Ray Morris: The Tragic Story of University's Kangaroo

Sean Fagan of RL1908.com

Ray Morris - the only Kangaroo to ever be chosen from the Sydney University Rugby League Club

Despite being a member of the languishing Sydney University rugby league club, Ray Morris was one of the ‘personalities' of the game in the early 1930s.

His inclusion in the tour party for the trip to England with the 1933/34 Kangaroos was widely acclaimed.

Morris, who was 25 years old, was the form centre three-quarter of the Sydney competition and hopes were very high that he would play in the Test side while in England.

His career was progressing at an impressive rate, having won a Grand Final with Wests in 1930, Morris had been a regular in the NSW state team since 1931.

Again playing for NSW, Morris had confronted the Englishmen on their 1932 tour of Australia and, with some certainty, he could look forward to gaining a Test spot and with it another opportunity to face the ‘old enemy'.

Described by the press as a "forceful player, dashing in attack and strong in defence", Morris was equally renown for his "gentlemanly nature". This all combined to make him very popular amongst supporters, players and officials alike.

Morris was also a keen wrestler. He entered a number of wrestling contests and in May 1932, the Rugby League News trumpeted his talents as it encouraged all to get along to St Marys Hall in Burwood to see him exercise his skills "on the mat".

With the Kangaroos to be on board the ship for six weeks, Morris would also take on the role of "physical culture instructor" to the team. It was a measure of the respect he had from fellow players, his own impressive physical condition, and the training skills he possessed.

Morris was the only ever Kangaroo chosen from the Sydney University club.

He had joined University for the 1933 season, and had played just five matches by the time the Kangaroos were chosen in June. His impressive form for NSW against Queensland securing his selection.

On the Saturday before the team sailed from Sydney, Morris watched his club side take on Eastern Suburbs at Pratten Park. Denied access to the University's grounds, the club was forced to take its home games ‘on the road'. Morris though was able to feel at home at Pratten Park, which was the field of his former club Wests.

He had played and trained on the ground many times, including first grade, as he rose up from the juniors. Back in 1925, Morris was a member of the Wests Presidents Cup team that won the premiership under the coaching of the 1908 Kangaroo Tedda Courtney.

Watching on as a newly chosen Kangaroo himself, Morris must have reflected fondly upon his memories of those times. ‘The Students' even came to the party, winning 13-10 over Easts.

The Kangaroos assembled at Darling Harbour in the early afternoon of Tuesday July 4, 1933 to board ‘The Manunda' which would take them to Melbourne to join the steamer for England. The Rugby League News reported Ray Morris as smiling and telling all that he was "looking forward to a wonderful experience".

A huge crowd gathered at the wharf who gave enthusiastic support to the players and officials. Perched on an elevated ledge, high above the packed crowd on the wharf below, a cameraman took film footage of the event.

Adding to noise of people cheering and yelling to those on board, the Westmead Boys' Home band played musical pieces. The boat slowly began to move from the dock and the crowd showered the team in streamers. Some of the players waved green and gold pennants, while others held kangaroo mascots aloft.

The Manunda headed northward to swing under the recently opened Sydney Harbour Bridge and make for the Heads. It was quickly joined alongside by a ferry packed with League officials and supporters for the journey to the coast. All the way down the harbour the Kangaroos were ‘hooted best wishes' by passing craft of all shapes and sizes. The quiet of the open sea must have come as something of a relief to the team.

The Manunda arrived in Melbourne on the Thursday morning, in plenty of time for their departure on Saturday for England on the S.S. Jervis Bay.

A few hours after arrival the Kangaroos were entertained by the Victorian Football League with a luncheon held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

The next morning they returned to the ground and undertook a training session, before touring the city in the afternoon. At the Majestic Theatre they watched the film of their departure from Sydney.

After visiting Adelaide and Perth the ship, now carrying 500 passengers, headed north-west into the Indian Ocean.

By that time at least six of the team had already been knocked down by influenza and ‘ordered to bed' by the ship's doctors. The team settled into shipboard life with Morris' training setting the routine, with exercises before breakfast. In the afternoon they trained with a medicine ball and football on the forward decks within a specially erected enclosure.

Towards the end of July the ship arrived in Colombo (in Sri Lanka) where the team played an exhibition game at the Nondescripts Cricket Club ground. With the squad broken into two teams, an open game was won by Fred Laws' Team over Frank McMillan's Team 34-27. The Herald reported that "the excellent training of the team on the Jervis Bay enabled them to give a capital display".

On July 29, with the Jervis Bay heading through rough waters in the Arabian Sea, the latest team news was radioed back to land. It was two days before the news was reported in the Sydney press. It said that all the party was in good health aside from Ray Morris who had been detained in the ship's hospital for regular treatment of an ear infection. It was thought that he had "possibly contracted (it) while bathing in the ship's pool".

The Kangaroos played another exhibition game between themselves at a stadium in Port Said, Egypt on the 5th of August. It was reported that six members of the tour party did not take part. Five had permission to leave the ship earlier and were sightseeing across Egypt to meet up with the team again in Cairo. The other absent player was Ray Morris, who was still confined to bed. The ship was now just over a week from arrival in England.

Back in Sydney on Thursday the 10th of August the League community was shocked to read the headlines in the morning papers: "Morris in Serious Condition".

The newspapers told how the ship's doctors had radioed ahead to Malta (where the British maintained numerous military hospital services) requesting that an ear specialist meet the ship upon its arrival.

As soon as the doctor saw Morris he ordered his immediate transfer from the ship to a British military hospital. He was "slung ashore in a sling provided by a navy pinnace".

One can only wonder how Morris' family in Sydney coped with reports such as: "The managers wish to advise his relatives that every care is being taken, and that risk is being avoided by the actions taken".

The ship sailed on without Morris. A ‘team visitor' who was accompanying the squad, Sam Haron, remained in Malta to support Morris and provide company.

On the Friday night (11th of August) the shocking news arrived in Sydney that Morris was dead: "A wireless message from Malta states that R. Morris....has died in hospital at Valletta".

Morris had in fact not survived the day he was removed from the ship.

After being taken to the Blue Sisters' Hospital he was operated upon but it failed to stop his rapid decline.

The Jervis Bay meanwhile had sailed on with the Kangaroos on board. Off the coast of Spain the team were celebrating the birthday of one of the players when the news of Morris' death came through via a radio transmission to the ship. It was reported "the news immensely damped the spirits of the 500 passengers, with whom Morris had been immensely popular".

A ship board memorial service was conducted with everyone on the ship cramming into the dining saloon.

When the still shocked team arrived in London on the 13th of August the details of how Morris had taken ill became clearer.

It seems that between Perth and Colombo in a sparring (boxing) session, Morris suffered a knock to the side of his head that ruptured his ear-drum. When bathing at Colombo the ear was infected. As the ship sailed on he took ill, showing signs of meningitis.

His condition rapidly declined, resulting in the dash for hospital in Malta. The operation was conducted immediately and it appeared to bring relief. However, "meningeal complications followed" and he passed away.

Back in Sydney the weekend football round was marked by a minute's silence in tribute to Morris at all matches. The Australian Rules national tournament, being held at the SCG, paid their respects and placed all flags at the ground at half-mast.

The next week the Rugby League News ran three full pages of tributes from the League community and a note of thanks from the Morris family.

The words of Western Suburbs' Club President, E. McFayden were typical of the published tributes: "Dear Ray Morris has passed away. One that cannot be forgotten; his manliness and sportsmanship could not be surpassed."

The ARL Board of Control and the team managers decided, quite appropriately, that no replacement would be sent even though the Kangaroos had yet to play a match in England.

Ray Morris' remains were brought back home on board the ship Hobson's Bay as far as Adelaide and carried overland on the Melbourne Express train.

For two days the casket was left in Andrews' funeral chapel at Ashfield for the public to view. Thousands stood in silent respect at his funeral as the cortege moved from Sydney Town Hall to Waverley cemetery on September 23, 1933.

The following year, Wests inaugurated a competition for primary schools in the district in memory of Morris.

We leave the final words to Jack McGrath (North Sydney & NSWRL official): "Like those other young Australian athletes, Barney Kieran and Les Darcy, he has left us all too soon, and like them, his memory will remain green wherever true sports assemble in Australia."

Primary sources: The Sydney Morning Herald and the Rugby League News.