James Matthew White

James White was a graduate of St Stanislaus College, Bathurst. His entry into representative rugby was playing for NSW against Queensland. His display in the forwards was such that he was chosen to play for NSW in the first match against the touring Great Britain side of 1904, captained by David Bedell-Sivright. He was retained for the second NSW game, again a one-sided loss for the locals. White was not selected for the first Test, or the second. However he was selected in the third Test at the SCG. This would be the sole Test of his career. It was a 16-0 victory for Great Britain. There were eight Queenslanders on the Australian team, a consequence of having three Queensland selectors to two for NSW.

The Queenslanders were Charlie Redwood, Fred Nicholson, Doug McLean, Lew Evans, Jack Meibusch, ‘Butcher’ Oxlade, Bill Richards and Joe Dixon. Doug McLean, of the famous McLean clan, was one of the first Queenslanders to play rugby league, and was to be a dual international. Redwood and Meibusch were from two famous rugby families. The NSW players were Stan Wickham, ‘Kitty’ Futter, ‘Pony’ Finley. Dennis Lutge, White, Harold Judd and ‘Nimmo’ Walsh. Wickham would be assistant manager of the 1908 Wallabies, and ‘Dinny’ Lutge would captain the 1908 Kangaroos.