30 Facts About Ken Irvine

Ken Irvine is the 2nd all-time top try-scorer for the Australian national team with 33, two behind Darren Lockyer's 35.

Ken Irvine played his club football for the North Sydney and Manly-Warringah clubs in the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership, winning the premiership with Manly in 1972 and 1973.

Ken Irvine originally excelled in both baseball and sprinting, playing in the New South Wales junior baseball side alongside future New South Wales and Australian teammate Reg Gasnier, while competitively running for the Randwick-Botany Club.

Ken Irvine made his Australian debut on the tour against France at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris on 31 October 1959.

In 1961, Ken Irvine showcased his speed at a specially-arranged event specifically in an attempt to break professional world record over 100 yards.

Ken Irvine won the event and equaled the record of 9.3 seconds.

Ken Irvine's speed was such that he is still considered by many to be the fastest player ever to lace on a boot, and is favorably compared against other noted rugby league speedsters such as Johnny Bliss, Michael Cleary, Martin Offiah and Darren Albert.

In total, Ken Irvine was selected for three Kangaroo Tours.

Ken Irvine was involved in one of the most talked about and controversial passages of play in rugby league test match history in 1962.

Ken Irvine then moved in and re-adjusted the ball, walked back to his mark and kicked the goal.

Ken Irvine had the honour of captaining the Bears on occasions, although he infamously threatened to lead his team off in protest of referee Keith Page during a 1970 match against Canterbury-Bankstown at Belmore Sports Ground.

Ken Irvine would go on to make 176 appearances for the side, scoring 171 tries.

Ken Irvine reportedly replied that he had burnt his bridges at Norths and there was no going back.

Ken Irvine went on to make 60 appearances for the club, scoring 41 tries and showed he had lost none of his speed at the end of his career.

Ken Irvine overtook Harold Horder as the NSWRFL's all-time top try-scorer, and was finally able to win a premiership when he helped Manly to claim successive premierships in 1972 and 1973.

Ken Irvine retired after the 1973 Grand Final win over Cronulla, becoming the first player to score 200 tries in NSWRFL Premiership history.

Ken Irvine held the record for the highest number of tries scored for a single club, recording 171 tries during 176 games at North Sydney between 1958 and 1970.

Ken Irvine's 33 tries for Australia was eclipsed by Darren Lockyer during the 2010 Four Nations tournament against Papua New Guinea.

Ken Irvine scored his 33 tries in 33 test matches, scoring at the remarkable rate of one try per test.

On 22 December 1990, Ken Irvine died of the disease at the age of 50 in Brisbane.

North Sydney Oval's Ken Irvine Scoreboard was named in his honour in 1991.

Ken Irvine was inducted into the Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame in 2004.

In 2006 Ken Irvine was named on the wing for the Manly Sea Eagles Dream Team to celebrate the club's 60th anniversary.

The team, selected by a panel of selectors which featured former Manly-Warringah administrator Ken Arthurson, respected rugby league writer Ian Heads, the club Chairman Kerry Sibraa and journalist Phil Rothfield, included six of Irvine's teammates from the 1972 and 1973 premiership teams.

In 2007 Ken Irvine was selected by a panel of experts as a winger in an Australian 'Team of the 50s'.

In February 2008, Ken Irvine was named in the list of Australia's 100 Greatest Players which was commissioned by the NRL and ARL to celebrate the code's centenary year in Australia.

Ken Irvine went on to be named as one of the wingers, along with Brian Bevan, in Australian rugby league's Team of the Century.

In 2008 New South Wales announced their rugby league team of the century and Ken Irvine was again named on the wing.

Ken Irvine set the world professional sprint record for 100 yards in 1963, running 100 yards in 9.3 seconds at Dubbo.

Ken Irvine is the only rugby league player to hold a world professional sprint record.