Don Parish (rugby league)

Don Parish is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1950s and 1960s, and coach of the 1970s. An Australia national and New South Wales state representative goal-kicking fullback or three-quarter back, he played club football in Sydney's NSWRFL Premiership for the Western Suburbs club, as well as elsewhere in New South Wales. Parish later coached Wests and Penrith.

Hailing from the country New South Wales town of Dubbo, Parish played for the Macquarie club, becoming their first international when he was selected to go on the 1959/60 Kangaroo tour.

In 1959 Parish scored a try and kicked three goals in the New South Wales team's loss to Queensland that attracted 35,261 spectators, smashing Brisbane's previous record for an interstate match of 22,817. Later that year he became Kangaroo No. 358 when selected as a non-playing reserve in the Test series against New Zealand. Parish then toured with the 1959-60 Kangaroos and played in 12 matches (no Tests) and scored 55 points (7 tries, 17 goals).

Parish started playing first grade in the Sydney premiership for the Western Suburbs club in the 1961 NSWRFL season and that year toured New Zealand with the Australian side, making his Test debut. In the 12-10 First Test loss in Auckland he had the distinction of becoming the first Australian fullback to score a try in a Test match and was the tour's leading point-scorer with 58 points (4 tries, 23 goals). At the end of the season he played at fullback in Wests' loss to St. George in the grand final.