The most positive attempt to introduce Americans
to rugby league took place in Australia in 1953.
But what was at first seen as a trailblazing step
to make Americans aware of the game finished as
a disaster.
Mike Dimitro, a wrestling promoter, brought his
American All Stars on a 26 match tour of Australia
and New Zealand. He had been approached by the Australian
Board of Control on the recommendation of a New
Zealand official.
None of the 22 players had played rugby league previously,
and it showed. In 18 matches in Australia, the All
Stars won three, lost 13 and drew two. They scored
406 points, but had 560 scored against them. In
their eight New Zealand matches, they won three
and lost five, scoring 157 points to 211 against.
The American All Stars in their "all american"
gear. Top right is coach Latchem Robinson, Manager
Mike Dimitro is centre of front row, and on his
right is Vince Jones, Captain of the team
Dimitro was and outstanding American gridiron player.
He was in Australia during the war and became involved
in services boxing and wrestling matches. When it
was known that the US Team was to tour, 52 prospective
tourists went into training, including Bob Waterfield,
the husband of screen star Jane Russell. However,
many of the triallists dropped out and in the end
Dimitro had difficulty finding sufficient players
for the trip. Two players flew in the day before
their first match.
The Americans opened their tour in Canberra agains
a Monaro and Southern Division team, and won 34
-25. In their next match, against a strong Sydney
team at the Sydney Cricket Ground, a sellout 65,453
came to watch them play. But the novelty wore off
quickly. The Americans were beaten 52 -25 and in
their next match at the SCG, against New South Wales,
just over 32,000 saw the Americans thrashed 62 -
41 in a farcial match.
It was too much to expect a team of novices, most
of whom had never seen a game of league, to be competitive
against on to rugby league's most powerful nations.
Dimitro had players who had either played American
football or knew something of rugby union. Norm
Latchem Robinson was appointed coach of the Americans
and was given some assistants after the second match
of the tour.
The American All Stars in their match against
Sydney at the SCG, watched by some 60,000 spectators.
They discarded their "Long Johns" after this match
and played in shorts for the rest of the tour
The Ammericans played through country centres of
New South Wales, in Brisbane and through Queensland
country league strongholds. The drew 33 all with
Wide Bay and beat Ipswich 16-15. The only other
win was a 19-10 victory over a Newcastle selection.
Australian crowds were bemused by some of the American
tactics. Not surprisingly, they used the long gridiron
style throw from one side of the field to the other,
and for the first two matches the Americans wore
long gridiron trousers. After that they changed
to shorts
So poor were their attempts to play the ball that
New South Wales Hooker Ken Kearney had to kick the
ball through to ensure they kept possession. If
nothing else, the Americans wore colourful outfits
- royal blue jerseys with red and white stars on
the shoulders and royal blue shorts with red and
white stripes on the sides.
One redeeming aspect was the decision of Al Kirkland,
the best of the Americans, to stay in Australia.
He worked at St marys Munitions Factory in Sydney
and joined Parramatta Club in 1956. He started the
season as a winger but learned the game so well
the he played some matches in the centre and at
five-eight. He appeared in all 18 firstgrade matches
in 1956 and scoredf our tries. It was his only season
in Sydney football.
The Australian rugby league hope that the United
States would find a place for the game flickered
since the early 1920's. Winning over the Americans
remains a wish of the current administration. In
1987, Queensland and New South Wales played a State
of Origin in Los Angeles and in 1988, a move was
made to introduce rugby league into Californian
high schools.
Story from Gary Lester's History of Australian
Rugby League.
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