John Robert Banham (22 September 1912 – 20 December 1999), was a professional rugby league footballer who represented the New Zealand national rugby league team and New South Wales City.

Playing career

Banham played for the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the NSWRL Premiership, scoring five tries between 1936 and 1937. He represented New South Wales City in 1937. In 1938 the

Auckland Rugby League The Auckland Rugby League (ARL) is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in the Auckland Region of New Zealand. It is responsible for rugby league in the region, including both club and school rugby league. It began in 1910 when the fi ...

signed Banham as player-coach.Coffey, John and Bernie Wood ''Auckland, 100 years of rugby league, 1909-2009'', 2009. . They decided to place him with teams that would benefit from his playing and coaching. He joined the

North Shore Albions The North Shore Albions were a rugby league club based on the North Shore of Auckland in Devonport, New Zealand, Devonport before moving to Bayswater at a later time. They formed in 1909 and folded in the early 2000s due to a lack of playing nu ...

initially and played the first half of the 1938 season with them before being moved to the

City Rovers The City Newton Dragons are a defunct New Zealand rugby league club that was based at Victoria Park, Auckland. The club was created in 1948 by a merger of two original clubs, the City Rovers and Newton Rangers. Both the Rovers and the Rangers par ...

club for the remainder of the season. He also made 2 appearances for

Newton Rangers The City Newton Dragons are a defunct New Zealand rugby league club that was based at Victoria Park, Auckland. The club was created in 1948 by a merger of two original clubs, the City Rovers and Newton Rangers. Both the Rovers and the Rangers par ...

. The first was on their trip to Christchurch to play a Canterbury XIII, and the second was in a midweek match against the touring Canterbury provincial side. On his return to the City side he helped lead them to the Roope Rooster final which they lost to

Richmond Rovers The Richmond Rovers Rugby League Club is a rugby league club based in Grey Lynn, New Zealand. The premier team is called the Richmond Bulldogs and compete in Auckland Rugby League's Fox Memorial competition. Early history The club was formed in ...

by 20 to 8. Banham also played a match for Auckland Pakeha against Auckland Māori on June 6 which was won by the Māori side by 26 points to 21. On July 16 he made his Auckland debut against the returning New Zealand side who had been on tour in Australia. The match was played at Carlaw Park with Auckland winning 21 to 13 and Banham scoring one of their tries. He was named for New Zealand in 1939 but did not play a test, due to the cancellation of the 1939 tour of Great Britain.BANHAM, John Robert - 1939
''nzleague.co.nz'' He returned to Australia in September 1940 with the intention of joining the Australian forces. In 1941 played several games for the South Sydney Rabbitohs and scored three tries.

References

1912 births 1999 deaths Australian rugby league players New Zealand national rugby league team players Auckland rugby league team players City New South Wales rugby league team players South Sydney Rabbitohs players City Rovers players North Shore Albions players Mount Albert Lions players Rugby league five-eighths Place of birth missing Rugby league players from New South Wales South Sydney Rabbitohs captains {{Australia-rugbyleague-bio-1910s-stub