Allen John Anthony ('Sheik') Bowers

‘Sheik’ Bowers was a well-built, pacy, determined running winger who caused plenty of havoc down the right hand side of Sydney fields throughout the mid-1920s. It was written that “Bowers was brilliant and unreliable in turns. If his handling could become consistently reliable, Bowers should be a sterling wing three-quarter, for his dash, resolution and defence are good.” Rumour has it that he picked up the rather exotic nickname of Sheik due to his all year round Coogee suntan.

Bowers learned his rugby, not at the storied St Joseph’s College Hunters Hill as oft claimed, but at the Marist Brothers’ High School in Darlinghurst. He first showed for Eastern Suburbs in the 1922 season, a time when Sydney rugby had a selection of top-class young flyers, notably Pup Raymond at University, Manly’s Norm Smith and Wests’ Jackie Shute.

The following year, 1923, Bowers was the outstanding player on the field when he scored three splendid tries against North Sydney and on the back of that performance earned his first representative selection, as a reserve, for New South Wales in their second match against the Maori. Bowers "came on when Raymond retired with an injured leg". Although he did not know it at the time that match was also Bowers’ official Test debut after an ARU decision in 1994 elevated the remaining 34 New South Wales matches played against international opposition in the 1920-28 period to Test status (the five 1927/28 Waratahs’ internationals were given Test status in 1986). Bowers scored two tries that day to become just the third Australian to achieve the feat in their first Test.

Despite that wonderful debut Bowers wasn’t included in the original squad for the subsequent tour to New Zealand however, as luck would have it, University’s Jim Foote advised of his unavailability and the Easts’ winger enjoyed a late call up to the side.

In 1924 Bowers was excluded from the teams selected to meet the All Blacks at home. That exclusion “caused considerable criticism in Rugby Union circles.” One prominent Eastern Suburbs official considered the selectors had made a grave mistake while ‘Front Row’ in the Evening News wrote: “Bowers is the hardest runner playing and is a grim defender – just what we desire against the Blacks. At times he does not handle as safely as one would like and perhaps that is why he has been overlooked.”

Unfortunately, injury then cruelled much of Bowers’ next two seasons. However, 1927 brought the opportunity to be involved in one of the great tours, to the Northern Hemisphere, with the Waratahs and Bowers made every post a winner. In a strong sign he was picked in the No.1 team for the trials, outside of the great Cyril Towers. A 24-12 defeat of the No. 2 side saw Bowers included in the squad with fellow wingers Eric Ford, Cam Gordon, Billy Mann and the versatile Johnnie Wallace.

Bowers could not have wished for a better start to the tour when he scored three tries in the opening fixture, the 30-3 trouncing of Devon-Cornwall at Devonport. In his match review ‘Colonel Philip’, wrote in the “Daily Telegraph”: “Bowers is a better winger than we have in England.” Despite being “crocked by an injured instep”, Bowers scored eight tries in nine matches before he “sustained serious injuries [fractured ribs] in the 11-3 victory over Ulster at Belfast”.

Depressed by his injuries and missing his new wife – he had only been married for a fortnight before the team left Australia – Bowers had become homesick. In addition, he had been involved in a minor scuffle with vice-captain, Charlie Fox, and in an effort to ensure team morale was not affected, asked permission to quit the tour. Manager Gordon Shaw agreed, and Bowers returned home. It surprised few when he retired in 1928.

Retirement didn’t keep Bowers out of the game. He spent some time coaching at St Ignatius’ College, Riverview before war broke out and his employment took him to Melbourne. There he coached Footscray (1948-49) to a rugby premiership and later led the competition’s strongest club, Powerhouse (1951-53) where his contribution was deemed “considerable.” He went on to coach the Victorian State Team (1953-1954), became a state selector and a Board Member of the VRU (1952-1954).

Allen Bowers played 7 Tests for Australia in a five-year international career.

Highlights

1923 Bowers won his first Test cap when he came off the bench to replace ‘Pup’ Raymond in the first half of the 21-16 victory over the Maori at the Royal Agriculture Ground. He made his first run-on XV in the third Test of that same Maori series, the 14-12 win in Sydney and on the tour of New Zealand came into the starting side for the 3rd Test,11-38 loss at Christchurch.

1925 Bowers was capped in the 1st Test, 3-26 loss to New Zealand in Sydney but suffered an injured knee and was replaced. He also started on the right wing in the 10-36 defeat to New Zealand in Auckland.

1926 Starting on the right wing, Bowers finished the opening Test of the season, again against New Zealand, with a fractured hand. That injury saw him miss the rest of the representative season.

1927 Bowers earned his final cap in the 5-3 win over Ireland in Dublin.