Bob Banham
FullnameJohn Robert Banham
Birth date22 September 1912
Birth placeGlenbrook, New South Wales, Australia
Death date20 December 1999 (aged 87)
Death placeMascot, New South Wales, Australia
Club 1South Sydney
Year1start1936
Year1end37
Appearances 116
Tries 15
Goals 10
Fieldgoals 10
Points 115
Club 2North Shore Albions
Year2start1938
Appearances 25
Tries 22
Goals 20
Fieldgoals 20
Points 26
Club 3City Rovers
Year3start1938
Appearances 312
Tries 35
Goals 32
Fieldgoals 30
Points 319
Club 4Newton Rangers (guest)
Year4start1938
Appearances 42
Tries 44
Goals 41
Fieldgoals 40
Points 414
Club 5Mount Albert United
Year5start1939
Year5end40
Appearances 532
Tries 53
Goals 543
Fieldgoals 50
Points 595
Club 6South Sydney
Year6start1941
Appearances 614
Tries 63
Goals 60
Fieldgoals 60
Points 69
TeamaNew South Wales City
Yearastart1937
Appearancesa1
Triesa0
Goalsa0
Fieldgoalsa0
Pointsa0
TeambAuckland Pakehā
Yearbstart1938
Yearbend40
Appearancesb4
Triesb3
Goalsb0
Fieldgoalsb0
Pointsb9
TeamcAuckland
Yearcstart1938
Appearancesc1
Triesc1
Goalsc0
Fieldgoalsc0
Pointsc3
TeamdNew Zealand Probable (trial)
Yeardstart1939
Appearancesd2
Triesd1
Goalsd0
Fieldgoalsd0
Pointsd3
TeameNew Zealand
Yearestart1939

John Robert Banham (22 September 1912 – 20 December 1999),[1] was a professional rugby league footballer who represented the New Zealand national rugby league team and New South Wales City.

Playing career

Banham played for the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the NSWRL Premiership, scoring five tries between 1936 and 1937. He represented New South Wales City in 1937.[2] In 1938 the Auckland Rugby League signed Banham as player-coach.[3] They decided to place him with teams that would benefit from his playing and coaching. He joined the North Shore Albions initially and played the first half of the 1938 season with them before being moved to the City Rovers club for the remainder of the season. He also made 2 appearances for Newton Rangers. The first was on their trip to Christchurch to play a Canterbury XIII, and the second was in a midweek match against the touring Canterbury provincial side. On his return to the City side he helped lead them to the Roope Rooster final which they lost to Richmond Rovers by 20 to 8. Banham also played a match for Auckland Pakeha against Auckland Māori on 6 June which was won by the Māori side by 26 points to 21. On 16 July he made his Auckland debut against the returning New Zealand side who had been on tour in Australia. The match was played at Carlaw Park with Auckland winning 21 to 13 and Banham scoring one of their tries.

He was named for New Zealand in 1939 but did not play a test, due to the cancellation of the 1939 tour of Great Britain.[4] He returned to Australia in September 1940 with the intention of joining the Australian forces.[3] In 1941 played several games for the South Sydney Rabbitohs and scored three tries.[2]

References

  1. ^ BANHAM JOHN ROBERT : Service Number – N227584 : Date of birth – 22 Sep 1912 : Place of birth – GLENBROOK NSW : Place of enlistment – KINGSFORD : Next of Kin – BANHAM WILLIAM
  2. ^ "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  3. ^ Coffey, John and Bernie Wood Auckland, 100 years of rugby league, 1909–2009, 2009. ISBN 978-1-86969-366-4.
  4. ^ John Banham Biography nzrl.co.nz