Bryan Palmer
Personal information | |
---|---|
Born | 1899 Dubbo, New South Wales |
Died | 1990 |
George Thomas Bryan Palmer (1899–1990) was an Australian Rugby Union player who coached the Wallabies. He has been described as "one of the most colourful personalities in Australian rugby".[1]
Early life[]
Palmer was born in Dubbo, New South Wales, the son of T D Palmer, who had played Rugby for the Waratahs in 1899. He played his first Rugby in Dubbo before attending Newington College as a boarder (1915–1916).[2]
War service[]
Palmer served with the Australian Light Horse in World War I and was invalided home after a bout of near fatal pneumonia. As part of his recovery he joined the Glebe-Balmain Rugby Club to build up his strength and over the ensuing seven seasons played 93 games on the wing.
Representative rugby[]
His first of seven matches for NSW was played in 1927. Palmer was selected and toured with the Wallabies to New Zealand in 1931 but didn't play a match.
Coach[]
Between 1963 and 1967 he was the coach of the national side, retiring at the age of 68.
Honours[]
- Palmer Shield - Played for by NSW Primary Schools[3]
- Bryan Palmer Shield - Played for each year by The King's School and Newington College since the centenary of rugby between the two schools in 1970[4]
References[]
- ^ Jack Pollard Syd (1994). "Palmer, George Thomas Bryan (1899 - 1990)". Australian Rugby - The Game and the Players. p. 456.
- ^ Syd (1999). Newington College Register of Past Students 1863-1998. p. 147.
- ^ "New South Wales Rugby". Archived from the original on 12 October 2009.
- ^ "Rugby at Newington - A History". Archived from the original on 12 September 2009.
- 1899 births
- 1990 deaths
- Australian rugby union players
- Australian rugby union coaches
- People educated at Newington College
- Australian rugby union biography stubs