# 1961 Kangaroo tour of New Zealand

The 1961 Kangaroo Tour of New Zealand was a mid-season tour of New Zealand by the Australia national rugby league team. The Australians played nine matches on tour, including two tests against the New Zealand national rugby league team. The tour began on 17 June and finished on 10 July.

## Leadership

Brian Carlson was both the captain and the coach of the touring side. Carlson did not play in the Second Test and tour vice-captain Barry Muir led Australia in that match.
In the two matches in which neither Carlson nor Muir played, the Kangaroos were captained by Reg Gasnier (against Taranaki) and Ian Walsh (against Auckland). The team was managed by Jack Kessey of Newtown, New South Wales and G.W. (Jock) Allen of Toowooomba, Queensland.

## Touring squad

The Rugby League News published
* details of the touring team including the players' ages and weights; and
* a summary of match results and players' appearances and points scoring.
Match details - listing surnames of both teams and the point scorers - were included in E.E. Christensen's Official Rugby League Yearbook, as was a summary of the players' point-scoring.
Beattie, Day, Gehrke, Gil, Muir, Paterson and Rasmussen were selected from Queensland clubs. Beaven, Crowe and Owen were selected from clubs in New South Wales Country areas. The balance of the squad had played for Sydney based clubs during the 1961 season.

## Tour

The Australians played nine matches on the tour, winning seven matches and losing the last two.
* Saturday 17 June
| Māori | 13 – 25 | Australia |
* Rotorua International Stadium, Rotorua Attendance: 1,787
* Wednesday 21 June
| Wellington | 3 – 66 | Australia |
* Basin Reserve, Wellington Attendance: 707
* Friday 23 June
| National Coaching School | 4 – 9 | Australia |
* Rugby League Park, Christchurch Attendance: 2,793
* Saturday 24 June
| West Coast | 7 – 27 | Australia |
* Wingham Park, Greymouth Attendance: 1,682
* Tuesday 27 June
| Taranaki | 0 – 34 | Australia |
* Burnside Showgrounds, Hāwera Attendance: 600

### First test

* Saturday 1 July
| New Zealand | 12 – 10 | Australia |
| Tries: Maunga Emery Graeme Farrar Goals: Reg Cooke (2/2) Field Goals Gary Phillips | | Tries: Ken Irvine Don Parish Goals: Don Parish (2/2) |
* Carlaw Park, Auckland Attendance: 11,485 Referee: Roland Avery
| New Zealand | Australia |
| FB 1 Gary Phillips RW 2 Brian Reidy RC 3 George H. Turner LC 4 Tom Hadfield LW 5 Reg Cooke FE 6 George Menzies HB 7 Graeme Farrar PR 8 Jim Patterson HK 9 Jock Butterfield PR 10 Maunga Emery SR 11 Don Hammond SR 12 Ron Ackland (c) LF 13 Mel Cooke Coach: Des White | FB 1 Don Parish RW 2 Ken Irvine RC 3 Reg Gasnier LC 4 Brian Carlson (c) LW 5 Eddie Lumsden FE 6 Arthur Summons HB 7 Barry Muir PR 8 Elton Rasmussen HK 9 Ian Walsh PR 10 Ron Crowe SR 11 Jim Paterson SR 12 Ron Lynch LF 13 Jack Sinclair Coach: Brian Carlson |
* Wednesday 5 July
| Waikato | 8 – 26 | Australia |
* Steele Park, Hamilton Attendance: 886

### Second test

* Saturday 8 July
| New Zealand | 8 – 10 | Australia |
| Tries: Goals: Reg Cooke (3/3) Gary Phillips (1/1) | | Tries: Reg Gasnier (2) Arthur Summons Goals: Don Parish (2/2) |
* Carlaw Park, Auckland Attendance: 12,424 Referee: Roland Avery
| New Zealand | Australia |
| FB 1 Gary Phillips RW 2 Brian Reidy RC 3 George H. Turner LC 4 Tom Hadfield LW 5 Reg Cooke FE 6 George Menzies HB 7 Bill Snowden PR 8 Jim Patterson HK 9 Tom Reid PR 10 Maunga Emery SR 11 Don Hammond SR 12 Ron Ackland (c) LF 13 Mel Cooke Coach: Des White | FB 1 Frank Drake RW 2 Ken Irvine RC 3 Don Parish LC 4 Reg Gasnier LW 5 Eddie Lumsden FE 6 Arthur Summons HB 7 Barry Muir (c) PR 8 Ron Crowe HK 9 Ian Walsh PR 10 Dud Beattie SR 11 Elton Rasmussen SR 12 Jim Paterson LF 13 Ron Lynch Coach: Brian Carlson |
* Monday 10 July
| Auckland | 13 – 8 | Australia |
* Carlaw Park, Auckland Attendance: 5,148