1963 Rugby League Grand Final: The Gladiators

This clip is a short excerpt from a 1976 documentary special made by the Nine Network titled The Great Grand Finals: The St George Era. 

The footage shows the closing moments of the 1963 NSW Rugby League Grand Final match between the St George Dragons and the Western Suburbs Magpies. St George won the match 8 points to 3.

The game was highly controversial because of a winning try by St George that many fans and commentators believed should have been disallowed. But it was also memorable for the muddy conditions in which it was played.

However, it is best remembered for a photograph of two legends of the game, Norm Provan and Arthur Summons, members of opposing teams who were captured walking off the field together arm-in-arm. The photograph became known as 'The Gladiators' and was later cast in bronze by Alan Ingham for the Winfield Cup – the trophy awarded to the winners of the rugby league premiership from 1982 to 1995. This clip captures the exceptional conditions in which the memorable photo was taken.