The 1976 Australia rugby union tour of Europe was a series of ten matches played by the

Australia national rugby union team The Australia men's national rugby union team, nicknamed the Wallabies, is the representative men's national team in the sport of rugby union for Australia. The Wallabies first played at Sydney in 1899, winning their first Test match (rugby u ...

(the Wallabies) in France and Italy in October and November 1976. The Wallabies won four and lost six of their matches; they lost both of their international matches against

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

in Bordeaux and Paris but won the international against

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

. Australia did not award full international caps for the match against Italy while Italy did. The match was played at

Arena Civica Arena Civica (), officially Arena Gianni Brera, is a multi-purpose stadium in Milan, Italy, which was opened on 18 August 1807. One of the city's main examples of neoclassical architecture, today it mainly hosts association football, football an ...

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

and was narrowly won by the Australians by one point, 16-15.

Matches

:''Scores and results list Australia's points tally first.''

Touring party

*Manager - John Bain *Coach - Bob Templeton *Captain - Geoff Shaw

Backs

Paddy Batch Patrick Gerard Batch (born 19 January 1953) is an Australian former rugby union international. Batch is a native of Innisfail in Far North Queensland and attended Marist College Ashgrove. A winger, Batch was capped 14 times for the Wallabies, ...

* Philip Crowe *

Gary Grey Gareth Owen Grey (born 29 September 1947) is an Australian former rugby union international. Grey was born in Kiama, New South Wales and educated at Hurlstone Agricultural College. A diminutive scrum-half, Grey gained five caps for the Wallabi ...

Rod Hauser Rodney Graham Hauser (born 31 March 1952) was a rugby union player who represented Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Aus ...

Jim Hindmarsh James Charles Hindmarsh (born 11 April 1952) was a rugby union player who represented Australia, then latterly played the 1977–78 season rugby league for Penrith. Hindmarsh, a fullback, was born in Bowral, New South Wales and schooled at T ...

Bill McKid William Alexander McKid (born 27 January 1953) is an Australian former rugby union international. A native of Barraba in country New South Wales, McKid boarded at Scots College, Sydney and was a product of Mosman Juniors. He played senior rug ...

* Peter McLean *

Laurie Monaghan Laurence Edward Monaghan (born 19 May 1951) is an Australian former rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or ...

* John Ryan *

Greg Shambrook Gregory George Shambrook (born 3 January 1953) was a rugby union player who represented Australia. Shambrook, a centre, was born in Bilinga, Queensland Bilinga () is a southern coastal Suburbs and localities (Australia), suburb in the City o ...

* Geoff Shaw * Ken Wright

Forwards

Bruce Battishall Bruce Robert Battishall (born 3 September 1946) was a rugby union player who represented Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent ...

* Keith Besomo * Chris Carberry * Greg Cornelsen *

David Dunworth David Anthony Dunworth (born 29 August 1946) was a rugby union player who represented Australia. Dunworth, a prop, was born in Brisbane, Queensland and claimed a total of 5 international rugby caps for Australia. Dunworth was a Liberal membe ...

* Glenn Eisenhauer *

Steve Finnane Stephen Charles "Steve" Finnane (born 3 July 1952) was a rugby union player who represented Australia. Finnane, a prop, was born in Sydney and claimed a total of six international rugby caps for Australia. He was dubbed the ''phantom puncher'', ...

* Tony Gelling * Ron Graham *

David Hillhouse David William Hillhouse (born 13 July 1955) is an Australian former rugby union international. Born in Brisbane and educated at Anglican Church Grammar School, Hillhouse was a second-row forward, regarded as a line-out specialist due to his exc ...

Peter Horton Peter Horton (born August 20, 1953) is an American actor and director. He played Professor Gary Shepherd on the television series ''Thirtysomething'' from 1987 until 1991. Early life and education Horton was born in Bellevue, Washington, to a ...

Mark Loane Dr Mark Edward Loane Order of Australia, AM Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, FRANZCO Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, FRACS (born 11 July 1954) is an Australian Ophthalmology, ophthalmic surge ...

* John Meadows * Gary Pearse * Tony Shaw * Reg Smith

References

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Australia 1976 rugby union tours

1976 Events January * January 2 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 18 – Full diplomatic ...

1976 in Australian rugby union 1976–77 in European rugby union 1976–77 in French rugby union 1976 in Italian sport