Ray Norman (1889–1971) was an Australian

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...

footballer and coach. A

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

state and Australia national representative, his club career was played with Annandale, the South Sydney and the Eastern Suburbs clubs in the NSWRFL.

Playing career

After playing rugby union for Annadale and Glebe, Norman switched to rugby league in

1910 Events January * January 13 – The first public radio broadcast takes place; live performances of the operas '' Cavalleria rusticana'' and ''Pagliacci'' are sent out over the airwaves, from the Metropolitan Opera House in New York C ...

featuring in their inaugural season. He was one of four brothers, along with

Bernard Bernard ('' Bernhard'') is a French and West Germanic masculine given name. It is also a surname. The name is attested from at least the 9th century. West Germanic ''Bernhard'' is composed from the two elements ''bern'' "bear" and ''hard'' "brav ...

, Roy and Rex Norman, who played in the NSW Rugby Football League first-grade competition. Both Rex and Ray represented the

Australia national rugby league team The Australian National Rugby League Team, the Kangaroos, have represented Australia in senior men's rugby league football competition since the establishment of the 'Northern Union game' in Australia in 1908. Administered by the Australian ...

, becoming only the second set of brothers to do so behind Viv and Bill Farnsworth. In 1914, Norman played 12 games as South Sydney won the premiership that season by virtue of the first past the post rule. Norman was first selected for Australia in 1914 and after the war he toured

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 List of islands of New Zealand, smaller islands. It is the ...

in 1919. He retired from playing in 1921, and immediately joined the coaching ranks at Eastern Suburbs.

Coaching career

After retiring as a player, Norman coached the Eastern Suburbs which included a premiership in

1923 Events January–February * January 9 – Lithuania begins the Klaipėda Revolt to annex the Klaipėda Region (Memel Territory). * January 11 – Despite strong British protests, troops from France and Belgium occupy the Ruhr area, t ...

. He later coached the

Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Sydney's Northern Beaches. The team colours are maroon and white, while their namesake and logo is the sea eagle. They compete in Australia's premier rug ...

for one year, in 1954, and the NSW Country representative side.

Death

The Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily compact newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and owned by Nine. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper ...

'' said of Norman: "He was one of Rugby League's greatest tacticians". His funeral was held at St. Peter's Church,

Watsons Bay, New South Wales Watsons Bay is a harbourside, eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Watsons Bay is located 11 km north-east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Wool ...

on 3 May 1971 and later at Northern Suburbs Crematorium.Sydney Morning Herald - Death Notice - 30 April 1971

References

External links

* 1889 births 1971 deaths Annandale rugby league players Australia national rugby league team players Australian rugby league coaches Australian rugby league players Country New South Wales rugby league team coaches Manly Warringah Sea Eagles coaches New South Wales rugby league team players Rugby league five-eighths Rugby league players from Sydney South Sydney Rabbitohs players Sydney Roosters coaches Sydney Roosters captains Sydney Roosters players South Sydney Rabbitohs captains {{Australia-rugbyleague-bio-1880s-stub