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LAWTON, TOMMY
Queensland, New South Wales and Australia
14 internationals for Australia 1920–32

Tommy Lawton was a stand-off half, or five-eighths, noted for the smoothness of his play, his ability to pass well and his excellent goal-kicking. A Queenslander, he moved to Sydney when rugby went into near recession in Brisbane during and after the First World War.

Lawton was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, winning three blues. He later toured Britain and France with the famous ‘Waratahs’ team – New South Wales – in 1927–28. He was a vital man in that team and scored 127 points, a record for an Australian on such a tour. Decades later the games against international teams on that tour were accorded official Wallaby test status.

In 1929 he returned to Queensland and led the re-formed Australian team against the All Blacks. Lawton was a brilliant tactician and guided Australia to a clean sweep of the three-test series. He was also captain of Australia in one test in 1930 (against Britain) and in 1932 for two tests against the All Blacks. He captained a losing test team only once.

His tally of 60 points – including points scored in the subsequently recognised ‘tests’ of the Waratahs tour – was not beaten as an Australian record until the 1960s.

Tommy Lawton died in 1978 and did not see his name carried on in Australian rugby by his grandsons, Tommy jnr and Robbie, who came into international rugby in 1988.

Tiaan Strauss