Robert Craig

Robert Robertson Craig is regarded as one of the most gifted sportsmen Australia has produced. A champion swimmer and later coach, Craig represented NSW in soccer before concentrating on a career in Rugby Union with inner city club Balmain. After first playing for NSW in 1907, the back row forward toured Great Britain and America with the 1908-09 Wallabies. Craig's only RU Test appearance was against Wales on that tour and after winning a gold medal at the London Olympics he turned professional in 1910. A 'heady' second row forward with a fine kicking game Craig represented NSW in consecutive years before appearing in all three Tests on the Ashes-winning 'Australasian' Kangaroo tour of 1911-12. Craig retired at the end of 1918 to take on the secretary role with Balmain but returned to the playing field for the last three matches of the 1919 season when many of the club’s stars were touring NZ with the Australian team. Craig was secretary of the Balmain Club until 1922, was the club’s delegate to the NSWRL in 1923-24 and was also a State selector