Norm Provan (1932-2021), footballer and coach, played for the St George Dragons from 1951 to 1965, taking part in ten of the Dragons’ eleven consecutive premiership wins (from 1956 to 1966), including five as captain-coach. The towering second-rower also represented his state 25 times and played for Australia in 18 Test and World Cup matches. Provan’s NSW and Kangaroos teammate, Arthur Summons (1935-2020), is one of 47 footballers to have represented Australia in both rugby codes, having played fly-half in 10 Tests for the Wallabies before joining league’s Western Suburbs Magpies in 1960. He went on to play a total of nine rugby league tests for Australia, as halfback and five-eighth, winning five out of five of his matches as captain of the all-conquering 1963 Kangaroos.
Taken after the Dragons’ 8-3 victory over Wests in the 1963 grand final, this photograph of the two captains was for a long time considered a depiction of mateship. Summons later revealed, however, that it in fact shows a moment of bitterness, when Summons refused to swap jumpers with Provan amidst talk that the officiating referee had bet £600 on a St George win. Regardless, the photo later became the model for the NRL premiership trophy. Provan and Summons were both named in the list of rugby league’s 100 Greatest Players during the game’s centenary celebrations in 2008.
Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2009
© Estate of John O'Gready
John O'Gready (age 26 in 1963)
Norm Provan (age 31 in 1963)
Arthur Summons (age 28 in 1963)
On one level The Companion talks about the most famous and frontline Australians, but on another it tells us about ourselves.
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