Robert Graves (rugby league footballer)

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Robert Graves (1 Sept 1883 - 15 Feb 1958) was a pioneer Australian rugby league player. He was a versatile forward for the Australia national team. He played in 6 Tests between 1908 and 1909 as captain on 1 occasion.

Graves grew up in inner city Balmain in Sydney he played rugby union at Fort Street School and later represented his senior school Hawkesbury Agricultural College. From there he was graded to play rugby union with the West Sydney Juniors - an inner city club.

In 1904 he won Sydney rugby union premiership with the Gipps Club.

[edit] Dual international ?

Alan Whiticker (source below) records that in 1907 Graves represented New South Wales in rugby union and in that same year came on as a replacement for Johnny Rosewell in the Wallabies v All Blacks 1st Test in Sydney. This would make Graves a dual code rugby international. However he is not listed amongst the dual code internationals in sources such as the "2005 Rugby League Annual" or in editions of "Australian Sporting Records".

[edit] Rugby league career

Graves was at the foundation meetings of the break-away code in 1908 and was named as foundation captain of the Balmain Tigers. He led the Tigers in their first ever game on 20 April 1908 against Easts.

He was selected in all three games against New Zealand for Australia's inaugural Test series of 1908.

Graves was a member of the first Kangaroo side which toured Britain in 1908-09. He appeared in 23 games on tour including the deciding 3rd Test at Birmingham in February 1909.

In 1909 he played in the 1st and 3rd Tests against New Zealand in Sydney. He captained his country in the 3rd Test victory becoming Australia's sixth Test captain.

The second wave of Wallaby defectors to rugby league in 1909 (Chris McKivat's Olympic Gold Medal Wallabies) spelled the end of Graves' representative career. Though only 26 years old he did not play another Test. He played a further 5 seasons with Balmain retiring in 1913.

[edit] Sources

• Whiticker, Alan (2004) Captaining the Kangaroos, New Holland, Sydney
• Andrews, Malcom (2006) The ABC of Rugby League Austn Broadcasting Corpn, Sydney