.gif)
John Barnett (rugby)
Encyclopedia
John Thomas "Jumbo" Barnett (19 January 1880 – 2 October 1918) was a pioneer Australia
n rugby union
and rugby league
player and won an Olympic gold medal winning in rugby at the 1908 Summer Olympics
. He was one of Australia's early dual-code rugby internationals.
A hooker/prop with the Newtown Rugby Union club in Sydney, Barnett was selected a total of 5 international rugby times to play for Australia. His debut game was against New Zealand, at Sydney, on 20 July 1907. Barnett was selected to the first Wallaby
1908-09 Australia rugby union tour of the British Isles and France, the squad captained by Herbert Moran
. That side competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics
in London and Barnett was a member of the Australia national rugby union team
captained by Chris McKivat
which won the gold medal.
On his return to Australia he joined the fledgling code of rugby league along with fourteen of his Olympic teammates.
in Sydney in 1910 where he played the next six seasons. He was a member of the premiership winning Newtown side in 1910. He was selected in both Ashes
Tests against Great Britain in 1910 when Australia hosted the tourists.
Barnett made his international league debut in the First Test in Sydney on 18 June 1910. Four of his former Wallaby
team mates also debuted that day Bob Craig, Jack Hickey, Charles Russell and Chris McKivat
- making them collectively Australia's 11th to 15th dual code internationals. This mirrored a similar occurrence two years earlier when five former Wallabies in Micky Dore
, Dally Messenger
, Denis Lutge
, Doug McLean snr and
Johnny Rosewell all debuted for the Kangaroos
in the same match - the first ever Test against New Zealand
.
Barnett died in 1918 aged 38 from the effects of meningitis after a three-week battle with pneumonia.
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...
and rugby league
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...
player and won an Olympic gold medal winning in rugby at the 1908 Summer Olympics
1908 Summer Olympics
The 1908 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the IV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in 1908 in London, England, United Kingdom. These games were originally scheduled to be held in Rome. At the time they were the fifth modern Olympic games...
. He was one of Australia's early dual-code rugby internationals.
Rugby union career
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...
1908-09 Australia rugby union tour of the British Isles and France, the squad captained by Herbert Moran
Herbert Moran
Herbert Michael "Paddy" Moran was an Australian rugby union player, a state and national representative flanker who captained the Wallabies' on their first overseas tour in 1908-09.-Early years:...
. That side competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics
1908 Summer Olympics
The 1908 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the IV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in 1908 in London, England, United Kingdom. These games were originally scheduled to be held in Rome. At the time they were the fifth modern Olympic games...
in London and Barnett was a member of the Australia national rugby union team
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...
captained by Chris McKivat
Chris McKivat
Christopher Hobart McKivat was an Australian rugby union and rugby league player – a dual-code rugby international. He represented the Wallabies in over 20 Tests and tour matches from 1907 to 1909 and the Kangaroos in 5 Tests from 1910 to 1912...
which won the gold medal.
On his return to Australia he joined the fledgling code of rugby league along with fourteen of his Olympic teammates.
Rugby league career
Barnett and five other gold medal winning Wallabies joined the Newtown clubNewtown Jets
The Newtown Jets are an Australian rugby league football club based in Newtown, a suburb of Sydney's inner west. They currently compete in the NSWRL Premier League competition, having left the top grade after the 1983 NSWRFL season...
in Sydney in 1910 where he played the next six seasons. He was a member of the premiership winning Newtown side in 1910. He was selected in both Ashes
Rugby League Ashes
The Ashes is the name given to the trophy awarded to the winner of a best-of-three series of rugby league football test series between Great Britain and Australia...
Tests against Great Britain in 1910 when Australia hosted the tourists.
Barnett made his international league debut in the First Test in Sydney on 18 June 1910. Four of his former Wallaby
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...
team mates also debuted that day Bob Craig, Jack Hickey, Charles Russell and Chris McKivat
Chris McKivat
Christopher Hobart McKivat was an Australian rugby union and rugby league player – a dual-code rugby international. He represented the Wallabies in over 20 Tests and tour matches from 1907 to 1909 and the Kangaroos in 5 Tests from 1910 to 1912...
- making them collectively Australia's 11th to 15th dual code internationals. This mirrored a similar occurrence two years earlier when five former Wallabies in Micky Dore
Micky Dore
Michael Joseph "Micky" Dore , was an Australian representative rugby union and rugby league player - a dual-code international. He was one of the founding fathers of rugby league in Queensland...
, Dally Messenger
Dally Messenger
Herbert Henry "Dally" Messenger was an Australian rugby union and rugby league footballer, recognised as one of the greatest ever players in either code. Messenger, or 'The Master' as he was dubbed, represented his country in both rugby football codes, playing two rugby union tests and seven...
, Denis Lutge
Denis Lutge
Denis "Dinny" Lutge was a pioneer Australian rugby league and rugby union player, a dual-code international...
, Doug McLean snr and
Johnny Rosewell all debuted for the Kangaroos
Australian national rugby league team
The Australian national rugby league team have represented Australia in senior men's rugby league football competition since the establishment of the game in Australia in 1908. Administered by the Australian Rugby League, the Kangaroos' are ranked number one in the RLIF World Rankings...
in the same match - the first ever Test 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...
.
Barnett died in 1918 aged 38 from the effects of meningitis after a three-week battle with pneumonia.
Sources
- Whiticker, Alan (2004) Captaining the Kangaroos, New Holland, Sydney
- Whiticker, AlanAlan WhitickerAlan J. Whiticker is an Australian non-fiction author with currently over 30 published books.Whiticker writes primarily on matters pertaining to the history of the sport of rugby league in Australia, but has also published works on subjects as diverse as the Wanda Beach Murders and an adaptation...
& Hudson, Glen (2006) The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players, Gavin Allen Publishing, Sydney