Ian Walsh (rugby league) facts for kids
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Personal information
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| Born | 20 March 1933 Bogan Gate, New South Wales, Australia |
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| Died | 4 April 2013 (aged 80) Forbes, New South Wales, Australia |
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Playing information
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| Position | Hooker | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Coaching information
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As of 10 January 2016
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Ian John Walsh (born March 20, 1933 – died April 4, 2013) was a famous Australian rugby league player and coach. He played as a hooker for the St. George Dragons from 1962 to 1967. He was part of the Dragons' amazing run of 11 straight championship wins.
Walsh captained the St. George team in their last championship win in 1966. He also led the team in 1967 when their winning streak ended. He played for the Australian national team and was their captain in 10 Test matches between 1963 and 1966.
Contents
Early Life and Career
Ian Walsh was born on March 20, 1933, in Bogan Gate, a town near Parkes in western New South Wales. Before joining a big city club, he played for local teams in the country. These teams included Parkes, Forbes, and Eugowra.
Playing for Country and Australia
In 1951, Walsh was chosen to play for the Western Division team. They played against the French touring rugby league team. His first international game for Australia was in 1959 against New Zealand. Later that year, he was picked for the 1959-60 Kangaroo tour. This was a big tour where the Australian team traveled to play games. He played in all six Test matches and 17 other games during this tour.
Time with St. George Dragons
Walsh joined the famous St. George Dragons club in 1962. He played 96 games for them until 1967. During his time there, he helped the Dragons win four Grand Finals. These wins were in 1962, 1963, 1965, and 1966.
Captain and Coach
In 1963, Walsh became captain of the Australian team. They toured Great Britain and made history. They were the first Australian team in 50 years to win the Ashes series. This is a special trophy played between Australia and Great Britain.
He was also captain during a famous game known as the "Swinton Massacre" in 1963. In this game, Australia beat Great Britain 50–12. This was the biggest win Australia had ever achieved against England at that time.
After Norm Provan retired in 1965, Walsh took on a new role. He became the captain-coach for the St. George Dragons. This meant he played and also coached the team. In 1966, he achieved something very special. He was the only person to captain-coach Australia to an Ashes series win and also lead his club to a premiership (championship) in the same year.
He played a total of 25 Test matches for Australia from 1959 to 1966. The Dragons' amazing winning streak of 11 championships in a row was getting close to its end. However, Walsh still led the Dragons to their 11th straight victory against the Balmain Tigers in 1966.
Life After Playing Rugby League
After he stopped playing, Ian Walsh continued to be involved in rugby league. He coached the Parramatta Eels team. He led them to the semi-finals in the 1971 NSWRFL season.
Other Roles and Recognition
Walsh also became a successful writer for Daily Telegraph newspaper. He wrote about rugby league for over 20 years. He also helped choose players for Country and State teams.
In February 2008, Ian Walsh was honored as one of Australia's 100 Greatest Players. This list was created to celebrate 100 years of rugby league in Australia.
Ian Walsh passed away on April 4, 2013, at the age of 80, after being ill for a long time. In 2022, he was named in the St. George Dragons District Rugby League Club's Team of the Century.
