Viv Farnsworth
{{Short description|Australia international rugby league footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Use Australian English|date=July 2013}}
{{Infobox rugby league biography
|name = Viv Farnsworth
|fullname = Vivian Robert Farnsworth
|image = Viv Farnsworth AustRL cropped1910.jpg
|imagesize = 100px
|caption = Farnsworth in 1910
|birth_date = {{birth date|1889|02|04|df=y}}
|birth_place = Newtown, New South Wales, Australia
|death_date = {{death date and age|1953|04|16|1889|02|04|df=y}}
|death_place = Hurstville, New South Wales, Australia
|height =
|weight =
|position = {{rlp|CE}}
|club1 = Newtown
|year1start = 1910
|year1end = 12
|appearances1 = 31
|tries1 = 22
|goals1 = 0
|fieldgoals1 = 0
|points1 = 66
|club2 = Oldham
|year2start = 1912
|year2end = 17
|appearances2 = 78
|tries2 = 27
|goals2 = 1
|fieldgoals2 = 0
|points2 = 83
|club3 = Newtown
|year3start = 1919
|year3end =
|appearances3 = 2
|tries3 = 1
|goals3 = 0
|fieldgoals3 = 0
|points3 = 3
|club4 = Western Suburbs
|year4start = 1920
|year4end = 21
|appearances4 = 12
|tries4 = 6
|goals4 = 0
|fieldgoals4 = 0
|points4 = 18
|teamA = New South Wales
|yearAstart = 1910
|yearAend = 19
|appearancesA = 9
|triesA = 2
|goalsA = 0
|fieldgoalsA = 0
|pointsA = 6
|teamB = Australia
|yearBstart = 1911
|yearBend = 20
|appearancesB = 6
|triesB = 4
|goalsB = 0
|fieldgoalsB = 0
|pointsB = 12
|teamC = Australasia
|yearCstart = 1910
|yearCend =
|appearancesC = 2
|triesC = 0
|goalsC = 0
|fieldgoalsC = 0
|pointsC = 0
|retired = yes
|source = [http://www.rugbyleagueproject.com/players/Viv_Farnsworth.html Rugby League Project] and [http://www.yesterdayshero.com.au/PlayerProfile_Viv-Farnsworth_2843.aspx Yesterday's Hero]
| module = {{infobox person
| embed = yes
| father =
| mother =
| spouse =
| education =
| alma_mater =
| relatives = Roy Farnsworth (brother)
Bill Farnsworth (brother)
}}
}}
Viv Farnsworth (4 February 1889 – 16 April 1953) was an Australian professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1910s and 1920s. He played for Newtown, Wests, New South Wales and Australia, he also represented Australasia. He primarily played as {{rlp|ce}} and is considered one of the Australia's finest footballers of the 20th century.[http://www.livenews.com.au/Articles/2008/02/22/Controversy_reigns_as_NRL_releases_top_100_players Century's Top 100 Players] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080225164807/http://www.livenews.com.au/Articles/2008/02/22/Controversy_reigns_as_NRL_releases_top_100_players|date=25 February 2008 }}
Biography
=Playing career=
As a youth, Farnsworth played for Petersham Rugby Club in inner-western Sydney but he switched to the new professional code in 1909 and played for Newtown from 1910. He was regarded as an outstanding centre and, alongside his brother, Bill, was selected for New South Wales in 1910. Farnsworth was a member of the 1910 premiership winning Newtown team in the try-less final against Souths.
In the same year, the brothers made their international début against the touring British Lions and were both selected for the 'Australasian' Kangaroo tour of Britain in 1911–1912. They were the first set of brothers to play representative rugby league for Australia.
Viv Farnsworth made his Test début in the first Test against England on 8 November 1911 and scored two tries. He scored a total of 19 tries on tour (from 29 matches), one less than Herb Gilbert. The combination of Gilbert and Farnsworth was a feature of the successful tour. After touring New Zealand with New South Wales in 1912, Farnsworth headed back to England and joined the Oldham club. He was still in England at the out-break of the Great War and he subsequently enlisted with a Lancashire regiment.
After the war, Farnsworth re-joined Sydney club Newtown in 1919 but by 1920 he had moved to Wests where he played for two seasons. Farnsworth participated in the Ashes-winning series of 1920, again proving a formidable combination with Herb Gilbert in the second Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Although the score was even at 8–all at half-time, tries to Australia's three-quarter line of Dick Vest, Farnsworth, Gilbert and Harold Horder secured the Ashes. An injury in the third Test of the series eventually ended Farnsworth's playing career.Whitticker/Hudson: The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players. 1995 {{ISBN|1875169571}}
Viv Farnsworth died in 1953 aged 64.
=Accolades=
In February 2008, he was named in the list of Australia's 100 Greatest Players (1908–2007) which was commissioned by the Australian Rugby League and the National Rugby League to celebrate the code's centenary year in Australia.{{cite web|publisher=NRL & ARL|title=Centenary of Rugby League – The Players|url=http://www.centenaryofrugbyleague.com.au/site/the-players.aspx?cat=3&list=true|access-date=2008-02-23|date=2008-02-23|archive-url=https://archive.today/20080226180521/http://www.centenaryofrugbyleague.com.au/site/the-players.aspx?cat=3&list=true|archive-date=26 February 2008|url-status=dead}} Viv Farnsworth was the great-uncle of the Parramatta Eels player and CEO, Denis Fitzgerald AM.
References
{{refbegin}}
- {{cite book| author=Alan Whiticker & Glen Hudson|title=The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players|pages=153|year=2007
|publisher=Gary Allen Pty Ltd|location=Wetherill Park, New South Wales|isbn=978-1-877082-93-1 }}
- {{cite book| author=Malcolm Andrews|title=ABC of Rugby League|pages=147|year=1992
|publisher=ABC Enterprises|location=Sydney, New South Wales
|isbn=0-7333-0176-2 }}
- {{cite book|author=Ian Collis & Alan Whiticker|title=100 Years of Rugby League|publisher=New Holland|year= 2007|location=Chatswood, NSW|pages=vol.1, page 75|isbn=978-1-74110-463-9 }}
{{refend}}
Footnotes
{{reflist}}
- [http://www.orl-heritagetrust.org.uk/HTML%20docs/player_stats_e_f.htm Statistics at orl-heritagetrust.org.uk]
{{Newtown squad - 1910 NSWRFL premiership}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Farnsworth, Viv}}
Category:Australasia rugby league team players
Category:Australia national rugby league team players
Category:Australian rugby league players
Category:Australian expatriate rugby league players in England
Category:British Army personnel of World War I
Category:Lancashire Fusiliers soldiers
Category:Military personnel from Sydney
Category:New South Wales rugby league team players
Category:Oldham R.L.F.C. players
Category:Rugby league players from Sydney