Name Arthur Butler | Role Rugby league | |
Died May 30, 1947, New South Wales, Australia | ||
Arthur Butler was a pioneer Australian rugby league footballer of the 1900s and 1910s. An Australian international and New South Wales interstate representative half, he played club football for the South Sydney, Glebe and Annandale clubs in the NSWRFL Premiership.
Butler played for Souths in the first season of rugby league in Australia, the 1908 NSWRFL season. He missed his club's grand final victory as he was selected to go on the first Kangaroo tour, the 1908-09 tour of Great Britain. In London Australia faced the English in rugby league for the first time, and Butler played at halfback, scoring a try in the 22-22 draw. He is listed on the Australian Players Register as Kangaroo No. 24. He also played in the second Test loss, in all appearing in 23 matches on the tour. The following year Butler again represented Australia when they hosted the New Zealand team. At the end of the 1909 NSWRFL season Butler was one of the Rabbitohs players who showed up on Grand Final day to controversially claim the premiership while Balmain forfeited. The following year South Sydney again reached the grand final, and Butler played at halfback in the 4-4 draw with Newtown, who had finished the season higher on the ladder so were awarded the 1910 NSWRFL Premiership. 1915 was his last season with Souths.
Butler then played two seasons with Glebe then two seasons with Annandale before retiring.
In 1947 Butler died in his Sydney home.