1971, he performed the first full knee reconstruction in Australia; his patient was Johnny Warren
, captain of the Socceroos who went on to captain them to the 1974 World Cup.
His nephew Tim Walsh was a first grade rugby player with Leeds Carnegie and made a number of representative appearances for Australia at Rugby Sevens
.
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 former 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 1950s. He represented 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...
in ten Test matches and nineteen total appearances and was Australian captain on two occasions. He resided at St Andrew's College
St Andrew's College, Sydney
St Andrew's College is a Protestant co-residential college within the University of Sydney, in the suburb of Camperdown.-History:St Andrew's College was incorporated by Act of Parliament and received Royal Assent from Queen Victoria on 12 December 1867. The St Andrew's College Act 1998 replaced the...
while studying at Sydney University. His club rugby was played with 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...
and later with Randwick
Randwick 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 the 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...
. He practised as an orthopaedic surgeon and was a sports medicine pioneer.As an international rugby union player who captained the Wallabies, Tooth had more than an academic interest in knee damage. Torn ligaments had put an end to the careers of many sports champions.}}
Early life and education
Richard Murray Tooth was born in BombalaBombala, New South Wales
Bombala is a town in the Monaro region of south-eastern New South Wales, Australia, in Bombala Council. It is located approximately south of the state capital, Sydney, and south of the town of Cooma. The name derives from an Aboriginal word meaning "Meeting of the waters". The town lies on the...
and his family relocated to Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
when he was seven years of age. He attended Newcastle Boys' High School
Newcastle Boys' High School
Newcastle Boys High School was a selective high school located in Waratah—a suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.- History :Newcastle Boys High School was established in 1929 when the Hill High School was split into two selective single-sex schools, the other being Newcastle Girls High...
and represented the school in rugby league, swimming (member of the 1943 Farlow Cup winning team) and athletics (member of the 1943 winning teams, CHS Juvenile Shield, Kerr and Lintott Cups). An all-round schoolboy athlete, he swam in the summer with the Cooks Hill Surf Life Saving Club
Surf Life Saving Club
Surf Life Saving Clubs are volunteer institutions at Australia's beaches. The clubs conduct surf lifesaving services on weekends and public holidays and host many beach sport activities, such as Nippers, surf carnivals and other competitions...
.
While studying science at the University of Sydney and domiciled at St Andrew's College
St Andrew's College, Sydney
St Andrew's College is a Protestant co-residential college within the University of Sydney, in the suburb of Camperdown.-History:St Andrew's College was incorporated by Act of Parliament and received Royal Assent from Queen Victoria on 12 December 1867. The St Andrew's College Act 1998 replaced the...
, Tooth played inter-collegiate rugby and grade rugby for the University. In 1949 he switched to medicine and at the same time cemented a spot in Sydney's University's
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...
2nd grade side. From there was selected in an Australian Universities XV who met a New Zealand Universities side for a three match series in 1949.
Representative career
In 1950 he was a regular first grader at University, was coached by former Wallaby Joe Kraefft and played against a visiting British Isles side. In 1951 he was selected for New South WalesNew 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 made his debut for Australia
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...
with three Test appearances 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....
at five-eighth marking the experienced All Black fly-half Laurie Haig.
He focussed on his studies for the next couple of years but in 1954 was back in the national side in a series of games against the visiting Fijians
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...
playing in one Test at fullback and another at centre. In 1955 he was selected in the Wallaby touring party to New Zealand captained by his University colleague John Solomon
John Solomon (rugby)
John Solomon was an Australian rugby union player, a state and national representative versatile back who captained the Wallabies in eight Tests in the 1950s and the led touring squads to New Zealand and South Africa....
. He appeared in twelve of the thirteen tour games at either fullback or fly-half and had a sound tour.
In 1957 he captained the Wallabies on two occasion when the All Blacks toured Australia. It was a surprise when at the end of that season and as the current Australian captain, he was not selected in the 27 man Wallaby side to tour Britain, Ireland and France. Howell reports that his omission defied explanation given his positional versatility but Tooth took it in his stride and travelled himself to the United Kingdom at that time to continue his medical studies. While there he captained the Rosslyn Park club side in England, played for Middlesex and while a resident at a Belfast Hospital was selected in the invitational side the North of Ireland Wolfhounds.
Orthopaedic Surgeon
Tooth helped pioneer arthroscopic surgeryArthroscopy
Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure in which an examination and sometimes treatment of damage of the interior of a joint is performed using an arthroscope, a type of endoscope that is inserted into the joint through a small incision...
in Australia. In 1971, he performed the first full knee reconstruction in Australia; his patient was Johnny Warren
Johnny Warren
John Norman Warren, MBE, OAM was an Australian football player, coach, administrator, writer and broadcaster. He was known as Captain Socceroo for his passionate work to promote the game in Australia...
, captain of the Socceroos who went on to captain them to the 1974 World Cup.
Family Life
In 1956 he married Marianne, the elder daughter of the Consul-General for Sweden, Ivar Stenstrom. Their daughter, Liane Tooth, is a double Olympic gold medallist.His nephew Tim Walsh was a first grade rugby player with Leeds Carnegie and made a number of representative appearances for Australia at Rugby Sevens
Rugby sevens
Rugby sevens, also known as seven-a-side or VIIs, is a variant of rugby union in which teams are made up of seven players, instead of the usual 15, with shorter matches. Rugby sevens is administered by the International Rugby Board , the body responsible for rugby union worldwide...
.
Sources
- Howell, Max (2005) Born to Lead - Wallaby Test Captains, Celebrity Books, Auckland NZ