We were sad to learn of last week’s passing of former Wales international Peter Banner aged 76.
Rochdale-born, Peter Banner qualified for Wales due to the heritage rule through his Welsh grandfather, famously starring in the “Battle of Brisbane” in the 1975 World Championship where Wales beat England and eventually denied them the trophy as a result. The 50th anniversary of that game is tomorrow (Tuesday).
In total, he won nine caps for Wales and also played in four more matches on tour in 1975, three first-class games in New Zealand and one warm-up game in Australia. He scored three tries for Wales, two in the 1975 World Championship, against England in Warrington and France in Salford, plus a tour match try against New Zealand Maoris.
A schoolboy rugby league player in Rochdale, he joined the Hornets youth set-up at 16. However, the club dropped its junior sides a year later so he signed for local amateur side, Spotland Rangers, where he stayed for two seasons. Over this time, he decided to double up his rugby by joining Old Rochdalians RUFC. This involved him playing two games of rugby, each weekend, both on a Saturday – morning and afternoon. He also spent Sunday morning playing football.
He had trial games for Rochdale A against Salford after that, but ended up signing for the latter, making 180 appearances for Salford between 1967 and 1975. In his final three years there, he helped his side win the League Championship, Lancashire Cup and BBC2 Floodlit Trophy, whilst also playing for Lancashire.
Later joining Featherstone Rovers, where he made 21 appearances, his last English club was Leeds. There, he made 24 appearances, helping them to win a Yorkshire Cup, but he moved to Australia following the semi-final of the 1977 Challenge Cup, after signing for North Newcastle Bluebags. Leeds hoped to bring him back for the Challenge Cup Final, but the RFL refused. However, following Leeds’ Final win, he was sent a medal and a match fee as he’d played in all previous rounds. He continued to play in Australia until 1986, his last club
After that, he became a travel agent and ran many rugby league tours down under, regularly advertising “Peter Banner Tours” in Open Rugby magazine at the time. Eventually, he moved to Bangkok and became an auctioneer before retiring in the Far East.
