1949 Kangaroo tour of New Zealand

The 1949 Kangaroo Tour of New Zealand was the fourth full tour of New Zealand by the Australia national rugby league team and the first following the end of World War II. The Australians played ten matches on a one-month tour, including Two tests against the New Zealand national rugby league team.

The tour began on 12 September and finished on 10 October.

The tour's Captain-Coach was Newtown halfback and 1948 Kangaroo Tourist Keith Froome. In games not played by Froome, the Kangaroos were captained either by former Eastern Suburbs 5/8 Wally O'Connell or by former South Sydney half Billy Thompson who by this time was playing for Toowoomba Valleys in Queensland.^{[citation needed]}

Of the 22 man squad, 14 had been members of the 1948–49 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France. Manly-Warringah front rower Roy Bull, and Parramatta centre Ian Johnston became the first players respectively to gain Kangaroos and Test selection from their clubs who had only been admitted into the Sydney Premiership in 1947. Bull's selection also made him the first local junior from Manly to play test football while Johnston scored 4 tries on debut in the tour opener against South Auckland and also made his Test debut in the 1st Test at the Basin Reserve in Wellington.^{[citation needed]}

* Tests and (as sub) included in games total.

Player	Club	Position(s)	Games (as sub)	Tests (as sub)	Tries	Goals	F/Goals	Points
Vic Bulgin	Eastern Suburbs	Fullback, Centre	8	–	3	0	0	9
Roy Bull	Manly-Warringah	Prop	6	1	1	0	0	3
Clive Churchill	South Sydney	Fullback	5	2	1	0	0	3
Les Cowie	South Sydney	Lock	8	2	5	0	0	15
Fred de Belin	Balmain	Second-row	5	1	1	0	0	3
Keith Froome (c)	Newtown	Halfback	5	2	2	11	0	28
Johnny Graves	South Sydney	Wing	7	1	12	8	0	52
Ron Griffiths	Ipswich (Qld)	Hooker	3	–	0	0	0	0
Kevin Hansen	Western Suburbs	Second-row	6	–	0	0	0	0
Johnny Hawke	St George	Centre	4	1	1	0	0	3
Jack Holland	St George	Prop	8	2	0	0	0	0
Ian Johnston	Parramatta	Centre	5	1	7	12	0	45
Matt McCoy	St George	Centre	7	2	9	14	0	55
Pat McMahon	Toowoomba Souths (Qld)	Wing	8	2	7	0	0	21
Noel Mulligan	Bowral Blues	Lock, Prop, Second-row	7	2	3	0	0	9
Wally O'Connell	Christian Brothers Wollongong	Five-eighth	5	2	1	0	0	3
Jack Rayner	South Sydney	Second-row	7	2	1	0	0	3
Ron Roberts	St George	Wing	6	1	8	0	0	24
Kevin Schubert	Wollongong	Hooker	7	2	0	0	0	0
Frank Stanmore	Western Suburbs	Five-eighth	5	–	3	0	0	9
Alan Thompson	Brisbane Souths (Qld)	Prop	4	–	0	0	0	0
Billy Thompson	Toowoomba Valleys (Qld)	Halfback	5	–	2	0	0	6

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South Auckland: R. Martin, Turner, O'Carroll, O'Callaghan, A. Rodgers, Phillips, A. Aoaki, Albert Hambleton (c), J. Tupaea, Norman, Tonga, F. Hilton, Moyes. Reserves – . Coach –

Australia: Vic Bulgin, Pat McMahon, Ian Johnston, Matt McCoy, Johnny Graves, Frank Stanmore, Keith Froome (c), Alan Thompson, Kevin Schubert, Jack Holland, Kevin Hansen, Jack Rayner, Noel Mulligan. Reserves – Ron Roberts

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New Zealand	Position	Australia
Warwick Clarke	FB	Clive Churchill
Dave Redmond	WG	Johnny Graves
Maurie Robertson	CE	Matt McCoy
Tommy Baxter	CE	Ian Johnston
Bill McKenzie	WG	Pat McMahon
Abby Graham	FE	Wally O'Connell
Jack Russell-Green	HB	Keith Froome (c)
Pat Smith (c)	PR	Jack Holland
Bob Aynsley	HK	Kevin Schubert
Jack Newton	PR	Noel Mulligan
Sandy Hurndell	SR	Jack Rayner
Charlie McBride	SR	Fred de Belin
Travers Hardwick	LF	Les Cowie
Scotty McClymont	Coach	Keith Froome

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West Coast NZ Firsts: J. Soster, J. Curragh, V. Meates, J. Pascoe, M. Thomas (c), George Menzies, M. Ord, Frank Mulcare, Bob Aynsley, Jack Newton, W. Lennon, Charlie McBride, R. Baxendale. Reserves – . Coach –

Australia: Vic Bulgin, Pat McMahon, Johnny Hawke, Matt McCoy, Ron Roberts, Wally O'Connell (c), Billy Thompson, Roy Bull, Ron Griffiths, Jack Holland, Noel Mulligan, Jack Rayner, Les Cowie. Reserves –

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South Island: J. Soster, Bill McKenzie, P. Callinan, L. Brown, K. Henry, George Menzies, Jimmy Haig, Jack Newton, Bob Aynsley, Pat Smith (c), F. Blanchard, Charlie McBride, Alister Atkinson. Reserves – M. Ord. Coach –

Australia: Vic Bulgin, Pat McMahon, Johnny Hawke, Matt McCoy, Johnny Graves, Wally O'Connell, Keith Froome (c), Noel Mulligan, Kevin Schubert, Jack Holland, Kevin Hansen, Jack Rayner, Les Cowie. Reserves –

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Southern Provinces: B. Sillwell, J. Parata, A. Haysarm, N. Evans, E. Chatham, T. Dodd, J. Sutton, R. Westerley, G. Davidson, Ken English (c), K. O'Brien, L. Morgan, J. Kraeyl. Reserves – . Coach –

Australia: Vic Bulgin, Johnny Graves, Johnny Hawke, Ian Johnston, Ron Roberts, Frank Stanmore, Billy Thompson (c), Roy Bull, Ron Griffiths, Alan Thompson, Kevin Hansen, Fred de Belin, Noel Mulligan. Reserves –

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New Zealand Māori: R. Martin (c), Andrew Berryman, Rex Hohaia, C. Masters, R. Hohua, S. Toka, A. Aoaki, R. Ewe, R. Bolton, Gordon Hohaia, F. Williams, N. Paratine, L. Wright. Reserves – . Coach –

Australia: Vic Bulgin, Pat McMahon, Johnny Hawke, Matt McCoy, Johnny Graves, Wally O'Connell (c), Billy Thompson, Roy Bull, Kevin Schubert, Jack Holland, Fred de Belin, Jack Rayner, Les Cowie. Reserves –

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Auckland: Warwick Clarke (c), D. Anderson, Tommy Baxter, Maurie Robertson, Dave Redmond, Abby Graham, Jack Russell-Green, W. Spence, G. Davidson, Sandy Hurndell, Graham Burgoyne, Allan Laird, R. Rogers. Reserves – . Coach –

Australia: Clive Churchill, Pat McMahon, Vic Bulgin, Matt McCoy, Ron Roberts, Frank Stanmore, Keith Froome (c), Roy Bull, Kevin Schubert, Jack Holland, Kevin Hansen, Fred de Belin, Les Cowie. Reserves –

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Northern Provinces: B. Latham, J. Rogers, J. Gibson, G. Kay, J. Stringfellow, R. Tweedie, W. Toker, P. Dormer, Cliff Johnson, S. Roff, A. Hambleton, R. Packham, Allan Laird (c). Reserves – . Coach –

Australia: Clive Churchill, Johnny Graves, Vic Bulgin, Ian Johnston, Ron Roberts, Frank Stanmore, Billy Thompson (c), Alan Thompson, Kevin Schubert, Noel Mulligan, Kevin Hansen, Fred de Belin, Les Cowie. Reserves –

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New Zealand	Position	Australia
Warwick Clarke	FB	Clive Churchill
Bill McKenzie	WG	Ron Roberts
Tommy Baxter	CE	Johnny Hawke
Maurie Robertson	CE	Matt McCoy
Dave Redmond	WG	Pat McMahon
Len Jordan	FE	Wally O'Connell
Jack Russell-Green	HB	Keith Froome (c)
Ron Westerby	PR	Roy Bull
Bob Aynsley	HK	Kevin Schubert
Pat Smith (c)	PR	Jack Holland
Jack Newton	SR	Noel Mulligan
Charlie McBride	SR	Jack Rayner
Travers Hardwick	LF	Les Cowie
Scotty McClymont	Coach	Keith Froome

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Auckland Colts: Des White, N. Moore, J. Fisher, W. Brooking, N. Clarkin, J. Lepper (c), W. Tocker, V. Barchard, S. Rogers, Raymond Cranch, G. McNichol, J. Herring, Joe Wright. Reserves – . Coach –

Australia: Clive Churchill, Pat McMahon, Vic Bulgin, Ian Johnston, Johnny Graves, Frank Stanmore, Billy Thompson (c), Roy Bull, Ron Griffiths, Jack Holland, Kevin Hansen, Jack Rayner, Les Cowie. Reserves – Alan Thompson

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Leading Try Scorer

• 12 by Johnny Graves

Leading Point Scorer

• 55 by Matt McCoy (9 tries, 14 goals)

Largest Test Attendance

• 12,361 - Second Test vs New Zealand at Carlaw Park, Auckland

Largest non-test Attendance

• 12,831 - Auckland vs Australia at Carlaw Park, Auckland