SPORT

Lobbed into the city for a lunch with a handful of old mates from my days working at the Daily Mirror, The Sun and Sunday Telegraph.

It was just after the Australian rugby league team headed to England for the 21 st Kangaroo tour – the first since 2003.

And before I continue, an Australian Kangaroo is a player who toured Great Britain and on most occasions, France. Not a footballer who represents Australia in World Cups or against other nations, at home or overseas!

Somehow I dredged from my deteriorating grey matter that I had seen the first live telecast of a game played in England between Australia and Great Britain and mentioned it to my fellow diners( and drinkers).

“ It was the very first rugby league match beamed live into Australia,” I told them.

“ When was this, my dear, dumb friend” quipped Norm Lipsom.

“ Balderdash( it was stronger than that!), I remember sitting in my lounge room watching a live telecast of a Test during the 1967-68 Kangaroo Tour,” quipped Ray Chesterton.

“ Nah Harpo, that can’ t be right,” said Dr Jim Lahood.“ I agree with Ray as I also remember watching live games from that tour.”

Norm then chimed in again.

“ Jimmy’ s got a remarkable memory and if he remembers something like that, I think the‘ old-timers’ is kicking in with you,” he laughed.

“ I vaguely remember being among a handful of rugby league scribes who were invited by the ABC to get along to the OTC( Overseas Telecommunications Commission) building on Broadway to watch a rugby league match relayed live from England,” I told the Sceptics Society.

“ All the big name rugby league writers such as Bill Mordey, Ian Heads and E. E. Christensen would have been over in England, so we lesser scribes were on the invite list.

“ I kicked off at the Daily Mirror in March, 1968, so it couldn’ t have been a match on the 1967-68 Kangaroo Tour – perhaps it was a World Cup game in 1970.” And then there was light!“ Geez Harpo, I think you’ re right,”

Norm cried.“ When you said‘ OTC’ something clicked up here( pointing to his noggin) – you’ re bloody right because I was also one of the dozen or so journos there that night.

“ In fact, somewhere at home I’ ve got an invitation to the event!”

“ And I tell you what, I remember the match and it’ s all coming back to me now.

“ It was the 1970 World Cup Final between Great Britain and Australia

VANTORIX is an unraced Captivant 2YO trained at Port Macquarie by Jenny Graham. He could not have been more impressive in effortless 1000m trial win on home track on Nov 13. He clocked final 600m in 33.90s and put the 1000m behind him in 58.36.

PENTAGON is a former Kiwi now in the Bjorn Baker yard. Made the running and was strong to the post in winning Hawkesbury 1250m trial on Nov 17. Cruised home final 600m in 33.87.

BIG PAPA is also in the Baker stable and showed abundant speed in winning 1000m trial at Hawkesbury on Nov 17,

putting final 600m behind him in sizzling 32.51.

SNACK BAR and LOVING are also out of the Baker yard and both put in tremendous performances in winning( Snack Bar) and finishing fourth in 1000m trial at H’ bury on Nov 17. Don’ t miss these fellas.

SPARKLING FIRE was sparking on all cylinders in scorching away from the field on settling and holding a big margin down the running without being sooled along. Unraced Trapeze Artist 3YO out of the David Pfieffer stable. because I’ ll never forget that after the full-time whistle, Eric Simms went over to offer a handshake to one of the Pommies and was head-butted!”

I wanted to put my thumbs in my ears, wiggle my fingers and poke out my tongue at Jim and Ray and a few other sceptics. Which I did! Yes it was the World Cup final in which the Australians won 12-7 in a game which was comparable to a gladiatorial stoush at the Roman Colosseum!

The match was filmed in black and white and on a screen not much bigger than the computer I’ m typing away on now.

So, I was a small part of a little bit of history!

As readers of this column are aware, I love delving into the past to find something interesting for our readers. So, onto tennis’ Davis Cup. It is now 75 years since Australia dominated the international knockout competition which kicked off in 1900 as a challenge between Great Britain and the USA.

Down the years since, nations competing have grown to 155 with the USA with 32 victories nudging out Australia( 28) as the most prolific winners of the Davis Cup.

During the 1950s and 1960s Australia dominated the USA, which was runner-up on each occasion, however the Yanks did manage to snare three victories during that period.

Australia won in 1950-51-52-53, lost to the USA in 1954 before stringing together another three victories in 1955-56-57. The USA stopped the winning streak in 1958 before Australia again dominated winning eight of the next nine tournaments between 1959-67, a run broken just once by the USA in 1964.

During that golden period Australia was represented by a host of great and indeed, legendary players – Frank Sedgeman, Ken Rosewall, Lew Hoad, Rod Laver, Roy Emerson, Neale Fraser, Fred Stolle, Tony Roche and John Newcombe. Special mention of the great Harry Hopman( 1906-85), who as a player and captain-coach, won the Davis Cup on 16 occasions.

He won three as a player in 1928, 1930 and 1932 and as captain-coach during his time at the helm between 1938-1939 and 1950-1967, he concentrated on his journalism career from the end of WW2 until returning to the coaching role in 1950.

SAD MARKS: The passing of the inspirational former Penrith Panther, John Farragher. Twenty-one- year-old John became a quadriplegic after a scrum collapse in 1978, just seven games into his first-grade career, yet he went on to live a fulfilling life.

All our local tradies are all in one spot on our website so keep your business local and ring locally!!

Team

30 ISSUE 126 // DECEMBER 2025 MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY HOLIDAYS! theindependentmagazine. com. au THE HILLS INDEPENDENT