FIRST EVER TELEVISED GAME OF RUGBY LEAGUE 1962

My Dad John Robinson is halfback (no 7) for South Sydney.

[@flimflama9333]

Imagine being the very first blokes to crack a tin n tell the Mrs, "sorry love the footy is on, ill do it after"

[@dylanjhugroo3052]

This game was played on 4 July 1964. It was a deferred clash from Round 9. The crowd was 6 630, and as the legendary Rex Mossop says in closing commentary, Souths won 31-6.

[@jsmr451]

Fullback got hammered at 2:45. Great backline move from Souths at 6:45. Step back inside then short off load for a try. Nice!

[@Vicfan01]

Game was played on July 4, 1964. Agree Rex Mossop is 100% commentator.

[@touchstar68]

I didn’t think Rex began commentating until after he retired, 1964 makes sense.

[@lapalad]

I was just talking to Arthur Branighan just the other day, a real gentleman

[@dropbear6740]

Go you mighty Berries

[@j.m.6542]

Great clip, but actually the first live telecast was by ABN2 in 1961. Balmain Vs North Sydney. Only the second half was shown in those days.

[@MisterPolitical1]

it was a replay

[@j.m.6542]

No it was live. I watched it.

[@tiger832]

@@j.m.6542 why did they only show one half

[@waratah08]

@@tiger832 It was all the Sydney Rugby League would allow. They felt that if the whole game was televised, it would affect gates.

[@waratah08]

@J. Al Since the post was on a rugby league televised match, was there any point in bringing football into it?

[@petermaxwell2965]

I remember when they kicked up half the field to get dirt to kick a goal !

[@matthewlabar5833]

@James Drake I think he's referring to the fact that they used mounds of dirt instead of kicking tees. For example 1:31

[@AnthonyKiyola]

Great upload. Red and green aren’t the best colours for black and white - I thought it was Newtown at first 😊

[@glenchapman3899]

Yeah it was a problem for a few teams. Until color TV came along, all televised games were arranged that one team wore white shorts and one wore black or dark colors

[@StephenSimAuctioneer]

This is not the first game of Rugby League televised in Sydney. The first tv game was in 1961 when they only televised the second half of the game !!!

[@petermaxwell2965]

Bob McCarthy was the bane of our existence at Belmore !

[@lapalad]

@MANCHESTER UNITED Wendyball

[@OldFellaDave]

@M no one cares handbag

[@peterpiper831]

Except for the few seasons when he played for the Berries.

[@xekilroy]

So was Bill McCaethy, according to Rex

[@2aussiegirls229]

Great to see- thanks for sharing. Does anyone know if games from 1961 to 1963 are available to download anywhere? I have been trying to find some footage of my dad for years.

[@sebastiansaville2043]

I don't know if this is the first televised match or not. However it is Round 9 1964.

[@paynekandi6004]

I think first televised in Aussie, I think in England they used to televised rugby league way before 60s I guess

[@pedrobaillie3307]

Checkout the age difference between the players back then compared to today's playing ages

[@whitemanriding]

Belmore park with moose mossop

[@bashuppark]

Belmore when it was an actual oval. Anyone know what year it was reconfigured to rectangular?

[@stupendous1068]

It's a shame rugby league isn't televised like this anymore.

[@davidhumphries1146]

The is no worse to watch because it was slower. Better in some ways.

[@carljan57]

Sounds like Rex commentating way back then.

[@mig196811]

Older rugby league games were televised in the UK, back into the 1950s.

[@LebAu06]

MANCHESTER UNITED F.C stfu

[@southsdude1686]

@M NO ONE CARES AND I DONT REMEMBER ASKING

[@MERCURYSUNSET]

@M And yet here you are AGAIN on a Rugby League post . Thanks for showing support for Rugby League .

[@00simonwise]

The BBC first televised the Challenge Cup Final in 1948, but it wasn't transmitted in Rugby Leagues heartland. When itv started in the mid-fifties it showed games but only in the London region. BBC One has shown the Challenge Cup Final live every year since 1958.

[@alwinlopez]

I think it's 1964. John Sattler didn't join Souths until 1963. Ron Coote didn't play first grade until 1964 and Fred Anderson's first season with Souths was also 1964. It certainly wasn't the first televised game as others have indicated.

[@waratah08]

Agree. In 1962, Satts was in Newcastle and played against the poms in a combined Newcastle team.

[@stephenyanz4923]

Dead right mate, Bobby Mcarthy, Satts & Ron Coote, ... got to around 64-5.Real scrums..!

[@petermaxwell2965]

Ian Maurice ..🙋 🐻

[@tiger832]

Hello Bear, hope life is treating you well.

[@genericgeorge]

July 4, 1964 in fact

[@DEATHSTARER]

Was this match at Belmore before or after the reconfiguration from east-west to north-south?

[@MERCURYSUNSET]

This match was at Belmore . The date in the description is wrong though . This is from 1964 but it looks like Belmore is east to west here . I didn't even know the configuration was north to south at some point .

[@peterpiper831]

@@MERCURYSUNSET The railway line appears to be behind the dead ball line on the left of screen, indicating a North/South configuration. Rex mentions it after goal kicks. 11:08 Leichhardt and the Sydney Sports Ground were both East/West, reconfigured during the '70's and '80's.

[@patricktroy186]

Supposed to be 1962 but Rex mentions 15 pounds or 30 dollars. Dollars not currency until 1966

[@charlesgavin792]

Nick is my best friend

[@pauljoseph8691]

Where is the game being played. Does not look like canterberry home ground as very open but there is a railway line. If 66 les John’s would be playing. Settler and McCarthy give date away

[@mins2memories]

i think it's the old belmore oval. i recall rex mossop calling balls going onto the railway tracks in 70s there.

[@fatstorvolay2243]

What ground are they playing at?

[@7s29]

Belmore

[@weebrianful]

You mean the first televised game in Australia !!

[@thebestkid420]

How did you copy that

[@owenrees7544]

There were Rugby League games on TV in the UK from 1948. But hey, it's all about Sydney, right?

[@lapalad]

Oh get so picky why don't you, just watch and enjoy

[@MERCURYSUNSET]

If your 2nd rate comp in England actually ups it's standard then yeah , until then it is all about Sydney .

[@aronmutua5399]

love it than how I love girls

[@The_Last_Ninja]

Commentator Rex Mossop?

[@johntate5722]

Sounds like Mossop to me, great commentator

[@tonyburraston3931]

John O' Reilly

[@nukmunnit3170]

​@@tonyburraston3931definitely Rex Mossop

[@speeddemon655]

8:17 first voice crack in the rugby league commentating history

[@McOzman479]

Belmore sports ground before it was squared up.

[@cee1ay]

Wasn’t the first footage televised from 1901? There’s a video on KZbin.

[@googlefashists4986]

No tvs in 1901

[@ccdrones974]

Freeze it at 10:19 to 10:23 A dude in the back ground in the crowd talking on a mobile phone. The problem is there were no mobile phone in Australia in 1962.

[@themantheycouldntrootshoot7985]

That's quite correct Troy. He would have been using a prototype mobile phone developed by AWA called the "cooee compact". It wasn't trialled until 1965. The government squashed the project after lobbying by the PMG dep't who didn't want the competition. We could have led the world!

[@darrencottam1146]

I believe it's a transistor radio or wireless as my father said ,listening to the commentary or the races,big thing back then.

[@tiger832]

Don't listen by to these guys, it's a time traveller.

[@blackprince4074]

Darren, you are correct lots of people used small transistor radios at the football in Sydney as the ABC aired most games so they could keep up with all the games that were played they would also relay score to their mates. But what is missed is the AMBULANCE officers sitting on the sideline in hats and uniform 7.19 also the way after a try is scored it's a gentlemans hand- shake, not a group-hug of these days. Check out the kids on the roof of the building,great fun filled days not like now bloody POLITICAL CORRECT nonsense.

[@j.m.6542]

@@blackprince4074 Yep, and not NSW Ambulance officers either but volunteer St Johns Ambulance officers aka as Zambuks.

[@apersonyoudontknow5376]

NZ

[@TorontoBarbell]

wow - what oval is this at?

[@typetersen8809]

Belmore Oval.....although it looks more like a square!Canterbury home game.

[@TorontoBarbell]

@@typetersen8809 wow, its changed a lot over the years.

[@typetersen8809]

@@TorontoBarbell Sure has! And Redfern Oval gone! Along with many inner-city venues. Henson Park for the Newton Bluebags was another. The game is not the same. 😔

[@Abble_7]

What year is that?

[@trentrobinsonguitar]

1962

[@geoffsallis1519]

Agree Rex Mossop is commentating and he did not retire until after the 63 season

[@MERCURYSUNSET]

It is 1964.

[@hanoitripper1809]

Wheres ken irvine

[@googlefashists4986]

Played with Norths

[@pedrobaillie3307]

Thats Rugby league in the 60,s it's called

[@pedrobaillie3307]

Rugby league in the 60,s is mix of state and ashes series also French tour plus grandfinal

[@pedrobaillie3307]

Does anyone know of any footage of 1944 and 1945 final between st George and Balmain Ray lindwall is fullback and brother Jack lindwall on the wing both men scored all st Georges points going down to Balmain by a series of conversions in 1946 Ray lindwall was talked into playing cricket and declining to tour with brother Jack for the kangaroos they were my grandfather's 1st cousins

[@nukmunnit3170]

​@@pedrobaillie3307it is my understanding that Graham Hughes is the only man to play for NSW in both cricket and rugby league...do you know if Ray Lindwall did this also? I'm quite certain he had the ability, but did he get that opportunity?

[@dimitroulazaverdinos5524]

I don't think the game was in 1962. Bob McCarthy debut was 1963 and Ron Coote was 1964. Wikipedia states: "Mossop first appeared on air in 1964 and called his first game in 1965". Footage is likely from 1965. If it was 1965, Bob McCarthy was 19 years old in that game.

[@MERCURYSUNSET]

Actually this is from the round 9 clash at Belmore in 1964 .

[@dimitroulazaverdinos5524]

@@MERCURYSUNSET You have a good memory