David Brockhoff
Encyclopedia
John David "Brock" Brockhoff (8 July 1928 – 17 June 2011) was an Australia
n rugby union
identity a state
and national representative
who played eight Tests as flanker
between 1949 and 1951, later coaching the national team between 1974 and 1979. He maintained an active involvement in rugby union in Australia for his entire life.
, Sydney Brockoff was educated at The Scots College
and played in the College's in the first XV for his three senior years. He attended St. Andrew's College
at the University of Sydney
. His family were successful in the flour milling business in Sydney and he was very successful in the biscuit industry.
He attended Sydney University, where gained blues in rugby union through four consecutive years from 1948 to 1951, playing 95 games for the Sydney Uni Football Club before he joined Eastern Suburbs
in 1953. His career was played at flanker.
He played eight Tests for the Wallabies
between 1949 and 1951, touring with the side in Britain and South Africa. In the 1949 tour to New Zealand he played in 10 of the 12 matches, including both Tests which were won by Australia. The latter tour was his last with the Wallabies and he did not feature in the test side on that tour. He made twenty-five total appearances for the Australian national side
After concluding his Test career, he continued to play for Eastern Suburbs until 1961.
in 1963 and guided them to a premiership win in his first season as a coach. He later coached the New South Wales Waratahs
in three stints 1970–71, 1973–74 and 1978.
His coaching philosophy was to get a fierce, dominant pack, make them brutal at the ruck and scrum, ensure they were intimate with something called the famous Vickers machine-gun tripod defence, and make certain the team had a kicking five-eighth.
He was coach of the national side
from 1974–79, and is remembered from this period as the man who restored pride to the Wallaby jersey. His first major success came in 1974–75 when Australia defeated England in two fiery Tests, while the final match of his tenure came in memorable circumstances when Australia beat New Zealand 12–6 in a one-off Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground
to regain the Bledisloe Cup
. The vision of Brockhoff grabbing the Bledisloe Cup and running around the perimeter of the SCG is one of the lasting images in Australian rugby history. From this match onwards the Wallabies became much harder to beat than previously.
He sometimes had a testy relationship with other Australian rugby administrators due to his confrontational style and coaching his sides to be abrasive and aggressive but his success was undeniable.
He died on 17 June 2011 at age 83 and was survived by his wife Claire, daughter Juliet and sons Peter and John.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
identity a state
New South Wales Waratahs
The New South Wales Waratahs are an Australian rugby union football team, representing the majority of New South Wales in the Super 15 Super Rugby competition...
and national representative
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
who played eight Tests as flanker
Flanker (rugby union)
A flanker is a position in the sport of rugby union. Flankers play in the forwards, and are generally classified as either blindside, or openside flankers; numbers six and seven respectively. The name comes from their position in a scrum in which they flank each set of forwards...
between 1949 and 1951, later coaching the national team between 1974 and 1979. He maintained an active involvement in rugby union in Australia for his entire life.
Early life
Born at Rose BayRose Bay, New South Wales
Rose Bay is a harbourside, eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Rose Bay is located 7 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government areas of Waverley Municipal Council and Woollahra Council .Rose Bay has views of both the Sydney...
, Sydney Brockoff was educated at The Scots College
The Scots College
For other schools with a similar name see Scots College.The Scots College is an independent Presbyterian day and boarding school for boys, located in Bellevue Hill, an eastern suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
and played in the College's in the first XV for his three senior years. He attended St. Andrew's College
St Andrew's College, Sydney
St Andrew's College is a Protestant co-residential college within the University of Sydney, in the suburb of Camperdown.-History:St Andrew's College was incorporated by Act of Parliament and received Royal Assent from Queen Victoria on 12 December 1867. The St Andrew's College Act 1998 replaced the...
at the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
. His family were successful in the flour milling business in Sydney and he was very successful in the biscuit industry.
Playing career
Eastern Suburbs RUFC
The Eastern Suburbs Rugby Union Football Club is a team in the Shute Shield and the Tooheys New cup, the premier club rugby union football competition in New South Wales....
in 1953. His career was played at flanker.
He played eight Tests for the Wallabies
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
between 1949 and 1951, touring with the side in Britain and South Africa. In the 1949 tour to New Zealand he played in 10 of the 12 matches, including both Tests which were won by Australia. The latter tour was his last with the Wallabies and he did not feature in the test side on that tour. He made twenty-five total appearances for the Australian national side
After concluding his Test career, he continued to play for Eastern Suburbs until 1961.
Coaching career
He was appointed coach of Eastern SuburbsEastern Suburbs RUFC
The Eastern Suburbs Rugby Union Football Club is a team in the Shute Shield and the Tooheys New cup, the premier club rugby union football competition in New South Wales....
in 1963 and guided them to a premiership win in his first season as a coach. He later coached the New South Wales Waratahs
New South Wales Waratahs
The New South Wales Waratahs are an Australian rugby union football team, representing the majority of New South Wales in the Super 15 Super Rugby competition...
in three stints 1970–71, 1973–74 and 1978.
His coaching philosophy was to get a fierce, dominant pack, make them brutal at the ruck and scrum, ensure they were intimate with something called the famous Vickers machine-gun tripod defence, and make certain the team had a kicking five-eighth.
He was coach of the national side
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
from 1974–79, and is remembered from this period as the man who restored pride to the Wallaby jersey. His first major success came in 1974–75 when Australia defeated England in two fiery Tests, while the final match of his tenure came in memorable circumstances when Australia beat New Zealand 12–6 in a one-off Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground
Sydney Cricket Ground
The Sydney Cricket Ground is a sports stadium in Sydney in Australia. It is used for Australian football, Test cricket, One Day International cricket, some rugby league and rugby union matches and is the home ground for the New South Wales Blues cricket team and the Sydney Swans of the Australian...
to regain the Bledisloe Cup
Bledisloe Cup
Rugby Union's Bledisloe Cup is contested by the Australia national rugby union team and New Zealand national rugby union team. It is named after Lord Bledisloe, the former Governor-General of New Zealand who donated the trophy in 1931. The trophy was designed in New Zealand by Nelson Isaac, and...
. The vision of Brockhoff grabbing the Bledisloe Cup and running around the perimeter of the SCG is one of the lasting images in Australian rugby history. From this match onwards the Wallabies became much harder to beat than previously.
He sometimes had a testy relationship with other Australian rugby administrators due to his confrontational style and coaching his sides to be abrasive and aggressive but his success was undeniable.
Later life
After coaching Brockhoff continued to be active in New South Wales and Australian rugby, frequently attending training sessions for both teams and would often see teams off at the airport and welcome back sides to Sydney.He died on 17 June 2011 at age 83 and was survived by his wife Claire, daughter Juliet and sons Peter and John.
Online references
- The legend who lived large for rugby The Sydney Morning Herald, 18 June 2011
- Rugby loses a great in Dave Brockhoff The Australian, 17 June 2011
- David Brockoff at the ESPNscrum.com