John Rosewell

Infobox Rugby biography
name = Johnny Rosewell


caption =
birthname = John Rosewell
nickname =
dateofbirth = 1 July 1882
placeofbirth = Sydney, New South Wales
dateofdeath = 1938
placeofdeath =
height =
weight =
ru_position = Prop forward
ru_amateuryears =
ru_amateurclubs = South Sydney RUFC
ru_amupdate =
ru_nationalteam = Australia
ru_nationalyears = 1907
ru_nationalcaps = 2
ru_nationalpoints =
ru_ntupdate =
ru_clubyears =
ru_proclubs =
ru_clubcaps =
ru_clubpoints =
ru_clubupdate =
super14 =
super14years =
super14caps =
super14points =
ru_currentclub =
super14update =
ru_province = New South Wales
ru_provinceyears = 1907
ru_provincecaps = 2
ru_provincepoints =
ru_provinceupdate =
ru_sevensnationalyears =
ru_sevensnationalteam =
ru_sevensnationalcomp =
ru_sevensupdate =
ru_coachclubs =
ru_coachyears =
ru_coachupdate =
rl_position = Second-rower
sooyears = 1908
sooteam = New South Wales
soocaps = 2
soopoints = (0)
sooupdate =
sooteam pre-1980 = yes
rl_nationalteam = Australia
rl_nationalyears = 1908
rl_nationalcaps = 1
rl_nationalpoints = (0)
rl_ntupdate =
rl_amateuryears =
rl_amateurclubs =
rl_amupdate =
rl_clubyears = 1908-10
1911-12
rl_proclubs = South Sydney
Annandale
rl_clubcaps = 29
10
rl_clubpoints = (24)
(0)
rl_clubupdate =
rl_coachclubs = South Sydney
rl_coachyears = 1913
rl_coachupdate =
other = no
occupation =
family =
spouse =
children =
relatives =
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university =

John Rosewell (1882-1938) was a pioneer Australian rugby union and rugby league player and represented his country at both sports - a dual code international.

Rugby union career

His rugby union career was played with the South Sydney RUFC. Rosewell was 28 years of age before he first saw representatuve success making four appearances in 1907 against the All Blacks, two for New South Wales and two as a Wallaby.

Rugby league career

He joined the new rugby league code in its first year - 1908, starting with the South Sydney Rabbitohs. Along with Dally Messenger, Denis Lutge, Doug McLean snr and Micky Dore he was one of the inaugural five Australian dual code rugby internationals who having earlier represented at rugby union, debuted in international rugby league in Sydney on 9th May 1908 in the first ever Australian league Test against New Zealand.

He spent three seasons at South Sydney playing 29 matches scoring 4 tries and 6 goals.He was a member of the 1910 Rabbitohs side that drew the Grand Final against Newtown but lost the premiership on countback.

He was selected on the pioneer 1908 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and played one tour match. For the 1911 and 1912 seasons he saw out his playing career with the Annandale club

In 1913 he was the first grade coach of the Rabbitohs.

ources

* Whiticker, Alan (2004) "Captaining the Kangaroos", New Holland, Sydney
* Andrews, Malcolm (2006) "The ABC of Rugby League", Austn Broadcasting Corpn, Sydney