Bill Noble (1884–1937) was a pioneer Australian international representative

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...

footballer. He played club football in the

New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership The New South Wales Rugby League premiership was the first rugby league football club competition established in Australia and contributor to today's National Rugby League. Run by the New South Wales Rugby League (initially named the New Sout ...

's very first season with Newtown in 1908. In 1909 he was also selected to play for Australia, making his full international debut against New Zealand in 1910. He went on to play in the first ever test match against Great Britain on Australian soil during the

1910 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand The 1910 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand was the first international tour of the Great Britain national rugby league team, "The Lions". They played the second ever Ashes series against Australia, and their first as the visiti ...

, he also represented

Australasia Australasia is a region that comprises Australia, New Zealand and some neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term is used in a number of different contexts, including geopolitically, physiogeographically, philologically, and ecologica ...

. Noble was also selected for the

1911–12 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain The 1911–12 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain was the second ever Kangaroo tour and was actually a tour by an " Australasian" squad that included four New Zealand players in addition to 24 Australian representatives. It took place over the British ...

, playing in two tests and 19 tour matches. He joined the

Balmain Tigers The Balmain Tigers (also known as the Sydney Tigers from 1995–96) are a rugby league club based in the inner-western Sydney suburb of Balmain. They were a founding member of the New South Wales Rugby League and one of the most successful in t ...

as captain for his final season in 1913. Noble was awarded Life Membership of the

New South Wales Rugby League The New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) is the governing body of rugby league in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory and is a member of the Australian Rugby League Commission. It was formed in Sydney on 8 August 1907 and was ...

in 1914. Noble moved to Queensland after his playing days were over, and was the general manager of the Golden Casket lotteries, until his death in 1937. He was buried at South Brisbane Cemetery on 29 November 1937.''

Courier-Mail ''The Courier-Mail'' is an Australian newspaper published in Brisbane. Owned by News Corp Australia, it is published daily from Monday to Saturday in tabloid format. Its editorial offices are located at Bowen Hills, in Brisbane's inner norther ...

'' Funeral notice 28 November 1937

References

External links

Bill Noble at rugbyleagueproject.comBill Noble at nrlstats.comBill Noble at yesterdayshero.com.au
1884 births 1937 deaths Australian rugby league players Balmain Tigers players Newtown Jets players Australia national rugby league team players New South Wales rugby league team players Rugby league players from Goulburn, New South Wales Rugby league forwards {{Australia-rugbyleague-bio-1880s-stub