NSW Rugby Welcomes Messenger Back to the Fold
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Sunday, 24 June 2007
NSWRU Media Unit
The Board of the NSW Rugby Union will mark the 100th anniversary of dual international Dally Messenger's code switch by officially reinstating him to the game's record books.
Dally Messenger
Dally Messenger
Messenger, then a 23 year old from the Eastern Suburbs club, shocked the Union ranks in 1907 when he accepted payment of ?180 to switch to Rugby League.
At the time he was the most outstanding player in the game, and had played 12 matches for the Waratahs over the preceding two years.
Officials of the day reacted by striking Messenger's name from the record books.
NSWRU Chief Executive Fraser Neill said the decision to welcome Messenger back to the fold after a century was an easy one.
"I don't think anyone would doubt that Dally Messenger is one of the all time greats of Australian sport," Mr. Neill said.
"Rugby should be proud of the part he played not just in our game but in the overall fabric of sport in this country.
"He was a class act both on the field and off it, given that even after many years out of the game he never once admonished it.
"The only pity is that he's not around to witness for himself the game embracing him once again."
The reinstatement of Messenger is timed to coincide with the impending release of a book of his life, The Master - The Life and Times of Dally Messenger¸ by Sean Fagan and Dally Messenger III.
Literary Agent Bruce Kennedy, who was responsible for bringing the situation to light, said Messenger's contribution to all sports - not just Union and League - was immense.
"I was surprised to find Dally Messenger was still struck off the record after all these years," Kennedy said.
"Dally was so big in 1907 that the crowd used to follow him rather than a particular code, and he even became the target of approaches from Aussie Rules and he spent some time with the South Melbourne club.
"In the end he chose League, where he was like Andrew Johns, Brad Fittler and Darren Lockyer all rolled into one, he was that good.
"The past greats, people like Trevor Allan, Ken Kearney, Ken Thornett and Russell Fairfax were all welcomed back to Rugby and I thought after 100 years it would be nice for Dally to also be reinstated along with all his records and achievements."
Messenger's reinstatement was ratified, effective immediately, by the NSWRU Board at its monthly meeting last Monday.