Tom Bourke

Tom Bourke (4 April 1918 – 29 December 2001) was an Australian rugby league footballer who played in the 1930s and 1940s. A New South Wales representative centre, he played his club football in Sydney for Balmain who he captained, and with whom he won several premierships. During his career he was described as, "one of the heaviest tacklers playing rugby league."[3]

Tom Bourke
Personal information
Full nameThomas Matthew Bourke
Born4 April 1918
Woy Woy, New South Wales, Australia
Died29 December 2001(2001-12-29) (aged 83)
Five Dock, New South Wales, Australia
Playing information
PositionCentre, Wing
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1939–48 Balmain 147 47 76 0 293
1949–?? Griffith
Total 147 47 76 0 293
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1945 New South Wales 1 0 0 0 0
1943–45 NSW City 3 0 5 0 10
Source: [1][2]

Playing career

Bourke progressed through Balmain's junior ranks before debuting in first grade in the 1939 NSWRFL season. Later that year he played in his first grand final, scoring two tries in his team's victory over South Sydney.

At the end of the 1944 NSWRFL season Patton captained Balmain from the wing in the grand final against Newtown, winning 12–8. Succeeding Arthur Patton as Balmain captain for the 1945 NSWRFL season, Patton again lead them to the grand final which was narrowly lost to Eastern Suburbs. He led Balmain to successive premierships in 1946 (kicking two goals) and 1947 (playing at lock). He captained Balmain to the 1948 NSWRFL season's grand final, hoping to make it three premierships in a row to equal Souths' record of eleven premierships.[4] He scored his team's lone try and goal, but Balmain were beaten by Wests.

In 1949 Bourke left Sydney and took on a position of captain-coach in Griffith, New South Wales.

Balmain Premiers 1939 - Bourke 1st row 3rd from left

Post-playing

After his retirement from the playing field, Bourke continued his association with the Balmain club through coaching and as a selector. He died in 2001, aged 83.[5]

In 2003 Bourke was named in the Balmain Tigers team of the century.[6] and was thus one of the inaugural inductees of the Balmain Tigers Hall of Fame in 2005.[7]

References
  1. Rugby League Project
  2. "Yesterdays Hero". Archived from the original on 3 September 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2009.
  3. "Tom Bourke Proves His Fitness". The Sydney Morning Herald. 27 August 1948. p. 4. Retrieved 7 January 2012.
  4. "League grand final on soft field". The Sydney Morning Herald. Australia. 18 September 1948. p. 7. Retrieved 20 November 2009.
  5. "Tom Bourke". yesterdayshero.com.au. SmartPack International Pty Ltd. 2008. Archived from the original on 3 September 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2009.
  6. AAP (1 May 2003). "Balmain team of the century". Sydney: CBS Interactive Inc. Retrieved 20 November 2009.
  7. "Balmain Tigers Hall of Fame Inductees". tigers.org.au. Balmain Leagues Club. Archived from the original on 1 October 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2009.
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