Herbert R. Gilbert (18 September 1888 – 5 January 1972) was an Australian rugby league and rugby union player – a List of dual-code rugby internationals, dual-code international. He represented the Australia national rugby union team, Wallabies in three Tests in 1910 and the Australia national rugby league team, Kangaroos in seven Tests from 1911 to 1920, his last two as captain. The captain-coach of the St. George Dragons club in Sydney in their inaugural season, he is considered one of Australia's finest footballers of the 20th century. His sons, Herb Gilbert, Jr and Jack Gilbert (rugby league), Jack Gilbert were also notable rugby league footballers.

Rugby union career

Gilbert was born in Gulgong, New South Wales and moved to Sydney, playing rugby union in the South Sydney district.Whiticker pp31-32 Tall and powerful for his era, Gilbert stood at 6 ft (182 cm), weighed (86 kg), and reputedly played his best football in the biggest games. Gilbert learnt his rugby in the South Sydney district and went into the NSW and Australian teams in 1910 after Dally Messenger defected to league. The pro-rugby union press boasted that Gilbert was a greater asset to the union than Dally Messenger had ever been. He was first selected for New South Wales Waratahs, New South Wales in 1910 against Queensland Reds, Queensland and then the New Zealand Māori rugby union team, New Zealand Māori. That same year he made his Australia national rugby union team, Wallaby Test début playing in the three Test series against the All Blacks in 1910. The series was played over only eight days at the Sydney Cricket Ground and won by the All Blacks by two games to one. Gilbert scored two tries in the second Test and another in the third.

Rugby league career

South Sydney

Later in the same year he'd made his rugby union representative debut, he crossed over to the professional code, joining the South Sydney Rabbitohs, South Sydney Club in 1910 as their first grade player number 42. He represented for New South Wales rugby league team, New South Wales in 1911 and was chosen for the 1911–12 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain. Gilbert made his international league début in the first Test at Newcastle in November 1911, becoming the 16th ever Australian dual code international. He played in all three Tests on tour, heading the tour's try-scoring list with 20 tries.

Hull FC

From 1912 to 1915 he played in England for Hull FC, where he played at , wearing number 4, and was Captain (sports), captain in Hull FC's 6–0 victory over Wakefield Trinity in the 1914 Challenge Cup Final during the 1913–14 Northern Rugby Football Union season#Challenge Cup, 1913–14 season at Thrum Hall, Halifax, West Yorkshire, Halifax, played in front of a crowd of 19,000.

South Sydney (rejoin)

After the outbreak of World War I, the Rugby league positions, three-quarter returned to Australia, where he rejoined South Sydney. In 1916, Gilbert joined Sydney Roosters, Eastern Suburbs. He was a member of that club's City Cup winning side before joining the Western Suburbs Magpies in 1917. He played with them until 1920, helping to mould them from a struggling side to a competitive outfit.

St George

In 1921 aged 33, Gilbert signed on as foundation captain-coach of the newly formed St George Dragons, St. George club. He retired as a player at the end of that season but coached the club until 1924. Herb_Gilbert_St

International

Gilbert returned to the Australian Test team as captain in the 2nd Test of the Great Britain national rugby league team, Lions' 1920 tour of Australia. All four of Australia's illustrious three-quarter line of Dick Vest, Harold Horder, Viv Farnsworth and Gilbert scored tries in Australia's 21–8 victory. With The Ashes (rugby league), the Ashes already won, Australia lost to Great Britain in the 3rd Test of the series with Gilbert captaining his country for his second and final time.

Post playing and accolades

Gilbert was awarded Life Membership of the St. George Dragons club in 1938. He was a state and national selector from 1925 to 1937; his working career was with the New South Wales Railways; in his later years he was doorman at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Herb died in 1972, aged 83. In 2004 he was named by Souths in their ''South Sydney Dream Team'', consisting of 17 players and a coach representing the club from New South Wales Rugby League season 1908, 1908 through to National Rugby League season 2004, 2004. In February 2008, Gilbert was named in the list of Australia's List of Australian rugby league's 100 greatest players, ''100 Greatest Players'' (1908–2007) which was commissioned by the National Rugby League, NRL and Australian Rugby League, ARL to celebrate the code's centenary year in Australia.

Progeny

Three of Gilbert's sons all played for St. George with Herb Gilbert, Jnr., Herb Junior and Jack Gilbert (rugby league), Jack playing in the Dragons' maiden Grand Final victory in NSWRFL season 1941, 1941. Another son, Bob Gilbert (rugby league), Bob also played with the St. George Dragons in first grade in 1945. Two great grandsons were professional sportsmen – Sam Gilbert (Australian footballer), Sam Gilbert played Australian Football League, AFL with St Kilda Football Club, St Kilda and Larry Davidson (basketball), Larry Davidson, was a basketballer who played in the National Basketball League Australia, NBL for the Wollongong Hawks.

Playing record

* ''Club:'' South Sydney Rabbitohs, Souths(1911–12 & 1915) 23 games, 6 tries, 3 goals; Hull F.C., Hull FC, England 1912–1915; Sydney Roosters, Easts (1916) 14 games, 6 tries; Western Suburbs Magpies, Wests (1917–1920) 50 games, 23 tries; St George Dragons, St George (1921) 8 games, 1 try. * ''Representative:'' Australia (1911–12 & 1919–1920) 7 Tests, and New South Wales (1911–20) 8 appearances.

Sources

* Whiticker, Alan (2004) ''Captaining the Kangaroos'', New Holland, Sydney

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gilbert, Herb 1888 births 1972 deaths Australasia rugby league team players Australia international rugby union players Australia national rugby league team captains Australia national rugby league team players Australian rugby league administrators Australian rugby league coaches Australian rugby league players Australian rugby union players Dual-code rugby internationals Hull F.C. captains Hull F.C. players Rugby league centres Rugby league players from New South Wales South Sydney Rabbitohs players St. George Dragons captains St. George Dragons coaches St. George Dragons players Sydney Roosters players Western Suburbs Magpies players Rugby union players from Sydney Rugby union wings New South Wales rugby union team players New South Wales rugby league team players 20th-century Australian sportsmen