Frank O'Brien (rugby union)

Last updated

Frank O'Brien
Full nameFrank William Hall O'Brien
Date of birth(1910-07-19)19 July 1910
Place of birth Lindfield, Sydney, Australia
Date of death23 December 1984(1984-12-23) (aged 74)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Wing
International career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
1937–38 Australia 2 (3)

Frank William Hall O'Brien (19 July 1910 — 23 December 1984) was an Australian rugby union international.

Contents

Born in Sydney, O'Brien was gifted in several sports in his youth. While attending North Sydney Boys High School, he had three years in the 1st XV rugby and 1st XI cricket teams, before transferring to Sydney Grammar School for his final year. [1]

O'Brien was a five-time New South Wales state pentathlon champion and in 1932 won a national title for the 440 yard sprint, beating 1930 British Empire Games bronze medallist George Golding. [1] [2]

A winger, O'Brien won a first-grade rugby premiership with Northern Suburbs in 1935 and the following year joined Gordon for the club's debut Shute Shield season. After scoring two tries for New South Wales against the touring Springboks in 1937, he earned a Wallabies call up for the 2nd Test and scored a try on debut, becoming Gordon's first international representative. He was capped a second time in a Test against the All Blacks at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 1938. [1] [3]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cyril Towers</span> Rugby player

Cyril Towers was an Australian rugby union player, a state and national representative centre who made 57 appearances for the Wallabies, played in 19 Test matches and captained the national team on three occasions in 1937.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eric Tindill</span> New Zealand sportsman

Eric William Thomas Tindill was a New Zealand sportsman. Tindill held a number of unique records: he was the oldest ever Test cricketer at the time of his death, the only person to play Tests for New Zealand in both cricket and rugby union, and the only person ever to play Tests in both sports, referee a rugby union Test, and umpire a cricket Test: a unique "double-double".

Reginald William "Reg" Gasnier was an Australian rugby league footballer and coach. He played centre for the St. George Dragons from 1959 to 1967 and represented Australia in a then record 36 Tests and three World Cup games. He was the captain of the national side on eight occasions between 1962 and 1967.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave Brown (rugby league, born 1913)</span> Australian RL coach and former Australia international rugby league footballer

David Michael Brown was one of Australia's greatest rugby league footballers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alan Fairfax</span> Australian cricketer (1906–1955)

Alan Geoffrey Fairfax was an Australian cricketer who played in ten Test matches from 1929 to 1931. He was an all rounder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Kelly (rugby league)</span> NZ coach and former NZ & Australia international rugby league footballer

William Martin Kelly (1892–1975), born in Westport, New Zealand was a rugby league football identity who enjoyed success in New Zealand and Australia as both a player and coach in the first half of the 20th century. He played for Wellington, the Balmain Tigers, New South Wales and for both the New Zealand and Australian national sides. He also had a long coaching career with five different clubs in the NSWRFL in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s, and with New Zealand in 1932.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arthur Summons</span> Australian rugby league footballer (1935–2020)

Arthur James Summons was an Australian representative rugby union and rugby league player, a dual-code rugby international fly-half or five-eighth. He captained the Australian national rugby league team in five undefeated test matches from 1962 until 1964 and later also coached the side.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Herb Gilbert</span> Australian rugby union footballer and rugby league footballer, coach and administrator

Herbert R. Gilbert was an Australian rugby league and rugby union player – a dual-code international. He represented the Wallabies in three Tests in 1910 and the Kangaroos in seven Tests from 1911 to 1920, his last two as captain. The captain-coach of the St. George Dragons club in Sydney in their inaugural season, he is considered one of Australia's finest footballers of the 20th century. His sons, Herb Gilbert, Jr and Jack Gilbert were also notable rugby league footballers.

Trevor Allan was an Australian dual-code rugby international who captained Australia in rugby union before switching to rugby league with English club Leigh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Graves (rugby league)</span> Australia international rugby league footballer

John (Johnny) Graves was an Australian rugby league footballer who played in the 1940s and 1950s. An Australian international representative goal-kicking wing, he played his club football for the South Sydney Rabbitohs, with whom he won back-to-back premierships in 1950–51.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnnie Wallace</span> Rugby player

Arthur Cooper "Johnnie" Wallace was an Australian rugby union player, a state and national representative three-quarter who captained the Waratahs on 25 occasions in the 1920s as well as representing Scotland early in his career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Lawton Snr</span> Rugby player

Tom Lawton Snr was an Australian rugby union player, a state and national representative five-eighth who made 44 appearances for the Wallabies, played in 14 Test matches and captained the national side on ten occasions.

Colin "Col" Windon, was a rugby union player and soldier who captained Australia – the Wallabies – in two Test matches in 1951. By age 18 Windon was playing at flanker for his club Randwick in Sydney's Shute Shield. After serving with the Second Australian Imperial Force in the Pacific Theatre during the Second World War, Windon resumed his rugby career in 1946. He was first selected for Australia for their tour of New Zealand that year. Despite the Wallabies losing both their Tests on tour, Windon impressed with his play.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Solomon (rugby union)</span> Australian rugby union player (1929–2020)

Herbert John Solomon was an Australian rugby union player, a state and national representative versatile back who captained the Wallabies in eight Tests in the 1950s and led the touring squads to New Zealand and South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Evans (Australian sportsman)</span> Australian rugby union player and cricket player

William Thomas "Poley" Evans was an Australian sportsman. He captained Queensland at first-class cricket and represented Australia in rugby union. He was born in Indooroopilly, Queensland and died at Buranda, Queensland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrick Carew</span> Australian rugby union player

Patrick James S. "Paddy" Carew was an Australian rugby union national and state representative and a first-class cricketer and public servant. He was born in Pine Mountain in southern Queensland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave Cowper</span> Rugby player

Denis Lawson "Dave" Cowper was an Australian national representative rugby union player who captained the Wallabies for six matches including three Tests in 1933. He was the first Victorian player to captain his country in rugby union.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Verge</span> Rugby player

Arthur "Jack" Verge was a rugby union player who represented Australia, New South Wales and Sydney University. Playing as a fullback, Verge won both his caps for Australia in 1904 against a touring team from the British Isles. Although he was relatively light for his position, he was repeatedly praised for his tackling and all-round defensive work, and in attack, he was a fast and deceptive runner. His kicking, on the other hand, was inconsistent.

The 1932 Great Britain Lions tour was a tour by the Great Britain national rugby league team) of Australia and New Zealand which took place between May and August 1932. The tour involved a schedule of 26 games, 18 in Australia including a three-test series against Australia for the Ashes and a further eight in New Zealand including a three-test series against New Zealand.

Paul Kitchener Collins was an Australian rugby union international.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Frank William Hall O'Brien". classicwallabies.com.au.
  2. "Sound Quarter". The Sporting Globe . 27 January 1932. p. 11 (Edition 2) via National Library of Australia.
  3. "Test Match Scenes Disgrace To Union". Truth . 18 July 1937. p. 6 via National Library of Australia.