Johnno Stuntz

For the American historian, see Jean A. Stuntz.

Johnno Stuntz (1884–1917) was an Australian pioneer rugby league footballer and soldier who served in World War I and died on the Western Front. A national and state representative winger, his club career was played with Eastern Suburbs, Western Suburbs and South Sydney in Australia, as well as one season with English club, Warrington Wolves.

Rugby league career

One of Australian rugby league's founding players, Stuntz was a member of the 1907 rebel side ("the 1907 Pioneers") that played against the New Zealand 'All Golds' in the series that helped to establish rugby league football in Australia. He played 14 matches (all grades) with Easts in the years (1908–10). In Easts' first match - the opening game of club rugby league in Australia, he scored four tries. This tally remains, equally, the most tries scored on debut in Australian premiership history. In the following season Stuntz was selected to represent Australia against a touring New Zealand Maori side. In 2004 the Australian Rugby League granted Stuntz and his teammates retrospective representative status for the international games played against the Maori.

During the Australian off-season at end of 1909, Stuntz signed with the Warrington Wolves club for 125 pounds and a further 3 pounds 5 shillings a week for the 1909-10 English season,. Stuntz returned to Australia and played for both the South Sydney (1911) and Western Suburbs (1913) clubs. While...
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