Denis Lutge

Denis Lutge

Australian national rugby league captain
Full name	Denis Lutge[1]
Date of birth	26 November 1879(1879-11-26)
Place of birth	Sydney, New South Wales [1]
Date of death	18 February 1953(1953-02-18) (aged 73)
Place of death	Mosman, New South Wales
Occupation(s)	stevedore
Rugby league career
Position	Lock
Professional clubs
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
1908	North Sydney	3	(3)
State Representation
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
1908	New South Wales	1	(0)
National teams
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
1908-09	Australia	3	(3)
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position	lock[1]
Amateur clubs
Years	Club / team
1901-07	North Sydney RUFC
Provincial/State sides
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
1901-07	New South Wales
National team(s)
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
1903-04[1]	Australia	4[1]	(0)[1]

Denis "Dinny" Lutge (26 November 1879 – 18 February 1953) was a pioneer Australian rugby league and rugby union player, a dual-code international. He was the second ever captain of the Australian national rugby league team and the first to lead the side to a victory

Rugby union career

A Mosman, New South Wales stevedore Lutge commenced his rugby union career with the Mosman Juniors in 1893,^{[citation needed]} before playing for North Sydney (now Northern Suburbs Rugby Club) from 1901 until 1907. He made his international rugby union debut as a lock-forward in the first ever test played between the Australia representative team and the All Blacks in Sydney, on 15 August 1903. He appeared in all three of Australia's Test losses in 1904 against the visiting British Lions.

Rugby league career

He was named foundation captain of the North Sydney rugby league club in 1908. Lutge represented New South Wales that year and in May, like two others of the five inaugural selectors (Hennessy & Dore) Lutge picked himself for the first international matches against New Zealand, drawing some press criticism in the process.^[2]

Along with Dally Messenger, Micky Dore, Doug McLean snr and Johnny Rosewell he was one of the inaugural five Australian dual code rugby internationals who debuted in international rugby league in Sydney on 9 May 1908 in the first Australian league Test against New Zealand.

Lutge enjoys the distinction of having played in each of Australia's inaugural rugby league and rugby union Test matches against New Zealand.^[2]

He was selected as captain for the 3rd Test in June 1908 and playing at lock led the Australia to their first international rugby league victory after they had lost the earlier two Tests under Arthur Hennessy.

Lutge was selected by the playing squad as tour captain for the nine month inaugural Kangaroo tour of 1908-09, but broke his arm before he had the opportunity to captain Australia against Great Britain

Upon returning to Australia he retired from football but in 1915 he was selected as the North Sydney club's first ever coach pioneering the concept of mid-week night training.

Lutge (3rd row seated to right of Giltinan in hat) Pioneer Kangaroos 1908-09

Playing records

• Club: North Sydney "Shoremen" (1908) 3 games, 1 try
• Representative: Australia (1908), New South Wales (1908)

References

• Whiticker, Alan (2004) Captaining the Kangaroos, New Holland, Sydney
• Whiticker, Alan & Hudson, Glen (2006) The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players, Gavin Allen Publishing, Sydney

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f} "Scrum.com player profile of Dinny Lutge". Scrum.com. http://www.scrum.com/australia/rugby/player/1565.html. Retrieved 12 July 2010. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Whiticker, Alan (2004) Captaining the Kangaroos, New Holland, Sydney

Persondata
Name	Lutge, Denis
Alternative names	Lutge, Denis;Lutge Dinny
Short description	Australian rugby union player, Australian rugby league player
Date of birth	26 November 1879
Place of birth	Sydney, New South Wales
Date of death	18 February 1953
Place of death	Mosman, New South Wales