Henry Eugene Tancred

‘Harry’ Tancred was the eldest of three ‘brilliant’ Tancred brothers, each of whom played Test rugby for Australia during the 1920s.

At six foot, two inches (188cm) and 15 stone (95kg), Tancred was big for his day, ‘strong, burly and fast for a man of his build’, a ‘young giant’, willing, and a “splendid all-round forward”. In 1930, well after his playing days were done, the Daily Pictorial waxed lyrical when it wrote that Tancred was “one of the greatest forwards we have seen in Australia”.

Although born in Sydney, the brothers spent their formative years in New Zealand, where their father Thomas was engaged in the meat export trade. Harry was educated at the Christian Brothers’ St. Joseph’s College, Rozelle, before his family moved to Wellington. After he left school aged just 13, Tancred worked as a drover and then as a slaughterman.

Tancred played his rugby for the Petone first-grade side from 1914 and from there won representative honours with Wellington. In 1919 he switched to play rugby league. Tancred debuted in the opening match of the season against Athletic. The Evening Post wrote: Tancred “donned the jersey for Petone, and considering it was his first attempt under League rules, he played a first-class game and will be a decided acquisition.” It didn’t take him long to make his mark in the new code as he presented New Zealand that same year on their tour of Australia. In 1920, Tancred played eight first grade matches for Western Suburbs in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership. A year later he was picked as captain of the New Zealand league side that again toured Australia.

Later that same season Tancred applied to the Wellington Rugby Union’s Management Committee for permission to “return to the Rugby game”. In his application, Tancred wrote: -"I realise that if New Zealand is to hold her place in the football world, there is only room for one game." The committee agreed to make a favourable recommendation to the New Zealand Rugby Union. The New Zealand Rugby League didn’t take kindly to the news and handed Tancred a life disqualification “for returning to the Union and for using propaganda against the League”.

Upon his return to Sydney in 1922, Tancred joined the Glebe-Balmain club and was in the side that drew 6-6 with Manly in the final, premiership deciding game of the season. He made his representative debut for New South Wales in 1923 against the New Zealand Māori. Although he did not know it at the time that match was also Tancred’s 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).

Tancred was the standout forward in the first two Tests of that series. After game one, The Telegraph (Brisbane) wrote: “The blue forwards were a sound, hard wording eight, but Harry Tancred towered head and shoulders over them, in more ways than one. He did the lion's share of the work, and the harder the game became, the better he seemed to like it, despite a nasty cut over the eye.” The Daily Telegraph was similarly enthused after his performance a week later when it wrote: “Harry Tancred was again New South Wales' best forward. He was always there in the ruck, and when be tackled, he tackled to bring his man down. The crowd cheered the big Glebe-Balmain man again and again. His jersey was torn to shreds, and his face blood-stained from the re-opened cut over his right eye; but, nevertheless, relishing the pace of the game, Tancred was an example for aspirants to representative honors.” Unfortunately, Tancred was unavailable for the subsequent tour of New Zealand just two months later.

Tancred gave up football to concentrate on the family's growing meat business, Tancred Bros, which he had started 'on a shoestring' in 1922. His work involved stock deals with men connected with the turf, whose conversation stimulated his interest in horse-racing. Tancred bought his first horse, Thornleigh, for 100 guineas in 1929. He later acquired a bay colt named High Caste in 1937 for 7000 guineas. Known as 'The Strawberry Bull', because of the fleck in his red coat, High Caste won the Australian Jockey Club's Epsom Handicap in 1940. High Caste won 35 of his 72 starts and had a further 26 minor placings - 33 of those wins carrying Tancred's colours. Tancred joined the then-Sydney Turf Club committee in 1941 and was chairman from 1953-59. The Group 1 H. E. Tancred Stakes (originally The Tancred Cup) was first run in 1963 and is named in Harry’s honour. The winner’s list, one which includes Kingston Town, Bonecrusher, Sydeston, Octagonal, Might and Power, Tie the Knot, Ethereal, Makybe Diva and Verry Elleegant, is a virtual who’s who of Australasian equine royalty.

In 1960 Tancred was appointed C.B.E. - The Order of the British Empire - Commander (Civil) - with the citation: “Meat industry in New South Wales”. In 2007, he was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame.

Harry Tancred played two Tests for Australia in his one-year international career.

Highlights

1923 Tancred debuted at number 8 in the opening Test, 27-23 victory over the Maori at the Showground. He retained his spot a week later for the second match in that series, the 21-16 win, also in Sydney.