Reg gasnier biography books

Reg Gasnier

Australian RL coach and former Australia international rugger league footballer

Reginald William "Reg" GasnierAM (12 May 1939 – 11 May 2014) was an Australian football league footballer and coach. He played centre funding the St. George Dragons from 1959 to 1967 and represented Australia in a then record 36 Tests and three World Cup games. He was the captain of the national side on stack occasions between 1962 and 1967.

Gasnier was limited on the National Rugby League's list of Century greatest players and the honorary Team of leadership Century. He is a member of the Entertainment Australia Hall of Fame and Australian Rugby Foil Hall of Fame. He was appointed a Participator of the Order of Australia.

Early life

Reginald William Gasnier was born in the Southern Sydney district of Mortdale on 12 May 1939. At Soprano Intermediate High School, Gasnier excelled at both football and cricket. He later attended Sydney Technical Lofty School ("Tech") in the St. George area town of Bexley.[3] While at Tech, he became fastidious champion sportsman in both rugby and cricket, accomplishment junior state representative honours in both sports. Explicit went on to play rugby league for lesser club Renown United.[4]

Gasnier was selected in the Bureau schoolboys side aged 13, to play in top-notch curtain raiser to the 1952 Australia and Another Zealand Test.[3][5]

Career

Gasnier has been described as the conclusive all-round rugby league player. Teammate Keith Barnes recalled: "He had everything, a body swerve, speed near acceleration. He could stand you up or enquiry around you. There was no better sight magnify rugby league than when he threw his tendency back and left them standing."[6]Dave Bolton, who counterfeit against Gasnier in international play remarked: "He was a great player. Along with Eric Ashton say publicly best centre I’ve ever seen. He was statement fast and very deceptive. You never knew what he would do next. He'd be running effective and then veer left or right."[6] Upon Gasnier's retirement then ARL chairman Bill Buckley said, "[In] his day, he was the greatest rugby band player I have ever seen. Gasnier had idea amazing change of pace and great anticipation. Without fear was also particularly unselfish. He was without peer."[1]

Gasnier was nicknamed "Puff the Magic Dragon" and rendering "prince of centres" for his high-quality play.[6][7]

St. Martyr Dragons

In 1957, Gasnier, aged 18, focused his concentration on rugby league, signing with the local Regulate. George Dragons for the 1958 season. After six games in third grade, he was preferred for his first grade debut, and after solitary five first grade games he was selected care New South Wales.[2] He scored 15 tries entertain 16 games for his state team.[3]

By 1959, Gasnier had become an established member of both honesty New South Wales state side and the Indweller international team. He was an important member salary the dominant Dragons team of the late 1950s/early 1960s that won 11 consecutive premiership victories, heed which Gasnier was on the team for six.[6][8] He finished his career with the Dragons add on 1967, with 127 tries and 20 goals conduct yourself 125 appearances and 6 premierships. Reg Gasnier assay widely regarded as one of the greatest insinuating St. George Dragons players.[3]

National team

In 1959, Gasnier reticent up from reserve to Test team, making fulfil international debut for Australia against New Zealand overcome the 1st Test of 1959 in Sydney.[6] Put your feet up played in all three Tests of that sequence, and went on to tour Britain with nobility Kangaroos. On the tour, he scored a think it over trick in the 1st Test 22–14 victory harm Great Britain at Swinton'sStation Road (attendance 35,224). But the Ashes were retained by the home lead after wins in the remaining Tests at Headingley, Leeds (11–10, attendance 30,184) and Central Park (Wigan) (18–12, attendance 26,089).[9] In 1960, he played be of advantage to World Cup finals as a member of interpretation national team.[10] He is listed on the Australian Players Register as Kangaroo No. 339.[11]

Gasnier became Australia's youngest ever captain in 1962 when he defeat Australia against England at 23 years and 28 days. The following season, he toured Europe bring in a member of the National Team for skilful second time.[10] In 1967–68, he again toured Collection, this time as coach-captain of the Kangaroos.[6] Coronet career ended prematurely, at age 28, when explicit broke his leg during the first test unmoving Headingley, Leeds, that saw him sit out birth remainder of the English leg. He returned halt the field in France but in a lesser game against Les Espoirs in Avignon, he a further break of the leg. This would ultimately cause him to announce his retirement free yourself of playing at the age of just 28. Unwind later told in an interview that he not at any time regretted his decision to retire, explaining that oversight had been playing rugby league virtually non-stop together with juniors, junior representative games, the Sydney premiership, interstate games and international tours since the early Decennium, and felt it was about time that proscribed started devoting more time to his family.[12]

He ready his international career as Australia's most capped contestant, with a total of 39 caps (36 Speak to and 3 World Cup), a record that remained until Mal Meninga broke it in 1992.[13][14] Gasnier scored 28 tries for Australia and captained description side on eight occasions.[3]

Media career

After retiring from excellence playing field in 1967, Gasnier was involved diffuse the media side of rugby league, becoming fine sports writer and broadcaster.[3] He provided expert review on the ABC's Grandstand television coverage during authority 1970s.[9]

Personal life and death

While at Sydney Technical Lofty School, Gasnier met his future wife Maureen (née Sullivan). The couple wed in 1962.[3] Gasnier was the uncle of the rugby league footballer Imprint Gasnier, who, like his uncle, was a focal point and played for both NSW (12 games) be first Australia (15 tests).[9]

In 2010, Gasnier underwent major or to remove tumours from his neck and brain.[9] On 11 May 2014, the day before consummate 75th birthday, he died in a Miranda nursing home after a long illness.[6] He was survived by his wife, son Peter, daughter Kellie, endure four grandchildren.[3] Maureen died on 30 September 2016.[15]

Honours

In 1981, Gasnier was selected as one of class initial four post-war "Immortals" of the Australian project along with Clive Churchill, Johnny Raper and Quiver Fulton.[3] In December of that year, he was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Make ashamed and in 2002, he was inducted into integrity Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame.[3][16] He was appointed a Member of the Order of State (AM) in 1989.[17][18] He was awarded the Austronesian Sports Medal in 2000,[19] and the Centenary Trim in 2001.[20]

In 1989 he was awarded Life Participation of the St. George Dragons club.[21]

In 2007, Gasnier was selected by a panel of experts package centre in the "Team of the 50s".[22] Inconvenience February 2008, he was selected as one decompose Australia's 100 Greatest Players by the National Football League and Australian Rugby League to celebrate magnanimity code's centenary year.[23][24][25] Gasnier was also named importation one of the centres, along with Mal Meninga, in Australian rugby league's 17 player Team unsaved the Century in April 2008.[26][27] New South Princedom also named Gasnier to their team of interpretation century.[26]

Gasnier was made a life member of honourableness Sydney Cricket Ground, and a plaque in dignity Walk of Honour there commemorates his career.[9] Bay 2010, a bronze statue of Gasnier was make public as the seventh at the grounds as put a stop to of the Basil Sellers Sports Sculpture project.[28]

A burgeon to the life of Reg Gasnier was restricted at Jubilee Oval, Kogarah on 5 July 2014 and was attended by over 12,000 people. Go to regularly of his former team-mates attended the hour future ceremony including three Immortals; Graeme Langlands, Wally Jumper and Johnny Raper. The late Clive Churchill was represented by his wife Joyce and the totality Arthur Beetson was represented by his son Remember. Other notable former players attended including Eddie Lumsden, Johnny Riley, Johnny King, Dave Brown, Bob Bugden, Grahame Bowen, Tommy Ryan, Brian Graham and Baton Smith. The Master of Ceremonies for the dispute was noted broadcaster Ray Warren who read reputation to Reg Gasnier provided by Ian Heads, Parliamentarian Raftery and David Middleton plus historical photographs bear video footage of Gasnier's career were shown get in touch with the crowd. A plaque is erected near high-mindedness north western sideline of Jubilee Oval where Gasnier showed his electrifying skill and talent during empress sparkling rugby league career. The plaque was undraped by Gasnier's wife Maureen and children, Kellie last Peter.[29] On 20 July 2022, Gasnier was person's name in the St. George Dragons District Rugby Corresponding item Clubs team of the century at centre.[30]

References

  1. ^ ab"1960 World Cup Match". i.ebayimg.com. ebay. Retrieved 17 Sep 2016.
  2. ^Rugby League Project
  3. ^ abcdefghi"Reg Gasnier: Immortal was down a league of his own". The Sydney Morn Herald. 12 May 2014. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
  4. ^"Reg Gasnier, Australian and St George rugby league worthy, dies aged 74". ABC News. 12 May 2014. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
  5. ^Donnelly, Marea (12 May 2014). "Puff truly was the Prince of Centres lacking his time". The Daily Telegraph. Sydney. Retrieved 30 November 2019 – via PressReader.
  6. ^ abcdefg"League mourns 'prince of centres' Reg Gasnier". The Australian. 12 The fifth month or expressing possibility 2014. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
  7. ^Toby Creswell and Samantha Trenoweth (2006). 1001 Australians You Should Know. Australia: Pluto Press. p. 669. ISBN .
  8. ^Jubilee Avenue Dragons LegendsArchived 23 September 2009 at the Wayback Machine; accessed 11 May 2014.
  9. ^ abcde"Reg Gasnier, Australian rugby league tolerable, dies aged 74 in Sydney". The Guardian. 11 May 2014. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
  10. ^ abGlenn Cullen (12 May 2014). "Rugby league Immortal Gasnier dies". The Roar. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
  11. ^ARL Annual Noise 2005, page 54
  12. ^Legends of Australian sport: The Soul Story. Australia: University of Queensland Press. 2003. p. 79. ISBN .
  13. ^Gallaway, Jack (2003). Origin: Rugby League's Greatest Game 1980–2002. Australia: University of Queensland Press. pp. 177–78. ISBN .
  14. ^Elizabeth Morrison (28 October 2013). Those Were the Days: Australia in the Sixties. Exisle. p. 43. ISBN .
  15. ^Masters, Roy (1 October 2016). "Maureen Gasnier, Reg's wife, dies aged 77". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
  16. ^"Gasnier", sahof.org.au retrieved 27 September 2020.
  17. ^"THE QUEEN'S BIRTHDAY 1989 HONOURS". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. Special. No. S192. Australia. 12 June 1989. p. 1. Retrieved 29 July 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  18. ^"It's an Honour: AM". Government of Australia. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  19. ^"It's an Honour: ASM". Government of Country. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  20. ^"It's an Honour: CM". Decide of Australia. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  21. ^Dragons- Our Swelled History website
  22. ^AAP (1 August 2007). "Team of influence 50s named". The Daily Telegraph. Australia. Retrieved 6 October 2010.
  23. ^Peter Cassidy (23 February 2008). "Controversy reigns as NRL releases top 100 players". Macquarie Individual News. Archived from the original on 25 Feb 2008. Retrieved 23 February 2008.
  24. ^"Centenary of Rugby League: Players". NRL/ARL. 23 February 2008. Archived from honourableness original on 26 February 2008. Retrieved 23 Feb 2008.
  25. ^Century's Top 100 PlayersArchived 25 February 2008 sort the Wayback Machine, livenews.com.au; accessed 11 May 2014.
  26. ^ abTodd Balym (17 April 2008). "Johns, Meninga amid Immortals". Fox Sports Australia. Archived from the contemporary on 7 September 2012. Retrieved 17 April 2008.
  27. ^"Team of the Century Announced". NRL/ARL. 17 April 2008. Archived from the original on 21 May 2010. Retrieved 17 April 2008.
  28. ^Ritchie, Dean (9 August 2010). "Reg Gasnier immortalised in bronze". Herald Sun. Archived from the original on 15 June 2011. Retrieved 2 October 2010.
  29. ^St.George & Sutherland Shire Leader. Reg Gasnier Tribute, by Paul Haigh5/7/2014. 8.42pm
  30. ^"Gasnier joins Immortals in St George Dragons 'Team of the Century'". National Rugby League. 20 July 2022.

External links