Reginald William "Reg" Gasnier was an Australian rugby league footballer and coach.
37 Facts About Reg Gasnier
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Reg Gasnier played centre for the St George Dragons from 1959 to 1967 and represented Australia in a then record 36 Tests and three World Cup games.
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Reg Gasnier was the captain of the national side on eight occasions between 1962 and 1967.
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Reg Gasnier is a member of the Sport Australia Hall of Fame and Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame.
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Reg Gasnier was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia.
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Reginald William Gasnier was born in the Southern Sydney suburb of Mortdale on 12 May 1939.
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At Sutherland Intermediate High School, Reg Gasnier excelled at both rugby and cricket.
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Reg Gasnier later attended Sydney Technical High School in the St George area suburb of Bexley.
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Reg Gasnier went on to play rugby league for junior club Renown United.
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Reg Gasnier was selected in the NSW schoolboys side aged 13, to play in a curtain raiser to the 1952 Australia and New Zealand Test.
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Reg Gasnier has been described as the ultimate all-round rugby league player.
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Reg Gasnier had an amazing change of pace and great anticipation.
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Reg Gasnier was nicknamed "Puff the Magic Dragon" and the "prince of centres" for his high-quality play.
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Reg Gasnier scored 15 tries in 16 games for his state team.
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Reg Gasnier finished his career with the Dragons in 1967, with 127 tries and 20 goals in 125 appearances and 6 premierships.
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Reg Gasnier is widely regarded as one of the greatest ever St George Dragons players.
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In 1959, Reg Gasnier moved up from reserve to Test team, making his international debut for Australia against New Zealand in the 1st Test of 1959 in Sydney.
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Reg Gasnier played in all three Tests of that series, and went on to tour Britain with the Kangaroos.
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Reg Gasnier is listed on the Australian Players Register as Kangaroo No 339.
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Reg Gasnier became Australia's youngest ever captain in 1962 when he led Australia against England at 23 years and 28 days.
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Reg Gasnier's career ended prematurely, at age 28, when he broke his leg during the first test at Headingley, Leeds, that saw him sit out the remainder of the English leg.
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Reg Gasnier returned to the field in France but in a minor game against Les Espoirs in Avignon, he suffered a further break of the leg.
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Reg Gasnier later told in an interview that he never regretted his decision to retire, explaining that he had been playing rugby league virtually non-stop including juniors, junior representative games, the Sydney premiership, interstate games and international tours since the early 1950s, and felt it was about time that he started devoting more time to his family.
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Reg Gasnier finished his international career as Australia's most capped player, with a total of 39 caps, a record that remained until Mal Meninga broke it in 1992.
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Reg Gasnier scored 28 tries for Australia and captained the side on eight occasions.
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Reg Gasnier provided expert analysis on the ABC's Grandstand television coverage during the 1970s.
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Reg Gasnier was the uncle of the rugby league footballer Mark Reg Gasnier, who, like his uncle, was a centre and played for both NSW and Australia.
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In 2010, Reg Gasnier underwent major surgery to remove tumours from his neck and brain.
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Reg Gasnier was survived by his wife, son Peter, daughter Kellie, and four grandchildren.
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Reg Gasnier was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 1989.
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Reg Gasnier was awarded the Australian Sports Medal in 2000, and the Centenary Medal in 2001.
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In 2007, Reg Gasnier was selected by a panel of experts at centre in the "Team of the 50s".
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Reg Gasnier was named as one of the centres, along with Mal Meninga, in Australian rugby league's 17 player Team of the Century in April 2008.
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Reg Gasnier was made a life member of the Sydney Cricket Ground, and a plaque in the Walk of Honour there commemorates his career.
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In 2010, a bronze statue of Reg Gasnier was unveiled as the seventh at the grounds as part of the Basil Sellers Sports Sculpture project.
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The Master of Ceremonies for the occasion was noted broadcaster Ray Warren who read tributes to Reg Gasnier provided by Ian Heads, Robert Raftery and David Middleton plus historical photographs and video footage of Gasnier's career were shown to the crowd.
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On 20 July 2022, Reg Gasnier was named in the St George Dragons District Rugby League Clubs team of the century at centre.