Robert Outterside

Bob Outterside was a highly consistent, tough defending No.8, conspicuous in his headgear, who had an unselfish disregard of his own personal well-being for the good of the team. Outterside had an unusual representative career, as his two Wallaby selections came six years apart, but his service to the Randwick club was unremitting in the interim.

Born in Sydney, Outterside was educated at Sydney Boys’ High School and Sydney Technical College. In 1953 Outterside quickly made his way through the ranks, aged just 21. He made his debut for New South Wales against Queensland and then won a spot on his first Wallaby tour, to South Africa.

While he did not play in the Tests given Mac Hughes, Brian Johnson and Keith Cross were a settled back row combination, Outterside played 12 matches. That was quite a heavy workload for a player who was not in the Test team and fulfilled the promise that had induced the selectors to send him away in the first place. He played for South Harbour and Metropolitan against the 1954 Fijians, performed well and had probably done enough to gain a spot in the first Test when, with three minutes to play, he went down under a heavy tackle and was carried from the field with a probable fractured right ankle. The Test place went to clubmate Vince Heinrich and Outterside was not seen in action against an international team for another four years.

In 1958 Outterside was not selected to play the Maori nor was he chosen for the tour to New Zealand. Despite that he was named by the Australian Rugby Almanac selectors in their "Australian XV of 1958." The following year Outterside played in the New South Wales team that defeated the British Lions 18-14 and he picked that match to show his finest form. Outstanding in all areas, especially cover defence, he finally earned a Test debut, in Brisbane. Outterside retired at the end of the 1961 season.

Highlights

1959

Outterside won his first Test cap at No.8 alongside John Thornett and Peter Fenwicke in the 1st Test, 6-17 loss to the British Lions at the Exhibition Ground. That same back row was retained for the 2nd Test, 3-24 defeat at the S.C.G.