Brian James (rugby league)

Brian James

Personal information
Born	(1943-04-09) 9 April 1943 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Playing information
Height	180 cm (5 ft 11 in)
Position	Centre, Wing
Club
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
1962–65	St. George	16	5	0	0	15
1966–69	South Sydney	79	32	0	0	96
	Total	95	37	0	0	111
Representative
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
1968	New South Wales	2	0	0	0	0
1968	Australia	1	0	0	0	0
Source: Rugby League Project Yesterday's Hero

Brian Knight James (born 9 April 1943) is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1960s. A national and state representative, he played in the 1968 Rugby League World Cup-winning team for Australia as a winger. His club career was played at centre for the St. George Dragons and on the wing for the South Sydney Rabbitohs.

Early life

The son of Country representative forward Jack James, Brian's rugby league career began in primary school. While attending Newington College (1955–1960) he took up rugby union and, after leaving school, played first grade for the St George Rugby Union Club as well as running as a professional sprinter.

Rugby league - club career

At the end of his first year at university he transferred to the St George Dragons rugby league club. While at St George he won three reserve-grade premierships and was kept out of the top grade by Reg Gasnier, Johnny Riley and Billy Smith who started with the club in the centres. He managed only 16 first-grade appearances in four seasons. He then transferred to South Sydney in 1966 for four seasons where he played in three first grade Grand finals. He was a winger in the Rabbitohs' premiership winning sides of seasons 1967 and 1968. He played in the 1969 loss to the Balmain Tigers and crossed for Souths but was controversially ruled to have touched the corner post in the process.

Rugby league - representative career

Earning the recognition at Souths which he had been denied in the star-studded Saints lineups, James was selected for New South Wales in 1968 and made two appearances against Queensland. In 1968 he was called upon for Australia's Rugby League World Cup squad and appeared in Australia's 37-4 tournament routing of France at Lang Park.