William Harold Langenberg

Bill Langenberg was a nuggetty prop (5’ 9 ½” & 13st 4lbs) born on the South Coast of NSW at Woonona who joined the St.George club when they re-entered the Sydney competition in 1928 after a long absence post-World War I.

He was selected to tour New Zealand for NSW in August/September of 1928 after the famous Waratah tour of the UK in 1927/28 found many of those players unavailable for another tour so soon after their arrival home.

Langenberg played only two matches out of ten on tour, none of which was later re-classified as a Test match. His only appearances were against Wanganui and Southland.

Langenberg continued playing for St.George and was a shock selection for NSW, after a four year absence, in the second of two matches against the touring All Blacks in 1932 at the SCG, which was lost 3-27. This was to be his last appearance in representative football.

Bill Langenberg was 24 –years- of -age when he went on the 1928 tour of New Zealand. A prop, he had Bill Cerutti, Ian Comrie-Thomson and Jack O’Donnell to contend with on the tour. It has to be stated that there was an element of luck in his selection, as only three of the 1927-28 team made themselves available for this tour, Cyril Towers, Syd Malcolm and Geoff Bland. Langenberg played against Wanganui (20-16) and Southland (26-31), only two of the ten games. Only Bruce Caldwell played in as few matches.

Langenberg died without knowing that in 1986 these two matches would give him Australian status.