Vale Arthur James Summons

3 December 1935 – 16 May 2020

The Rugby Club Foundation and the Rugby community is mourning the loss of Foundation Rugby Life Member Arthur Summons, who died on Saturday 16 May 2020 in his hometown of Wagga Wagga after a long battle with illness. He was 84.

In his book “Australian Rugby Union – The Game and the Players”, Jack Pollard described Arthur Summons as follows:

“A smart, resourceful back who played some splendid Rugby for Australia in the late 1950s. He was a five-eighth in all his Rugby Tests but could play at inside centre, and when he switched to League often appeared at halfback. His defection was a big loss to Rugby, for he was a wonderfully unselfish footballer who always gave a wholehearted effort. His success as captain-coach of the Kangaroos was no surprise to his former Rugby team-mates”.

Born in Paddington on 13 December 1935, Arthur played his early Rugby at Homebush Boys High School where he captained the school’s 1st XV and represented Combined High Schools in 1951 and 1952. He captained Teachers’ College, Sydney in 1953 and joined the Gordon Rugby Union Club in 1954.

He was selected for representative duties for NSW in 1956 against the touring Springboks. Although he suffered a temporary setback through injury in that game against the Springboks, he recovered in time to play in the Wallaby trials.

The following year, at the age of 22, Arthur was chosen as Australia’s halfback for the 1957-1958 tour of the British Isles, France, and America. Striking an immediate rapport with scrumhalf Des Connor, he crossed for what would be his only Test try in the loss to Ireland at Lansdowne Road. Through his fine understanding with Des Connor on this tour, they became Australia’s main hope of scoring in the Tests against Wales, Ireland, England, and Scotland. A leg injury sustained in the Test against Scotland forced him out for the rest of the tour.

Playing for NSW early in 1958, he remained the first choice five-eighth for the Wallabies leading into the 1958 season. He showed good form in a Test against the NZ Maoris. He then played in the three-Test series against New Zealand across the ditch. It was there, in the second Test in Christchurch, that he tasted victory for the first and only time as a Wallaby in a bruising 6-3 triumph at Lancaster Park. The New Zealand Rugby Almanack named him one of its Players of the Year for his displays on that tour of New Zealand.

He made two further Test appearances, against the visiting British Lions in Brisbane and Sydney in 1959, concluding his international Rugby career with 10 caps.

Like so many players of that amateur era of Rugby, Arthur found it impossible to give up so much time without reward and changed codes to Rugby League in 1960. He also left school teaching to work in radio. He achieved tremendous success in international Rugby League and figured in numerous gutsy performances for his club, the Western Suburbs Magpies. As five-eighth, he led the Magpies to three consecutive Grand Finals, all ending in defeat to the dominant St George Dragons, along the way becoming the country’s 28th dual-code international when he pulled on the Kangaroos jersey for the first time in 1961.

Arthur played nine Rugby League Tests, captaining the Australian national rugby league team in five undefeated test matches from 1962 until 1964. With Arthur at the helm as Captain-Coach, the 1963 Kangaroos were the first Australian team to win the coveted rugby league 'Ashes' trophy in England. There had been ten previous Kangaroo tours of Great Britain and France prior to 1963 and no Australian side had won the Ashes in Great Britain. In addition to Arthur Summons, the 1963 Kangaroos included former Wallabies Michael Cleary, Kevin Ryan, Jim Lisle and Dick Thornett.

Arthur was later voted in the top 100 Rugby League players in the first century of the game. It was whilst playing for Western Suburbs in the 1963 Grand Final against St George where Arthur became immortalised in the iconic 'Gladiators' photo alongside rival captain Norm Provan. This image is depicted in the NRL premiership trophy and is perhaps one of most memorable sporting photographic images ever captured in Australia.

Known for being the “ultimate gentleman”, Arthur Summons will forever be Wallaby #431. The Rugby Club Foundation extends its condolences to the Summons family at this time.