Johnny Raper
John William Raper | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 12, 1939 Camperdown, Sydney, Australia |
| Died | February 9, 2022 (aged 82) Caringbah, Sydney, Australia |
| Other names | "Chook" |
| Occupation(s) | Rugby league player and coach |
| Years active | 1957–1974 (player), 1975–1978 (coach) |
| Known for | Australian rugby league international; captain of Australia national rugby league team; St George Dragons player in eight consecutive premiership wins; member of rugby league "Immortals" |
John William Raper (12 April 1939 – 9 February 2022) was a distinguished Australian rugby league player and coach. Known by the nickname "Chook," he excelled as a lock forward and established a record at the time with 33 Test appearances for the Australia national rugby league team spanning from 1959 to 1968. Raper took part in six World Cup matches between 1960 and 1968. Between 1967 and 1968, he captained the Australian side on eight occasions and played a key role in St George Dragons’ streak of eight consecutive NSWRFL first-grade grand final triumphs. He is widely regarded as one of the premier Australian rugby league players of the 20th century.
Early life
Born in Camperdown and raised in the working-class suburb of Revesby in south-west Sydney, Raper grew up in a family with nine brothers. His early rugby league involvement began with the Camperdown Dragons at junior level before advancing to Newtown’s President’s Cup team in 1956.
Sydney
Raper made his first-grade debut for Newtown in 1957 at just eighteen years old. Initially, he mainly played in the second row and five-eighth positions. In 1958, he gained valuable representative experience as lock forward for combined Sydney and New South Wales Colts against Great Britain.
In 1959, Raper transferred to St George, where he cemented his reputation as an international rugby league icon, particularly noted for his exceptional cover defence and ball handling skills. He was instrumental in St George's dominance, contributing to eight premiership victories between 1959 and 1966.
His achievements were underpinned by a rigorous approach to fitness and training that was advanced for its era. While St George’s use of circuit training contributed to their eleven-year premiership run, Raper distinguished himself through additional running sessions and weight training. From 1959 through 1969, he was nearly ever-present in the Australian Test squad.
A highlight of his career was during the 1963 Kangaroo tour’s second Test at Swinton, where his performance helped Australia clinch the Ashes with a commanding 50–12 victory; he assisted in seven tries during that match. On the 1967–68 tour, despite sustaining a cheekbone fracture, Raper captained Australia to a win over Great Britain at Swinton and led the national team throughout an unbeaten campaign in the 1968 World Cup, including the final victory against France.
Raper’s final season playing for St George came in 1969 when he served as captain-coach. That same year, he also appeared as a guest player for Auckland in a match against New Zealand commemorating the New Zealand Rugby League's diamond jubilee. In recognition of his contributions, he was granted Life Membership of the St George Dragons Club in 1971.
Newcastle
From 1970 until 1972, Raper competed with the Western Suburbs Rosellas within the Newcastle competition, serving as captain-coach and leading them to a grand final win in 1970. He concluded his playing days with Kurri Kurri during the 1973 and 1974 seasons.
Statistics
Point scoring summary
| Games | Tries | Goals | F/G | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 223 | 57 | 4 | – | 179 |
Coaching career
Raper took on the coaching role at the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks during the 1975 and 1976 seasons, initiating a family tradition with the club that was later continued by his sons Stuart and Aaron. In 1977, he also guided a Lane Cove Rugby Union Club squad to triumph in the Judd Cup. Early in the 1978 season, after five matches and amid internal difficulties at Newtown Jets, Raper assumed the position of caretaker coach following Paul Broughton's departure.
Post football life and accolades
Following his retirement from playing, Raper pursued opportunities in media and promotional activities, including advertising campaigns and public engagements. His contributions to sport and business were recognized with his appointment as a Member of the Order of the British Empire. In 1985, he was honored as one of rugby league's inaugural post-war "Immortals" and was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame that same year. Additionally, he fulfilled roles as an Australian Test selector and represented the New South Wales Rugby League.
Raper’s status as an ambassador for rugby league was further highlighted when his portrait was entered into the prestigious Archibald Prize in 2000. He gained induction into the Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame in 2002 and was selected at lock forward in an Australian 'Team of the 50s' in 2007. The NRL and ARL included him among Australia's 100 Greatest Players (1908–2007) during their centenary celebrations in 2008, where he was also named at lock-forward in the official Team of the Century.
Outside his football achievements, Raper served in the New South Wales Police Force, earning selection at lock-forward in a NSW Police team of the century. He was also recognized at lock in New South Wales' rugby league team of the century and captained as second-row forward in the Western Suburbs Rosellas’ team of the century. On 20 July 2022, he was named at lock in the St. George Dragons District Rugby League Clubs team of the century.
Death
After being diagnosed with dementia, Raper spent his last four years residing in a nursing facility. He passed away on 9 February 2022 in Caringbah, Sydney, at the age of 82.
Footballing relatives
Several of Raper’s brothers had noteworthy rugby league careers. Ron appeared in 128 games for Canterbury starting from 1966, famously kicking a field goal during the 1967 Grand Final. He later captained and coached Wests Brisbane and earned two caps for Queensland in 1973. Maurie Raper played eighty-seven first-grade matches across eight seasons with Penrith and Cronulla. Gerard and Peter each made brief first-grade appearances for Canterbury and Newtown, respectively, while Michael competed at lower grade levels.
Johnny’s son Aaron played as a hooker for Cronulla and Parramatta between 1990 and 1998. Despite an impressive performance during the 1992 season that marked him as one of Australia’s leading hooker prospects, his career was hampered by injuries, including a serious blood clot in 1994. Aaron represented teams during the Super League war in 1995 before moving to England and eventually returning to play in Sydney’s Illawarra competition in 2010.
Sources
- Whiticker, Alan (2004) Captaining the Kangaroos, New Holland, Sydney
- Writer, Larry (1995) Never Before, Never Again, Pan MacMillan, Sydney
- Whiticker, Alan & Hudson, Glen (2006) The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players, Gavin Allen Publishing, Sydney