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Jersey numbers history

kdalymc

kdalymc

Bench
Messages
4,314
Can anyone tell me other configurations of jersey numbering and when they changed?
I know late 80s (?) they swapped around the forwards from 11.12.13 in the front row to what we have now,
But were there ever any earlier on?
I have seen some old line ups where fullbacks were 13, did we copy union to an extant back in the day?

I ask this because my dad has had bets with ALOT of people around the country, that in the 60s he was a left winger and wore number 11, not many agree and even historians have said no way mate you're wrong...
Anyone help?
 
W

Wests is Best

Juniors
Messages
800
Yes the forwards changed the numbering system at the start of 1989.

Not sure of any other configurations but I do know that back in the 1960's and perhaps even earlier, on Kangaroo tours, the players wore squad numbers but the numbers were issued in player alphabetical order. You often see highlight reals of Reg Gasnier - a legendary centre, wearing number 7 for Australia on one of the tours.

Probably doesnt answer your question but its a start. Are you sure the number 11 your dad wore as a winger was not in a Rugby Union team?
 
madunit

madunit

Super Moderator
Staff member
Messages
62,358
We did follow rugby union numbering for a while, but it wasn't really a law enforced by the game, so clubs would change their numbering when & how they pleased.

Some changed to numbering from 1 to 13 starting at fullback & ending at prop. Any subsequent players would be numbered 14, 15 etc and these were the numbers they used for the whole season.

Others allowed reserves to use the same jumper they wore in reserve grade (which was numbered 14 to 26.

Others used Alphabetical order. Others had the captain wearing #1. There was no consistency.

Nothing became uniform until 1989 (i think it was) when a clear numbering system was put in place & where props wore 8 & 10 (instead of 13 & 11). I believe in the 60's they were using squad numbers based on either alphabetical order or appearance order.

The use of union numbering i believe, wasn't persevered with for too long a period from what i've found so far.

But i'm speaking purely about the NSWRL & rep games. Any other comps i can't really say.
 
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muzby

muzby

Village Idiot
Staff member
Messages
45,712
remember that time the waratahs replaced the numbers with the player's initials?

awful.
 
Canard

Canard

Immortal
Messages
34,562
The forward numbering change was to make it in line with the RLIF, or "international" numbering.

Australian players when playing Tests would always wear that system.

As for a winger wearing 11, who knows. What level was it. A lot of the time's at lower levels you wore whatever jersey fitted your properly. Sometimes the 11 would be an extra small, and the 1 an extra large etc.
 
Big Sam

Big Sam

First Grade
Messages
8,976
Players should wear whatever numbers they want up to #99. Players now play multiple positions in the course of a match making the current numbering system often useless.

Plus it's another revenue stream for clubs.
 
muzby

muzby

Village Idiot
Staff member
Messages
45,712
Big Sam said:
Players should wear whatever numbers they want up to #99. Players now play multiple positions in the course of a match making the current numbering system often useless.

Plus it's another revenue stream for clubs.
Click to expand...

so what happens when you get one of these new fandangled precious players who is attached to their number (lets say it's number 23, as this is what most sports stars with over inflated egos seem to want)..

a scenario of two players, both playing different positions at different clubs..

so you have "player a", who wears number 23 (and is super attached to it) at his current club.. he even has his own line of non-club merchandise with 'number 23' all over it..

he gets offered a contract at another club, where "player b" currently wears 23 (he is also attached to it as it defines 'his brand').. he likes his number so much he has it written into his contract that he has to wear 23..


"player a" won't come unless he can wear 23 (as it will affect his non-club merchandise line), and "player b" won't give it up because he is contracted to wear it..

your club wants both players..

what do you do next?
 
S

_snafu_

Immortal
Messages
35,921
muzby said:
so what happens when you get one of these new fandangled precious players who is attached to their number (lets say it's number 23, as this is what most sports stars with over inflated egos seem to want)..

a scenario of two players, both playing different positions at different clubs..

so you have "player a", who wears number 23 (and is super attached to it) at his current club.. he even has his own line of non-club merchandise with 'number 23' all over it..

he gets offered a contract at another club, where "player b" currently wears 23 (he is also attached to it as it defines 'his brand').. he likes his number so much he has it written into his contract that he has to wear 23..


"player a" won't come unless he can wear 23 (as it will affect his non-club merchandise line), and "player b" won't give it up because he is contracted to wear it..

your club wants both players..

what do you do next?
Click to expand...

Have the 23 in binary or hexadecimal.
 
rabbitohs95

rabbitohs95

Bench
Messages
4,711
I'm pretty sure Clive Churchill wore the number 13 so that wouldn't surprise me that we used the Union numbering system and went from 13 to 1. Probably would've gone from 1 to 13 in the 60's though.
 
kdalymc

kdalymc

Bench
Messages
4,314
Lol pleae don't turn this into another thread of wankas trying to vote towards personalised numbers...

madunit thanks man that's awesome, umm he grew up in green valley in Sydney, stopped playing when he was about 15 so that would of made it about 1968-1969.
 
no name

no name

Coach
Messages
19,212
muzby said:
so what happens when you get one of these new fandangled precious players who is attached to their number (lets say it's number 23, as this is what most sports stars with over inflated egos seem to want)..

a scenario of two players, both playing different positions at different clubs..

so you have "player a", who wears number 23 (and is super attached to it) at his current club.. he even has his own line of non-club merchandise with 'number 23' all over it..

he gets offered a contract at another club, where "player b" currently wears 23 (he is also attached to it as it defines 'his brand').. he likes his number so much he has it written into his contract that he has to wear 23..


"player a" won't come unless he can wear 23 (as it will affect his non-club merchandise line), and "player b" won't give it up because he is contracted to wear it..

your club wants both players..

what do you do next?
Click to expand...

You haven't seen the movie 'The Fan'?
What happens next is it doesn't work out well for the newbie who gets the number.
It involves a sauna and a knife.
 
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