lit a candle 4h agoMy dad was from Wagga and he'd talk about that '57-58 tour like it was yesterday, Tony Fox's name came up more than once over the years. One cap, Paris, 1958, he never let anyone forget the number either. 93 is a good long innings.
Their story
Otho George Fox, known throughout his rugby life as Tony, was an Australian rugby union player who became Wallaby number 435 when he won a single Test cap against France in Paris in March 1958. A fast and elusive outside back, he scored tries for St George and New South…
Otho George Fox, known throughout his rugby life as Tony, was an Australian rugby union player who became Wallaby number 435 when he won a single Test cap against France in Paris in March 1958. A fast and elusive outside back, he scored tries for St George and New South Wales in the 1950s and earned a place on the Fourth Wallabies tour of Britain, Ireland, France and North America before persistent knee trouble ended his career. He died on 8 October 2026 at the age of 93.
Fox was born on 3 July 1933. Classic Wallabies records his birthplace as Ariah Park in the Riverina district of New South Wales, while older player records list Kogarah in Sydney. He was educated at Sydney Grammar School, where he learned his rugby, and at Parramatta Junior High School, and he was also an excellent schoolboy cricketer.
Although slightly built, Fox was a capable defender and a consistent try scorer for the St George club. His breakthrough came in 1954 when, after only a handful of first grade matches, he was chosen to make his debut for New South Wales against Fiji. He scored a try in that match, although Fiji won 24 to 19, and later that season he scored again in his first game against Queensland.
Knee cartilage injuries troubled him for the next few seasons, but in 1957 he returned to his best and was part of the St George side that won the club's only first grade premiership. That form earned him selection for the 1957 to 1958 Wallabies tour. He played 17 matches on the tour, and when Ken Donald withdrew from the final international with an injured thigh and Saxon White was unavailable, the backline was reshuffled and Fox was called up for his Test debut. Australia, captained by Bob Davidson, lost 19 to 0 to France at the Stade de Colombes on 9 March 1958, the last of five Tests on a demanding tour.
His knees did not allow him to continue, and he retired from rugby in 1959. Classic Wallabies announced his death on 9 October 2026, saying the Australian rugby community was in mourning. The cause of his death was not made public. He played one Test for Australia and, as Classic Wallabies put it, will forever be Wallaby number 435.
Biography adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0), Classic Wallabies obituary via Rugby Australia. Wikipedia ↗
In their own words
“Tony Fox played one Test for Australia and will forever be Wallaby #435.”
Classic Wallabies, announcing his death, 9 October 2026
Photos
1Tony Fox in his Wallabies jersey, 1950s
by People Forever
Wallaby #435, he said it himself, proud of it till the end.