From Australia’s most-capped Kangaroo Darren Lockyer to men who donned the jersey just once, from the Little Master to Big Mal, and Wembley to Wellington, the honour of representing their country has had hearts racing and chests puffed out inside green and gold armour for more than a century.
From the very first Test match against Great Britain in 1908 through to the torrid 20-14 triumph over Tonga in last year’s Pacific Championships final, Australia’s best and bravest have stood arm in arm to sing the national anthem before going into battle to do their nation proud.
By the end of that 2024 Pac Champs, Australia had taken the field 398 times in Test matches for a staggering 276 wins.
Renowned for their flair, flamboyance and fierce will to win, the Kangaroos have taken on and taken down the finest the rugby league world has to offer.
For the mercurial Lockyer, whose record tally of 59 Test matches included 38 as captain, the milestones mean less than the mateship and memories.
Wally Lewis sparks the Australian attack against Great Britain at the SCG in 1984.
“The first time you put that jersey on, it makes you reflect on the first time you laid eyes on it as a kid, which for me was watching the 1986 Kangaroos play in England,” said Lockyer.
“There’s the realisation that you are wearing a jersey that your childhood heroes wore. It’s a surreal moment.
“In the early days when you went away on tour you only got one jersey, so it truly was something to treasure.
It’s not about what you’re getting paid, it’s the fact you represented the jersey, and there are a lot of people back home proud of what you did
“A lot of my jerseys I wore in Tests, I never even washed. I just left them as they were when I walked off the field and wrote on the tags to remember which Test it was.
“They might be on the smelly side but they’re more authentic. Different jerseys hold different memories so if it has a bit of grass on it from Elland Road or a bit of blood it makes it more special. A bit like Steve Waugh’s baggy green.”
That unwavering commitment to the jersey has seen countless men go above and beyond the call since 1908. Warriors like the late John O’Neill, a no-nonsense bushie who came to the big smoke to represent Souths, Manly and Australia with distinction in the ’60s and ’70s.
The man they called ‘Lurch’ was a big-game specialist, playing in nine grand finals and 10 Test matches, including the brutal 1970 World Cup final at Headingley in Leeds, won 12-7 by the Ron Coote-captained Kangaroos.
Coote’s men were bashed and baited by the Brits but refused to buckle, with props O’Neill and Bob O’Reilly singled out for special attention.
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Kangaroos v Tonga XIII – Final, 2024
O’Neill suffered a shocking cut to his shin but informed team-mates, ‘I’ll just keep my sock up and no one will notice’.
These were the days before replacements, so leaving the field was simply not an option for Lurch, despite the fact his shinbone was clearly visible when he removed his sock after the match.
O’Neill also required stitches for a severe gash to his eye but the match had been won, the Kangaroos were on top of the world and his place in folklore was assured.
Another man to write his own part in Kangaroos history is ‘The King’, Wally Lewis.
Wally Lewis is chaired from the field by Wayne Pearce and Gene Miles.
As a wet-behind-the-ears 20-year-old in 1982, Lewis was part of the first Kangaroo touring side to go through England and France undefeated, earning the tag of ‘The Invincibles’.
Four years later, as captain of his country, Lewis had the unenviable task of trying to emulate the deeds of that magnificent 1982 side.
Talk about pressure!
“Following in the footsteps of the ’82 tour was as big a challenge as I ever had because we were on a hiding to nothing. If we won they’d say we only did what they did last time. If we got beaten they’d say we weren’t as good as them,” says Lewis, who captained Australia in 24 of his 34 Tests.
“Being part of those two tours taught me that there was a lot more to football and being a footballer than just winning the last game you played in.
“It wasn’t just a record that we brought home for winning games. It was a camaraderie and friendships that will last a lifetime between an outstanding bunch of blokes who enjoyed life away from football as well.
“And when they blew full-time in the last game of the tour in France and we’d managed to win every game again, I just felt a great relief. I matured a hell of a lot on that tour in terms of captaincy and the importance of realising you weren’t just there as part of a Contiki tour. We were there as footballers first, second and third.”
And in the great Kangaroo tradition, bloody good footballers at that.