The Sport Australia Hall of Fame is mourning the passing of our esteemed Member and one of Australia’s most influential Rugby Union players, Peter Johnson. Peter passed away, aged 78, on Tuesday, 12 July 2016.
Peter was Inducted into The Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1989 as an Athlete Member for his contribution to the sport of Rugby Union.
The Sport Australia Hall of Fame Chairman John Bertrand AO said Peter was one of the most courageous players Australia had seen, with so much to give for the game he loved. “His dedication to the sport of Rugby Union was unmissable in his successful career”, John added.
“Peter’s ongoing love of the game that earned him his well-deserved Induction into The Sport Australia Hall of Famewas not to finish after his retirement; Peter went on to write about rugby every week in the Sunday Telegraph. Peter’s outstanding career saw him play 92 games for his country, including eight Wallaby tours. He was a major part of putting Australia on the map for Rugby Union” John concluded.
The Board, Members & staff of The Sport Australia Hall of Fame extend our deepest sympathies to Peter’s wife Sue and the family.
Peter Johnson – Athlete Member: Rugby Union
13/09/1936 – 12/07/2016
Peter Johnson was Inducted into The Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1989 as an Athlete Member for his contribution to the sport of Rugby Union.
Peter Johnson was a durable and long serving rugby union hooker who played in a then record 42 Tests, including three as captain (the record was broken in 1987). In a career spanning from 1959 to 1972, he played in 37 consecutive Test matches.
Johnson played 215 first-grade matches for the Randwick club in the Sydney competition, making his Test debut against the British Lions in Brisbane in 1959 after playing in New South Wales’ 18-14 win over the tourists.
He figured prominently in Australian victories over the South African Springboks, England, New Zealand, Wales, and France. He also represented against Ireland, Scotland and Fiji.
His courage and toughness were unquestioned when confronting the huge Springbok pack in 1961, and after the South African tour he combined with John Thornett and Jon White to form one of Australia’s great front rows. A fine player in the loose as well as the tight, Johnson made an indelible contribution to scrummaging techniques and will also be remembered for his astute football judgements and his humorous writing on the game.
Inspiration: ” The race is never over – never give up”
