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Immortal

Frank Burge

Lock, Second row

Player Bio

Honoured:
2018
Date of Birth:
14 August 1894
Birthplace:
Darlington, NSW
Nickname:
Chunky
Debut Team:
Glebe
Date:
29 April 1911
Opposition:
Western Suburbs
Venue:
Sydney Sports Ground, NSW
Representative:
New South Wales, Australia
Clubs:
Glebe, Grenfell, St George

Career

Milestones

  • Kangaroo Tour: 1921-22
  • Australian Rugby League Team of the Century: 2008
  • New South Wales Team of the Century: 2008
  • Rated No. 17 in Rugby League Week’s Top 100 players: 1992
  • Premiership record for most tries in a match (8)
  • Immortal: 2018

Playing

First Class Games
242
Points
994
Tries
256

Biography

Frank Burge had few peers when it came to forward play in the early years of rugby league. Time after time over the long years after his retirement, he was called ''the greatest forward Australia has produced''.

Standing at 183cm and weighing a lean 90kg, Burge set new standards for lock-forward play, and often loomed up in support of his three-quarters after long breaks.

Burge scored tries at a phenomenal rate for a forward. He maintained an average of better than a try per game in a career that lasted 17 seasons.

He played predominantly for the old Glebe club, but in his final years spent two seasons playing in the Maher Cup with Grenfell before a final season with St George in 1927.

Burge established try-scoring records that are never likely to be broken. He holds the record for most tries in a premiership game: eight for Glebe against University in 1920.

He scored 33 tries in 23 tour matches for the Kangaroos in 1921–22 and by the end of his career had amassed 218 tries in 213 senior matches.

Burge played 154 games at premiership level. He was a first-grader at 16 and was a strong chance of being chosen for the 1911–12 Kangaroo tour in his first season, but selectors decided he was too young.

He later became a respected coach with St George, Easts, Newtown, Canterbury, Wests and Norths. However, despite his wonderful achievements, Burge never won a premiership as either player or coach.

“It doesn’t matter who breaks through or in what part of the field, the ubiquitous ‘Chunky’ will be in support."

British reporter on 1921-22 Kangaroo tour

Frank Burge - Immortal

Career Stats

Club Career

Club
Team Name Competition Year Start Year End Played Tries Goals Field Goals Points
Glebe Premiership
1911
1926
1923
1926
138 137 49 - 509
Glebe City Cup
1914
1918
1920
1916
1918
1921
13 16 2 - 52
St George Premiership 1927 1927 16 9 - - 27

Representative Career

State

State
Team Name Competition Opponent Year Start Year End Played Tries Goals Field Goals Points
New South Wales Interstate series Queensland
1912
1915
1919
1926
1912
1915
1920
1926
6 7 5 - 31
New South Wales Touring teams
1913
1919
1914
1921
11 8 14 - 52
New South Wales Combined Queensland and New Zealand 1921 1921 1 - 4 - 8
New South Wales Tour matches
1912
1922
1912
1922
11 15 10 - 65

International

International
Team Name Competition Year Start Year End Played Tries Goals Field Goals Points
Australia Tests
1914
1919
1914
1922
13 7 7 - 35
Australia Tour matches
1919
1921
1919
1922
23 39 19 - 155

Other Representative

Other Representative
Team Name Opponent Year Start Year End Played Tries Goals Field Goals Points
Metropolis Combined Country 1911 1911 1 2 - - 6
Metropolis Hunter and Northern 1911 1911 1 1 - - 3
Metropolis Kangaroos 1912 1912 1 - - - -
Metropolis England 1914 1914 1 - - - -
Metropolis Newcastle 1915 1915 2 4 - - 12
The Best Next Best 1918 1918 1 - - - -
Metropolis Maoris 1922 1922 1 6 3 - 24
Kangaroos Rest of Australasia 1922 1922 1 2 - - 6
Metropolis University XIII 1922 1922 1 3 - - 9

Latest

Immortals

Acknowledgement of Country

National Rugby League respects and honours the Traditional Custodians of the land and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and future. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on the lands we meet, gather and play on.

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