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SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA ? 2002: A photo illustration is seen off Norm Provan and Arthur Summons after the 1963 NSW Rugby League Premiership Grand Final on May 7, 2002 in Sydney, Australia. In 1963 Summons and Provan were immortalised in John O'Gready's award winning photo 'The Gladiators' which later became the model for the New South Wales Rugby League premiership trophies of the 1990s and now into th
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA ? 2002: A photo illustration is seen off Norm Provan and Arthur Summons after the 1963 NSW Rugby League Premiership Grand Final on May 7, 2002 in Sydney, Australia. In 1963 Summons and Provan were immortalised in John O'Gready's award winning photo 'The Gladiators' which later became the model for the New South Wales Rugby League premiership trophies of the 1990s and now into th
Rugby League

‘Gladiator’ immortalised on NRL trophy dies

by Dean Ritchie
17th May 2020 11:10 AM
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LEGENDARY rugby league player Arthur Summons has died.

Summons, 84, passed away at 9pm on Saturday after a long illness. He had spent a considerable amount of recent time in hospital.

Summons will have a private service this week in Wagga.

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Rugby League legends Norm Provan and Arthur Summons revisit the spot on which the game’s iconic Gladiators image was taken 50 years ago.
Rugby League legends Norm Provan and Arthur Summons revisit the spot on which the game’s iconic Gladiators image was taken 50 years ago.

A dual international, summons was a proud Wagga man who played seven matches for NSW.

Summons was one half of the famous Gladiators photo, taken alongside St George skipper Norm Provan in the SCG mud after the 1963 grand final.

He was a former Kangaroos captain who remained unbeaten in the five Tests he led Australia between 1962 and 1964.

Summons was captain-coach of the 1963-64 Kangaroo squad which toured England and France.

Arthur Summons (L) started his first grade career with Western Suburbs.
Arthur Summons (L) started his first grade career with Western Suburbs.

In 2008, Summons was named in Australia's top 100 players and, in that same year, was an inaugural inductee in Wests' Hall of Fame.

He made 60 appearances for Wests and also played rugby union with Gordon. Summons was a member of three Western Suburbs grand finals sides which lost to the invincible St George side which claimed 11 successive premierships.

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