With no Queensland Rugby Union administration or competition in place from 1919 to 1929, the New South Wales Waratahs were the top Australian representative rugby union side of the period and a number of their 1920s fixtures, including Tancred's two appearances in Sydney in June 1923, were decreed in 1986 as official Test matches. Tancred thus claimed a total of two international rugby caps for Australia. His brothers Arnold and Jim were also Australian national rugby representatives both making the 1927–28 Waratahs tour of the British Isles, France and Canada. Harry would later be involved in the administration of both the Randwick and Drummoyne Rugby Clubs. Rugby League career In 1919 he switched codes moving from the Petone rugby team to the Petone league team. That same season he was picked for the New Zealand team to tour Australia and became Kiwi number 120 in the process. Tancred had a busy tour playing in 8 of the 11 matches. He debuted for New Zealand in the first tour match against NSW Firsts where he played in the second row in an 18-23 loss in front of 46,157 spectators at the Sydney Cricket Ground. He played against the same opponents days later with New Zealand going down again 9-20. Tancred would have become very familiar with these opponents as he missed the matches with Tamworth and Northern Division but was back in action for two more matches with New South Wales Firsts which New Zealand again lost 31-39 and 19-22. Tancred tasted defeat for the 5th time on tour when New Zealand went down 13-26 to Queensland Firsts. A week later he moved to the lock position in another defeat to Queensland Firsts 13-16. Tancred experienced his first win in the New Zealand jersey in the 23-0 win over Rockhampton. This time he had been moved into the front row where he played prop and he also crossed the line for a try. He played there again against Toowoomba where New Zealand rounded the tour off with a resounding 42-12 win, scoring two more tries in the process. In 1920 he moved to the Western Suburbs club in Sydney no doubt after having caught their eye while on the 1919 tour. He played 8 matches for them from Round 8 to Round 15 and scored 4 tries. In 1921 he registered with the City Rovers club in the Auckland Rugby League