Tedda Courtney
Encyclopedia
Ed "Tedda" Courtney was a pioneer Australian rugby league
footballer and Coach. He played club football for the North Sydney Bears
, Western Suburbs Magpies
and representative football for the New South Wales state
and Australian national
sides. He is considered one of the nation's finest footballers of the 20th century.
Born in Sydney, Australia Courtney was one of six brothers who all played for North Sydney
. His brothers Reg and Bob died in World War I
. He was a wharfie throughout his working life and was renowned for his fearless tackling style and ability to harass the opposition with his defence.
for North Sydney and for St George. He was one of the group of New South Wales
rugby footballers who played against Baskerville's
All Golds on their seminal trip to the United Kingdom in 1907 which started rugby league
in Australia and New Zealand. He played in the second of the three exhibition matches; was promptly banned from amateur rugby union thereafter and the following year was given a vote of thanks by being made a lifetime member of the New South Wales Rugby League
.
Courtney joined Newtown
in 1908 in the professional code, moved to Wests
in 1909 and the North Sydney
in 1910. He found his club home back at Wests in 1911 where he played the next thirteen seasons, amassing over 300 games across all grades.
He was selected on the inaugural Kangaroo tour
of 1908-09 appearing in all three Tests and in a total of thirty-one games on tour on which he was the top-scoring forward with 10 tries. He made a second Kangaroo tour in 1911-12
in which he made twenty five match appearances. He played in three other Test series against Great Britain at home in 1910 and 1914 and against New Zealand
in 1909, he also represented Australasia
.
On 14 June 1924 when Courtney was 39 he played in a game for Wests against Glebe alongside his son, Ed junior. It remains the only time a father and son combination has played together in a Sydney first grade game. Courtney retired at the end of 1924 and returned to the district of his football beginnings - North Sydney. He coached the lower grades for some years and coached first grade in 1930.
In September 2004 Courtney was named at prop in the Western Suburbs Magpies team of the century.
and ARL
to celebrate the code's centenary year in Australia.
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...
footballer and Coach. He played club football for the North Sydney Bears
North Sydney Bears
The North Sydney Bears are an Australian rugby league football club based in North Sydney, New South Wales. They currently compete in the New South Wales Cup, having exited the National Rugby League following the 1999 NRL season after 92 years of top-grade competition. The Bears are based on...
, Western Suburbs Magpies
Western Suburbs Magpies
The Western Suburbs Magpies are an Australian rugby league football club based in the western suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales. Formed in 1908, Wests, as they are commonly referred to, were one of the nine foundation clubs of the first New South Wales Rugby League competition in Australia...
and representative football for the New South Wales state
New South Wales Rugby League team
The New South Wales rugby league team has represented the Australian state of New South Wales in rugby league football since the sport's beginnings there in 1907. Administered by the New South Wales Rugby League, the team competes in the annual State of Origin series against arch-rivals, the...
and Australian national
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...
sides. He is considered one of the nation's finest footballers of the 20th century.
Born in Sydney, Australia Courtney was one of six brothers who all played for North Sydney
North Sydney Bears
The North Sydney Bears are an Australian rugby league football club based in North Sydney, New South Wales. They currently compete in the New South Wales Cup, having exited the National Rugby League following the 1999 NRL season after 92 years of top-grade competition. The Bears are based on...
. His brothers Reg and Bob died in 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...
. He was a wharfie throughout his working life and was renowned for his fearless tackling style and ability to harass the opposition with his defence.
Rugby union
Courtney played rugby unionRugby 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...
for North Sydney and for St George. He was one of the group of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
rugby footballers who played against Baskerville's
Albert Henry Baskerville
Albert Henry Baskerville was a Wellington postal clerk, a rugby union forward, author of the book "Modern Rugby Football: New Zealand Methods; Points for the Beginner, the Player, the Spectator" and a pioneer of rugby league.-Rugby football:Prior to becoming the administrator of the 1908 tour...
All Golds on their seminal trip to the United Kingdom in 1907 which started 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...
in Australia and New Zealand. He played in the second of the three exhibition matches; was promptly banned from amateur rugby union thereafter and the following year was given a vote of thanks by being made a lifetime member of the New South Wales Rugby League
New South Wales Rugby League
The New South Wales Rugby League is the governing body of rugby league in New South Wales and is a member of the Australian Rugby League. It was formed in Sydney on 8 August 1907 and was known as the New South Wales Rugby Football League until 1984 when forward thinking marketing managers decided...
.
Rugby league career
Newtown 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 1908 in the professional code, moved to Wests
Western Suburbs Magpies
The Western Suburbs Magpies are an Australian rugby league football club based in the western suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales. Formed in 1908, Wests, as they are commonly referred to, were one of the nine foundation clubs of the first New South Wales Rugby League competition in Australia...
in 1909 and the North Sydney
North Sydney Bears
The North Sydney Bears are an Australian rugby league football club based in North Sydney, New South Wales. They currently compete in the New South Wales Cup, having exited the National Rugby League following the 1999 NRL season after 92 years of top-grade competition. The Bears are based on...
in 1910. He found his club home back at Wests in 1911 where he played the next thirteen seasons, amassing over 300 games across all grades.
He was selected on the inaugural Kangaroo tour
Kangaroo Tour
Kangaroo Tour is the name given to Australian national rugby league team tours of Great Britain and France. The first Kangaroo Tour was in 1908. Traditionally, Kangaroo Tours took place every four years and involved a three-Test Ashes series against Great Britain and a number of tour matches...
of 1908-09 appearing in all three Tests and in a total of thirty-one games on tour on which he was the top-scoring forward with 10 tries. He made a second Kangaroo tour in 1911-12
1911-12 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain
The 1911-12 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain was the second ever Kangaroo tour and was actually a tour by an "Australasia" team, which included four New Zealand players, rather than the Australian team alone...
in which he made twenty five match appearances. He played in three other Test series against Great Britain at home in 1910 and 1914 and 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...
in 1909, he also represented Australasia
Australasia rugby league team
-1911-12:Following individual tours by New Zealand and Australia in 1907-08 and 1908-09 respectively, the Northern Rugby Football Union invited an 'Australasian' team to tour Great Britain during the 1911-12 season...
.
On 14 June 1924 when Courtney was 39 he played in a game for Wests against Glebe alongside his son, Ed junior. It remains the only time a father and son combination has played together in a Sydney first grade game. Courtney retired at the end of 1924 and returned to the district of his football beginnings - North Sydney. He coached the lower grades for some years and coached first grade in 1930.
In September 2004 Courtney was named at prop in the Western Suburbs Magpies team of the century.
Accolades
In February 2008, Courtney was named in the list of Australia's 100 Greatest Players (1908–2007) which was commissioned by the NRLNational Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
and ARL
Australian Rugby League
The Australian Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in Australia. It is made up of state bodies, including the New South Wales Rugby League and the Queensland Rugby League...
to celebrate the code's centenary year in Australia.