# 1953 Australia rugby union tour of South Africa

The 1953 Australia rugby union tour of South Africa and Rhodesia was a series of 27 rugby union matches played by "Wallabies" in 1953, between June and October.
The test series was won by the Springboks with three test wins to one.

## Touring party

Of the team of 30 players, 25 were from Sydney; 1 from Newcastle – Cyril Burke; and 4 from Queensland – Tom Sweeney, Garth Jones, Gavan Horsley and Colin Forbes. The touring party consisted of:
* Manager: John 'Wylie' Breckenbridge
* Assistant Manager-Coach: A.C. 'Johnnie' Wallace
* Captain: John Solomon
* Vice-captain: Nick Shehadie
Playing squad:
* Full-backs: Ray Colbert, Tom Sweeney (Qld)
* Wingers: Eddie Stapleton, Garth Jones (Qld), Jim Phipps, Gavan Horsley (Qld)
* Centres: Herb Barker, Jack Blomley, John Solomon, Saxon White
* Fly-halves: Spencer Brown, Murray Tate
* Half-backs: Cyril Burke (Newcastle), John Bosler
* Locks: Brian Johnson, Mac Hughes
* Breakaways: Keith Cross, Bob Outterside, Colin Windon, David Brockhoff
* Second Row: Nick Shehadie, Ned Morey, Alan Cameron, Tony Miller, Colin Forbes (Qld),
* Front Row: Bob Davidson, Jack Carroll, Max Elliott
* Hookers: Jim Walsh, John Bain.

## Matches

Scores and results list Australia's points tally first.
| Opposing Team | For | Against | Date | Venue | Status |
| Natal | 14 | 15 | 20 June 1953 | Durban | Tour Match |
| Comb. Northern University | 22 | 14 | 24 June 1953 | Pretoria | Tour Match |
| Transvaal 2nd XV | 20 | 18 | 27 June 1953 | Johannesburg | Tour Match |
| Orange Free State | 3 | 28 | 1 July 1953 | Kroonstad | Tour Match |
| Eastern Transvaal | 15 | 12 | 4 July 1953 | Springs | Tour Match |
| Rhodesia | 18 | 15 | 8 July 1953 | Salisbury | Tour Match |
| Rhodesia | 8 | 8 | 11 July 1953 | Kitwe | Tour Match |
| Rhodesia | 31 | 11 | 15 July 1953 | Bulawayo | Tour Match |
| Transvaal | 14 | 20 | 18 July 1953 | Newlands, Cape Town | Tour Match |
| Griqualand West | 3 | 13 | 22 July 1953 | Kimberley | Tour Match |
| Western Province | 13 | 11 | 25 July 1953 | Newlands, Cape Town | Tour Match |
| SW District | 34 | 11 | 29 July 1953 | | Tour Match |
| Eastern Province | 16 | 11 | 1 August 1953 | Boet Erasmus, Port Elizabeth | Tour Match |
| Eastern Districts | 25 | 6 | 5 August 1953 | Burgersdorp | Tour Match |
| Border | 9 | 6 | 8 August 1953 | East London | Tour Match |
| Western Transvaal | 50 | 12 | 12 August 1953 | Potchefstroom | Tour Match |
| Northern Transvaal | 11 | 27 | 15 August 1953 | Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria | Tour Match |
| South Africa | 3 | 25 | 22 August 1953 | Ellis Park, Johannesburg | Test Match |
| Griqualand West | 11 | 6 | 26 August 1953 | Kimberley | Tour Match |
| Boland | 14 | 13 | 29 August 1953 | Wellington | Tour Match |
| Universities | 5 | 24 | 2 September 1953 | Cape Town | Tour Match |
| South Africa | 18 | 14 | 5 September 1953 | Cape Town | Test Match |
| Border | 24 | 13 | 9 September 1953 | Queenstown | Tour Match |
| Orange Free State | 28 | 3 | 12 September 1953 | Bloemfontein | Tour Match |
| South Africa | 8 | 18 | 19 September 1953 | Durban | Test Match |
| Eastern Province | 39 | 17 | 23 September 1953 | Port Elizabeth | Tour Match |
| South Africa | 9 | 22 | 26 September 1953 | Port Elizabeth | Test Match |