| Personal information | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Desmond Henry White | |||||
| Born | 1927 | |||||
| Playing information | ||||||
| Position | Fullback | |||||
| Club | ||||||
| Years | Team | Pld | T | G | FG | P |
| 1947–19?? | Ponsonby | |||||
| Representative | ||||||
| Years | Team | Pld | T | G | FG | P |
| Auckland | ||||||
| 1950–1956 | New Zealand | 21 | 2 | 47 | 0 | 100 |
| Coaching information | ||||||
| Representative | ||||||
| Years | Team | Gms | W | D | L | W% |
| Auckland | ||||||
| 1961 | New Zealand | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50 |
| Source: RLP | ||||||
Desmond Henry "Des" White[1] (born 1927) is a New Zealand former rugby league footballer of the 1950s. A record-breaking goal-kicking fullback,[2] he was named amongst the country's finest players of the 20th century. His total for points scored in all matches (61) for the Kiwis is a record 467 (7 tries and 233 goals). He won championships with Auckland's Ponsonby club and his total of 794 points (391 goals and four tries) is the all-time club record.
White played his first senior game with the Ponsonby club in 1947.[3]
White toured Britain with the New Zealand national team in 1951, playing in the first ever televised match of rugby league at Station Road, Swinton against Great Britain and kicking two goals.[4] He later kicked a world record 11 goals (from 14 attempts) against Australia in 1952 when New Zealand won the Test series in Brisbane. On that tour he set another record by scoring 107 points to become the first Kiwi to top the century in Australia. White kicked 18 goals in the series, equalling the world record.
In 1954, while playing for Auckland against Great Britain, he ruptured his spleen when tackled illegally by Doug Greenall. White underwent surgery and was out of the game for two years, missing the first ever World Cup in 1954.[5]
He scored 132 points in 21 tests, a Kiwi record until overtaken by Matthew Ridge. His total of 467 points in 61 matches in the black and white jersey may never be overtaken now that long tours are a thing of the past. White's record 202 points on the tour of Britain and France in 1951/52 will probably last forever.
Following his retirement, White became a coach and led Auckland. He was appointed coach of the New Zealand national team in 1961, only spending one season in the position.
Des White was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 1990. In 1995 he was one of the inaugural inductees of the NZRL's Legends of League.[6] He is also an Auckland Rugby League Immortal.[7]
In 2007, White was named at fullback in the New Zealand Rugby League's team of the century of 1907 to 2007.
| Preceded by Travers Hardwick |
Coach New Zealand Kiwis 1961 |
Succeeded by Bill Telford |
|
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