Lawrence William Wogan

‘Larry’ Wogan was born in Hokitika, New Zealand. On September 18 1890 and moved to Australia as a teenager. Initially playing for the Glebe- Balmain Club, Sydney, he was selected to play for NSW against Queensland on August 3 1912 as a centre, earning the first of his 37 NSW caps. Once in the State side he made his centre position secure for the next twelve years. At the end of the 1912 season he was chosen in the Wallaby squad, captained by Ward Prentice, NSW, that toured the USA and Canada. Although he did not play in the single Test match on that tour he did play in nine games against US and Canadian sides. In 1913 he was again chosen to tour with the Wallabies, now captained by Larry Dwyer.

This time the tour was to New Zealand where Wogan played in the first of 22 Test matches, against the All Blacks on September 6 in Wellington. He played in the next two Test matches against the All Blacks as well as in six matches against other New Zealand sides. In 1914 he played in three Test matches against the touring All Blacks. On the outbreak of World War 1 in 1914 all international rugby games were suspended until 1920 but Wogan did play in the famous 1st AIF rugby team that played matches against the service teams of New Zealand, South Africa and the Motherland in 1919, after the Armistice in 1918. In 1920 ‘Larry’ Wogan played for NSW against the touring All Blacks in all three matches against them, matches now recognised as official Test matches. Again, in 1921, he represented NSW in three matches against the South African Springboks, who were touring Australia.

These games also have been recognised as Test matches. In August 1921 he went on his second tour to New Zealand, this time with the NSW side, captained by ASB Walker, and played in the single Test against the All Blacks in Christchurch on September 3, thus gaining yet another cap. While on that tour he played in eight non-Test games. Three matches against the All Blacks in 1922, all in Sydney, two matches against the NZ Maori in 1923 and a further three matches against the All Blacks in Sydney in 1924, all these matches being granted Test status. Thus Wogan was awarded a total of 22 Test caps, 16 of which he was a Waratah and six as a Wallaby, a wonderful achievement. After playing with the Western Suburbs Club, Sydney, in 1924 he retired from representative rugby. ‘Larry’ Wogan, a most talented NSW and Wallaby centre, died in 1979.