Harry Caples

Harry Caples

Personal information
Full name	Henry Joseph Caples
Born	1898 Bathurst, New South Wales
Died	17 October 1933 St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney
Playing information
Position	Five-eighth
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 1916–23 Eastern Suburbs 103 28 0 0 84 1925–27 Brothers (Ipswich) 1929 Eastern Suburbs 3 0 0 0 0 Total 106 28 0 0 84 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 1919–23 New South Wales 4 1 0 0 3 1921–22 Australia 2 0 0 0 0 1925–27 Queensland 9 5 0 0 15
Source: Yesterday's Hero

Harry Caples (1898–1933) was an Australian representative rugby league player. His club football was played with the Eastern Suburbs club.

Club career

A former schoolboy star, Caples attended St. Joseph's College, Hunters Hill before being graded by the Roosters in 1916.

He played 110 matches for the club in the years (1916-23 & 1929). A five-eighth, Caples captained Easts to the club's fourth premiership in 1923, scoring two tries in that match.

Representative career

Caples was selected for the 1921–22 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain. He played for Australia in two Tests on tour and 22 minor tour matches. He is listed on the Australian Players Register as Kangaroo No. 117. During his career he represented for three different states New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria.

Interstate service to the game

After his premiership success in 1923, Harry Caples moved to Victoria in 1924 at the direction of ARL executive Harry Sunderland to help organise Rugby League in the southern states. Sydney's Evening News newspaper quoted: "Mr Sunderland is making strong efforts to place the game on a solid footing in Melbourne, and he has approached several noted players to go south and give their services."

Sunderland (who was Queensland based), then sent him to Ipswich, Queensland in 1925 and he played there for a number of years. Caples captain-coached Wagga Wagga in 1928, before returning to Easts for one last season in 1929.

Premature death

Caples died after contracting Meningitis at the relatively young age of 35. A large funeral was held for him at the Sacred Heart Church, Randwick and he was buried at Randwick Cemetery. He was survived by his wife Dorothy and three young children.

Sources

• Whiticker, Alan & Collis, Ian (2006) The History of Rugby League Clubs, New Holland, Sydney
• Andrews, Malcolm (2006) The ABC of Rugby League Austn Broadcasting Corpn, Sydney
• Queensland representatives at qrl.com.au