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General First nameHorace Michael
LastnameRice
GenderMale
CountryAustralia
Date of birth1872-09-05
Place of birthSydney, Australia
Date of death1950-01-18
Place of deathSydney, New South Wales, Australia


About

From The Referee (New South Wales), 29 March 1933: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/135313075

Great Families in Games – The Rices of New South Wales

By J.C. Davis

The Rice family then [circa 1890] lived in Paddington very handy to the Association Cricket Ground, now known by the more distinctive name of the Sydney Cricket Ground. Mr Rice, senior, the head of the family, was a handsome man of middle height. He had the head of a musical genius, as indeed he was, and the air of one who loved things worth cherishing. As one of Sydney’s leading conductors and musicians, his sons naturally took after him – for they were all violinists prominent in professional musical circles.

The Rice brothers were closely allied with the theatrical profession, and for that reason, perhaps, had more time during the day to devote to their games than most young men. The most prominent lawn tennis player among the brothers was Horace, the little left-hander, who had a particularly good backhand. He always played in knickers and was so natty and active and pleasant on the courts, that one could never forget him.

Horace Rice became an institution in the game in his best seasons. Year after year he represented New South Wales, and even when well past his prime as a player, he was able to hold his own with younger men. ‘Horrie’ to everyone, he became known right round the world, for he was a Davis Cup representative of Australia against America in New York in 1913. He might have developed into very fine cricketer had he given closer attention and more time to that game, for he was a natural right-hand batsman, a smart field, and he could bowl a good ball left-hand.

At the time of his retirement he had taken part in a greater number of representative lawn tennis matches, for his State than any other Australian. Horace Rice held the championships of Australasia, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland, Western Australia, Scotland and Ireland. So you may imagine that he travelled a bit in his day.

Perhaps the true reason why bat and ball did not hold him was that being a violinist the risk of injury to his fingers was too great – though no one enjoyed a social game of cricket more than he did. He still enjoys his week-end tennis with the best of them, and looks quite a hard-conditioned athlete. The eldest of the Rice boys was Herbert, who followed in his father’s footsteps and remained in the musical profession. He was a good lawn tennis player and followed the game for its pleasure at his home in Killara.

William Rice built in a bigger physical mould than Horace, was a right-hander. He also was a capital tennis player. In cricket he was quite good, a stylish, right-hand batsman against whom it was no joke to bowl in the Theatrical versus Press cricket matches of years ago. He died a few years ago. Edgar Rice, the youngest of the brothers, one occasionally sees still having his game on the Sydney Cricket Ground courts. In point of skill he was second only to Horace.

Media


Archive statistics Career1894 - 1927
Tournament wins27
Matches317
Match wins237


Tournament wins 1922 - Queensland Championships (Amateur)
1922 - Metropolitan Grass Court Championships of Sydney (Amateur)
1921 - New South Wales Hard Court Championships (Amateur)
1920 - Metropolitan Grass Court Championships of Sydney (Amateur)
1916 - Tasmanian Championships (Amateur)
1915 - South Australian Championships ()
1914 - Metropolitan Cricket (MCC ) Autumn Tournament (Amateur)
1914 - South Australian Championships ()
1913 - Scottish Championships (Amateur)
1912 - Queensland Championships (Amateur)
1911 - Metropolitan Grass Court Championships of Sydney (Amateur)
1911 - Queensland Championships (Amateur)
1909 - Wellington Championships (Open)
1908 - Metropolitan Grass Court Championships of Sydney (Amateur)
1907 - Australian Open (Grandslam)
1907 - Queensland Championships (Amateur)
1907 - Metropolitan Grass Court Championships of Sydney (Amateur)
1907 - New South Wales Championships (Amateur)
1905 - Metropolitan Grass Court Championships of Sydney (Amateur)
1903 - Metropolitan Grass Court Championships of Sydney (Amateur)
1901 - Victorian Championships (Amateur)
1901 - Metropolitan Grass Court Championships of Sydney (Amateur)
1901 - Queensland Championships (Amateur)
1900 - Metropolitan Grass Court Championships of Sydney (Amateur)
1900 - New South Wales Championships (Amateur)
1899 - Metropolitan Grass Court Championships of Sydney (Amateur)
1898 - Metropolitan Grass Court Championships of Sydney (Amateur)


Tournaments Queensland Championships - 1927 Metropolitan Grass Court Championships of Sydney - 1927 City of Perth - 1925 Australian Open - 1923 South Australian Championships - 1923 Queensland Championships - 1923 New South Wales Hard Court Championships - 1923 City of Perth - 1923 Metropolitan Cricket (MCC ) Autumn Tournament - 1923 South Australian Championships - 1922 Victorian Championships - 1922 Queensland Championships - 1922 Metropolitan Grass Court Championships of Sydney - 1922 City of Perth - 1922 Victorian Championships - 1921 Queensland Championships - 1921 New South Wales Hard Court Championships - 1921 Australian Open - 1920 Victorian Championships - 1920 Metropolitan Grass Court Championships of Sydney - 1920 Victorian Championships - 1919 New South Wales Championships - 1919 Queensland Championships - 1919 Metropolitan Grass Court Championships of Sydney - 1919 Tasmanian Championships - 1916 Australian Open - 1915 South Australian Championships - 1915 Queensland Championships - 1915 County of Cumberland - 1915 Metropolitan Cricket (MCC ) Autumn Tournament - 1915 Australian Open - 1914 South Australian Championships - 1914 Victorian Championships - 1914 New South Wales Championships - 1914 City of Sydney Championships - 1914 Metropolitan Grass Court Championships of Sydney - 1914 County of Cumberland - 1914 Metropolitan Cricket (MCC ) Autumn Tournament - 1914 Davis Cup - Quarter-Finals - 1913-b Wimbledon - 1913 Victorian Championships - 1913 Irish Championships - 1913 Deauville - 1913 Scottish Championships - 1913 South Australian Championships - 1912 Victorian Championships - 1912 New South Wales Championships - 1912 Queensland Championships - 1912 City of Sydney Championships - 1912 Metropolitan Grass Court Championships of Sydney - 1912 Western Australia Championships - 1912 Australian Open - 1911 South Australian Championships - 1911 Victorian Championships - 1911 New South Wales Championships - 1911 Queensland Championships - 1911 Metropolitan Grass Court Championships of Sydney - 1911 North Queensland Championships - 1911 Australian Open - 1910 Victorian Championships - 1910 New South Wales Championships - 1910 Queensland Championships - 1910 Metropolitan Grass Court Championships of Sydney - 1910 County of Cumberland - 1910 Victorian Championships - 1909 Metropolitan Grass Court Championships of Sydney - 1909 Wellington Championships - 1909 Victorian Championships - 1908 New South Wales Championships - 1908 Metropolitan Grass Court Championships of Sydney - 1908 Australian Open - 1907 Victorian Championships - 1907 New South Wales Championships - 1907 Queensland Championships - 1907 Metropolitan Grass Court Championships of Sydney - 1907 New South Wales Championships - 1906 Metropolitan Grass Court Championships of Sydney - 1906 Australian Open - 1905 Metropolitan Grass Court Championships of Sydney - 1905 Victorian Championships - 1904 New South Wales Championships - 1904 Metropolitan Grass Court Championships of Sydney - 1904 New South Wales Championships - 1903 Metropolitan Grass Court Championships of Sydney - 1903 New South Wales Championships - 1902 Metropolitan Grass Court Championships of Sydney - 1902 Victorian Championships - 1901 New South Wales Championships - 1901 Queensland Championships - 1901 Metropolitan Grass Court Championships of Sydney - 1901 New South Wales Championships - 1900 Metropolitan Grass Court Championships of Sydney - 1900 Victorian Championships - 1899 New South Wales Championships - 1899 Metropolitan Grass Court Championships of Sydney - 1899 New South Wales Championships - 1898 Metropolitan Grass Court Championships of Sydney - 1898 New South Wales Championships - 1897 Metropolitan Grass Court Championships of Sydney - 1897 Victorian Championships - 1896 New South Wales Championships - 1896 Metropolitan Grass Court Championships of Sydney - 1896 Victorian Championships - 1895 New South Wales Championships - 1895 Metropolitan Grass Court Championships of Sydney - 1895 New South Wales Championships - 1894