Having played rugby at
High and at
The King's School, (alongside future Wallaby teammate
Peter Fenwicke), White continued whilst pursuing his medical studies and played for the
Sydney University Football Club and
St Andrew's College. White made his representative debut for
New South Wales in 1953 and that year aged just nineteen, he was selected in the Wallabies squad who toured South Africa in 1953. He played in no Tests on the tour. He played at centre in both Tests of 1956 against the
South Africa rugby union team visiting Australia. He was selected to play against the All Blacks in 1957 but withdrew due to a knee injury. He was selected for the
1957–58 Australia rugby union tour of Britain, Ireland and France and played in three Test matches on the tour, before sustaining a severe head injury and being carried off in the match against Scotland. He played a further two Test matches against the
New Zealand Māori in 1958. He also played 26 tour games for the Wallabies against provincial sides during his two tours to South Africa and the British Isles. After injury and his time with the Wallabies, in 1967–68 White with Dr Tod Davis co-coached the first and second University of New South Wales rugby teams in their inaugural two seasons in the Premier Sydney Club Rugby Competition. He also played a season with Sydney's
Lane Cove Rugby Club. In his later years, White has told the story of his playing days to Theo Clark Media in documentaries for
Lane Cove Rugby and
Sydney University Football Club. ==Medical career==