The First Kangaroos is a 1988 British–Australian made for TV sports film directed by Frank Cvitanovich and starring Dennis Waterman, Chris Haywood and Dominic Sweeney.
Synopsis The First Kangaroos depicts the 1908–09 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain, the first-ever such tour by the Australia national rugby league team.Ed. Scott Murray, Australia on the Small Screen 1970-1995, Oxford University Press, 1996 p62
The film drew complaints from the granddaughter of British rugby league legend Albert Goldthorpe, for its villainous depiction of him.
Some scenes featured the grandstand of Arlington Oval in the inner-western Sydney suburb Dulwich Hill which hosted women's competitions of the 1938 British Empire Games.History, Dulwich Hill FC (per 10 April 2014).
Cast Dennis Waterman ... Albert Goldthorpe Chris Haywood ... James Joseph "J J" Giltinan Dominic Sweeney ... Herbert Henry "Dally" Messenger Philip Quast ... Alex "Bluey" Burdon Tony Martin ... Dan Frawley Clarissa Kaye-Mason ... Mrs. Messenger Jim Carter ... Arthur Hughes Alex Broun ... Morton Wayne Pygram ... Albie Rosenfeld John Dicks ... Reverend Green Nell Schofield ... Betty Kelly Dingwall ... Jim Devereux Robert Giltinan ... Reporter Harold Kissin ... Trainer Allan Surtees ... George the Barman Wayne Pearce ... Sid "Sandy" Pearce Andrew Ettingshausen ... Conlon Ian Gilmour ... Steamship Official
Both Wayne Pearce (Balmain Tigers) and Andrew Ettingshausen (Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks) were current Australian rugby league test players when the film was released. Pearce had been a member of the undefeated 1982 Kangaroo tour, while Ettingshausen would go on to be the leading try scorer on both the 1990 and 1994 Kangaroo Tours.
Reception Karen Hardy of The Sydney Morning Herald, reviewing the film in 2013 said, "Sure, it wasn't the finest sports movie ever made but there was humour – intentional or not, I wasn't quite sure – and conflict and pathos. And its story, which it admitted in the opening credits was sort of based on true events, was an interesting one."
References
External links
The First Kangaroos at Oz Movies