Christopher Hobart McKivat (alternatively spelled McKivatt, pronounced /məkaɪvət/; 27 November 1880 − 4 May 1941) was an Australian rugby union and rugby league player – a dual-code rugby international.[3] He represented the Wallabies in over 20 Tests and tour matches from 1907 to 1909 and the Kangaroos in 5 Tests from 1910 to 1912. He is unique in Australian rugby history as the only man to captain both the national rugby union and rugby league teams. Following his playing career he became the most successful coach of North Sydney in the club's history.[4]
He captained the 1908 Summer Olympics gold medal-winning Wallaby side and was the eighth captain of the Australian national rugby league team leading them in all three Tests of the 1911–12 tour. Thus he captained his country to victory on tour in two different rugby codes.[5]
Rugby union career
McKivat was born in Cumnock, New South Wales and educated by the Patrician Brothers in Orange. He played country rugby union with the "Our Boys" club in Wellington and was regularly selected in country representative teams until he was 26.[5] He was a tactically brilliant half-back and a great on-field leader of both forwards and backs.[5]
Affectionately known as the "hairy bloke",[6] he moved to Sydney to join the Glebe Rugby Club in 1905 and played five-eighth for four seasons outside Fred Wood who would later be vice-captain of the 1908–09 Wallabies. [5] McKivat was selected for New South Wales in 1905 to represent against the visiting All Blacks and then for the Wallabies in 1907 playing three Tests against the All Blacks. He was on the first Wallabytour of the United Kingdom in 1908–09 and captained the side in 17 tour matches including the historic gold medal-winning match against Cornwall representing England in the 1908 London Olympics.[5]
The crowning achievement of his distinguished football career came on the 1911–12 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain when he captained Australia in all three Tests against Great Britain for two wins and one draw to a series victory that would not be equalled for more than 50 years.[5]
Australia's first Rugby League Ashes success was testament to his on-field genius and off-field leadership. He played in 31 matches on Tour (30 successive appearances) and scored 10 tries. The Heads/Middleton reference describes him a being revered on that tour – a magnificent general, tough, durable and an inspiration to the men around him. It quotes Johnny Quinlan the tour co-manager "He always set a splendid example in conduct and training – a natural leader"[7]
Chris McKivat is listed on the Australian Players Register as Kangaroo No. 67.[8]
His representative career ended at age 32 with that Ashes success and in retirement he became the first of the game's high-profile non-playing coaches. He coached Glebe, Wests and Norths in the following years, including North Sydney's premiership winning sides of 1921 and 1922.[5]
Death
Christopher McKivat died on 4 May 1941 after a short illness at the age of 60. He died at Gloucester House, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown. [5]He was survived by his wife and one son.[9] A large funeral took place at St. James Church, Forest Lodge, New South Wales, and he was buried at Botany Cemetery.[10]
Accolades
The Heads/Middleton reference describes him as quiet, good humoured man off the football field, always immaculately dressed and often puffing on a cigar but a lesson in contrasts on the field – voluble, hard-driving and relentlessly barking orders.[7] The Sydney Morning Herald wrote "he was described by rugby and rugby league authorities as the 'best' halfback of all time. No one possessed better all round ability. His service from the scrum was the speediest of any halfback since the coming of district football."[11]
In 2005 McKivat was admitted into the Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame.[12] In August 2006 he was named as coach of the North Sydney Bears' Team of the Century. In February 2008, McKivat was named in the list of Australia's 100 Greatest Players (1908–2007) which was commissioned by the NRL and ARL to celebrate the code's centenary year in Australia.[13][14]
^ abcde"Scrum.com player profile of Chris McKivat". Scrum.com. Retrieved 12 July 2010.
^Chris Cunneen, "McKivat, Christopher Hobart (1880–1941)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, volume 10, MUP, 1986.
^"Chris McKivat". Olympedia. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
^Phillips, Murray George (2000). From sidelines to centre field: a history of sports coaching in Australia. Australia: UNSW Press. p. 26. ISBN978-0-86840-410-3.
chris, mckivat, christopher, hobart, mckivat, alternatively, spelled, mckivatt, pronounced, november, 1880, 1941, australian, rugby, union, rugby, league, player, dual, code, rugby, international, represented, wallabies, over, tests, tour, matches, from, 1907,. Christopher Hobart McKivat alternatively spelled McKivatt pronounced m e k aɪ v e t 27 November 1880 4 May 1941 was an Australian rugby union and rugby league player a dual code rugby international 3 He represented the Wallabies in over 20 Tests and tour matches from 1907 to 1909 and the Kangaroos in 5 Tests from 1910 to 1912 He is unique in Australian rugby history as the only man to captain both the national rugby union and rugby league teams Following his playing career he became the most successful coach of North Sydney in the club s history 4 Chris McKivatBirth nameChristopher Hobart McKivat 1 Date of birth 1880 11 27 27 November 1880 2 Place of birthCumnock New South Wales 1 Date of death4 May 1941 1941 05 04 aged 60 1 Place of deathCamperdown New South WalesHeight175 cm 5 ft 9 in Weight76 kg 168 lb Rugby league careerPosition s HalfbackSenior careerYearsTeamApps Points 1910 14Glebe Dirty Reds54 15 State of OriginYearsTeamApps Points 1910 12New South Wales13 15 National team s YearsTeamApps Points 1910 12Australia5 12 Coaching careerYearsTeam1915 20Glebe Dirty Reds1920 22North Sydney1928Western SuburbsRugby union careerPosition s fly half 1 Five eighth amp halfbackAmateur team s YearsTeamApps Points 1895 1900Bowen Brothers 1900 05Wellington 1905Glebe Rugby Union Provincial State sidesYearsTeamApps Points 1903 04Central Western 1905 1909New South Wales16 National team s YearsTeamApps Points 1907 09 1 Wallabies4 0 Medal record Men s rugby unionRepresenting AustralasiaOlympic Games1908 London Team competition Chris McKivat Contents 1 Unique in history 2 Rugby union career 3 Rugby league career 4 Death 5 Accolades 6 See also 7 Footnotes 8 References 9 External linksUnique in history EditHe captained the 1908 Summer Olympics gold medal winning Wallaby side and was the eighth captain of the Australian national rugby league team leading them in all three Tests of the 1911 12 tour Thus he captained his country to victory on tour in two different rugby codes 5 Rugby union career EditMcKivat was born in Cumnock New South Wales and educated by the Patrician Brothers in Orange He played country rugby union with the Our Boys club in Wellington and was regularly selected in country representative teams until he was 26 5 He was a tactically brilliant half back and a great on field leader of both forwards and backs 5 Affectionately known as the hairy bloke 6 he moved to Sydney to join the Glebe Rugby Club in 1905 and played five eighth for four seasons outside Fred Wood who would later be vice captain of the 1908 09 Wallabies 5 McKivat was selected for New South Wales in 1905 to represent against the visiting All Blacks and then for the Wallabies in 1907 playing three Tests against the All Blacks He was on the first Wallaby tour of the United Kingdom in 1908 09 and captained the side in 17 tour matches including the historic gold medal winning match against Cornwall representing England in the 1908 London Olympics 5 McKivatt middle row 2nd from left with the 1908 Wallaby tour squadRugby league career Edit Glebe RLFC 1911 McKivat centre with ball flanked by Roy Algie left Frank Burge right McKivat crossed over to the professional code joining the Glebe Rugby League Club as a 29 year old veteran in 1910 5 He made his rugby league international debut that same year in the first Test in Sydney on 18 June 1910 against Great Britain 5 Four of his former Wallaby teammates also debuted that day John Barnett Bob Craig Jack Hickey and Charles Russell making them collectively Australia s 11th to 15th dual code internationals 5 This repeated a similar occurrence two years earlier when five former Wallabies in Micky Dore Dally Messenger Denis Lutge Doug McLean snr and John Rosewell all debuted for the Kangaroos in the first ever Test against New Zealand The crowning achievement of his distinguished football career came on the 1911 12 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain when he captained Australia in all three Tests against Great Britain for two wins and one draw to a series victory that would not be equalled for more than 50 years 5 Australia s first Rugby League Ashes success was testament to his on field genius and off field leadership He played in 31 matches on Tour 30 successive appearances and scored 10 tries The Heads Middleton reference describes him a being revered on that tour a magnificent general tough durable and an inspiration to the men around him It quotes Johnny Quinlan the tour co manager He always set a splendid example in conduct and training a natural leader 7 Chris McKivat is listed on the Australian Players Register as Kangaroo No 67 8 His representative career ended at age 32 with that Ashes success and in retirement he became the first of the game s high profile non playing coaches He coached Glebe Wests and Norths in the following years including North Sydney s premiership winning sides of 1921 and 1922 5 Death EditChristopher McKivat died on 4 May 1941 after a short illness at the age of 60 He died at Gloucester House Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Camperdown 5 He was survived by his wife and one son 9 A large funeral took place at St James Church Forest Lodge New South Wales and he was buried at Botany Cemetery 10 Accolades EditThe Heads Middleton reference describes him as quiet good humoured man off the football field always immaculately dressed and often puffing on a cigar but a lesson in contrasts on the field voluble hard driving and relentlessly barking orders 7 The Sydney Morning Herald wrote he was described by rugby and rugby league authorities as the best halfback of all time No one possessed better all round ability His service from the scrum was the speediest of any halfback since the coming of district football 11 In 2005 McKivat was admitted into the Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame 12 In August 2006 he was named as coach of the North Sydney Bears Team of the Century In February 2008 McKivat was named in the list of Australia s 100 Greatest Players 1908 2007 which was commissioned by the NRL and ARL to celebrate the code s centenary year in Australia 13 14 See also EditRugby union at the 1908 Summer OlympicsFootnotes Edit a b c d e Scrum com player profile of Chris McKivat Scrum com Retrieved 12 July 2010 Chris Cunneen McKivat Christopher Hobart 1880 1941 Australian Dictionary of Biography volume 10 MUP 1986 Chris McKivat Olympedia Retrieved 7 April 2021 Phillips Murray George 2000 From sidelines to centre field a history of sports coaching in Australia Australia UNSW Press p 26 ISBN 978 0 86840 410 3 a b c d e f g h i j k Whiticker pp43 44 2005 Annual Report Archived 5 July 2009 at the Wayback Machine Australian Rugby League p 50 a b Heads Middleton p47 ARL Annual Report 2005 Sydney Morning Herald Death amp Funeral Notice 5 May 41 pp 7 8 Sydney Morning Herald Death of Famous Footballer 5 May 41 p12 Sydney Morning Herald McKivat Obituary 5 May 1941 page 12 Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame Archived 18 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine Peter Cassidy 23 February 2008 Controversy reigns as NRL releases top 100 players Macquarie National News Archived from the original on 25 February 2008 Retrieved 23 February 2008 Centenary of Rugby League The Players NRL amp ARL 23 February 2008 Archived from the original on 26 February 2008 Retrieved 23 February 2008 References EditHeads Ian and Middleton David 2008 A Centenary of Rugby League MacMillan Sydney Whiticker Alan 2004 Captaining the Kangaroos New Holland Sydney Howell Max 2005 Born to Lead Wallaby Test Captains Celebrity Books Auckland NZExternal links EditChris McKivat at the Online Dictionary of Australian Biographies Chris McKivat biography at Sport Australia Hall of Fame at sahof org au Error unknown archive URL archived Date missing profile at the Wayback Machine archived 2007 09 30 Chris McKivat at the Orange Sporting Hall of Fame at the Wayback Machine archived 2009 03 05 Sporting positionsPreceded byClarrie Prentice 1927 Coach Western Suburbs1928 Succeeded byJim Craig 1929 1930Preceded by Coach North Sydney1920 1922 Succeeded byJimmy Devereux 1924 1925Preceded byBill Heidke Captain Australia1911 1912 Succeeded bySid DeanePreceded byHerbert Moran Captain Australia1909 Succeeded bySydney Middleton Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Chris McKivat amp oldid 1118075086, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
