Years Team Pld T FG P | Team Pld G FG Died 18 May 1974 | |
Full name Mitchell Patrick Bolewski Positions Fullback, Three-quarter back | ||
Mitchell Patrick 'Mick' Bolewski (1888-1974) was a pioneering Australian international representative rugby league footballer of the early 20th century. He, along with his three brothers, Henry, Alec and Walter, became a pioneering Queensland representative player as well.
From a Polish family, Bolewski was playing rugby union in 1908 when selected to play for Country Queensland in their victory against Metropolitan Brisbane. Bolewski was then included in the first Queensland rugby league team formed to play against New South Wales, travelling down to Sydney for all three of the first series of interstate rugby league matches in Australia. He was then selected to go on the 1908–09 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain, the first ever such tour, and played in all three matches of the first Ashes series for Australia against Great Britain. Bolewski and teammate Bill Heidke became the first Bundaberg locals to represent Australia. He stayed in England after the tour to play for Leigh. In 1909 started a three-season stint with the club. Also that year he played for Australia when they hosted the visiting New Zealand rugby league team. Bolweski became the first overseas player to play 100 games for Leigh and reappeared in their A team after several seasons' break.
In 2008, the centenary year of rugby league in Australia, Bolewski was named at fullback in a Bundaberg rugby league team of the century.