Lou 'Baby' Jones (1884–1924) was a pioneer

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as rugby league in English-speaking countries and rugby 13/XIII in non-Anglophone Europe, is a contact sport, full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular Rugby league playin ...

footballer in the Australian competition - the

New South Wales Rugby League The New South Wales Rugby League Ltd (NSWRL) is an Australian rugby league football competition operator in rugby league in New South Wales, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory and is a member of the Australian Rugby League Co ...

(NSWRL) premiership.

Playing career

forward Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward. Forward may also refer to: People *Forward (surname) Sports * Forward (association football) * Forward (basketball), including: ** Point forward ** Power forward (basketball) ** Smal ...

, Jones played two seasons for the Eastern Suburbs club in the years 1908-1909. Jones played in Eastern Suburbs first match, and, although a reserve, is recognised as one of the first Australian representatives to come from the Eastern Suburbs club which included

Dally Messenger Herbert Henry "Dally" Messenger, (12 April 1883 – 24 November 1959) was an Australian rugby league and rugby union player. One of Australasia's first professional rugby footballers, he is recognised as one of the greatest-ever players in eit ...

. Jones, who played in two test matches for Kangaroo's, was the scorer of the winning try in Australia,'s first test match victory. Jones also went on the first 'Kangaroo tour', although not playing in any of the tests, he did play in five tour matches against English county sides. Jones has the distinction of representing Eastern Suburbs,

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

and Australia in their first matches, scored the winning try in Australia's first test match victory against New Zealand as well as going away on the first '

Kangaroo Tour Kangaroo Tour is the name given to Australia national rugby league team tours of Great Britain and France, tours to New Zealand and the one-off tour to Papua New Guinea (1991). The first Kangaroo Tour was in 1908. Traditionally, Kangaroo Tours too ...

'. He is listed on the ''Australian Players Register'' as Kangaroo No. 22. The forward is recognised as the 7th player to play for Eastern Suburbs.

Death

Jones died under tragic circumstances at his residence in Bayswater Road, Kings Cross on Saturday 1 November 1924. He was found dead in the street after falling from an upper story window. He apparently cut his throat before the fall. He was suffering from ill health prior to his suicide. He was a popular man whose death was mourned by many within the Rugby League community and after a large funeral, he was buried at

Rookwood Cemetery Rookwood Cemetery (officially named Rookwood Necropolis) is a heritage-listed cemetery in Rookwood, Sydney, Australia. It is the largest necropolis in the Southern Hemisphere and is the world's largest remaining operating cemetery from the ...

on the 3 November 1924.Sydney Morning Herald: Funeral Notice 3/11/1924 (page 7)

References

*''The Encyclopedia of Australian Rugby League Players'', by Alan Whiticker & Glen Hudson {{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Lou 1884 births 1924 suicides 1924 deaths Australian rugby league players Australia national rugby league team players Rugby league second-rows Rugby league hookers Rugby league props Rugby league players from Sydney Suicides by sharp instrument in Australia Suicides in New South Wales Australian sportspeople who committed suicide Sydney Roosters players New South Wales rugby league team players 20th-century Australian sportsmen