Des Connor
Encyclopedia
Desmond Michael Connor (born 9 August 1935 in Ashgrove
, QLD) is an Australian former rugby union
halfback who represented internationally for both the Australian
and New Zealand national rugby union teams. He is an inductee in the Australian Rugby Union
Hall of Fame.
. He made his representative debut for Queensland
in 1954 and made further appearances for the state over the next five years.
He was selected in Australian national squad
for the Wallabies 1957–58 Australia rugby union tour of Britain, Ireland and France. Connor made his Australian test debut on 4 January 1958 against Wales
and played in all five internationals on the Australian tour. Later that year he captained the Wallabies in Tests against the New Zealand Māori rugby union team
, and then played against the All Blacks on a tour of New Zealand.
At the start of the 1960s he left Australia to continue his teaching career in New Zealand.
debut against France having fulfilled the short-term residency requirement in force at the time. Connor toured Australia with the All Blacks the following year and eventually went on to win 12 caps for his adopted country, tasting defeat just once.
It was Connor’s representation to the ARU after the 1969 tour that earned a Wallabies coach the right to also serve as a selector. He was also instrumental in organising Barbarians teams to forge closer links between schools and club rugby in Queensland.
Ashgrove, Queensland
Ashgrove is an inner suburb of Brisbane in Queensland, Australia, located approximately 4 km north-west of the Brisbane CBD. Ashgrove is a leafy residential suburb, characterised by its hilly terrain and characteristic Ashgrovian houses built in the early 20th century...
, QLD) is an Australian former 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...
halfback who represented internationally for both the Australian
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...
and New Zealand national rugby union teams. He is an inductee in the Australian Rugby Union
Australian Rugby Union
The Australian Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Australia. It was founded in 1949 and is a member of the International Rugby Board the sport's governing body. It consists of eight member unions, representing each state and territory...
Hall of Fame.
Australian rugby career
After taking up the game at the Marist Brothers Ashgrove, Connor honed his skills further with the Brothers clubBrothers Old Boys
The Brothers Old Boys are an Australian rugby union club, based in Brisbane,Queensland. The team currently competes in the Queensland Premier Rugby competition against nine of the states best Rugby Union clubs. The club was established in 1905 and has won 27 premierships since...
. He made his representative debut for Queensland
Queensland Reds
The Queensland Reds represent Queensland in the sport of rugby union in the Southern Hemisphere Super Rugby competition. Prior to 1996 they were a representative team selected on merit from the rugby union club competitions in Queensland...
in 1954 and made further appearances for the state over the next five years.
He was selected in Australian national squad
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...
for the Wallabies 1957–58 Australia rugby union tour of Britain, Ireland and France. Connor made his Australian test debut on 4 January 1958 against Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
and played in all five internationals on the Australian tour. Later that year he captained the Wallabies in Tests against the New Zealand Māori rugby union team
New Zealand Maori rugby union team
New Zealand Māori is a rugby union team that traditionally plays teams touring New Zealand. A prerequisite for playing in this team is that the player is to have Māori whakapapa or genealogy. In the past this rule was not strictly applied. In the past non-Māori players who looked Māori were often...
, and then played against the All Blacks on a tour of New Zealand.
At the start of the 1960s he left Australia to continue his teaching career in New Zealand.
New Zealand rugby career
In New Zealand he started playing at the Marist club, won selection for Auckland and in 1961 made his All BlacksAll Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
debut against France having fulfilled the short-term residency requirement in force at the time. Connor toured Australia with the All Blacks the following year and eventually went on to win 12 caps for his adopted country, tasting defeat just once.
Coaching
He was to return to Australia as a coach and led the Wallabies out in their home series against New Zealand in 1968, where he unveiled to the world the tactic of playing with a shortened line-out – a ploy still employed today. He also oversaw tours to South Africa in 1969 and 1971 before eventually stepping down.It was Connor’s representation to the ARU after the 1969 tour that earned a Wallabies coach the right to also serve as a selector. He was also instrumental in organising Barbarians teams to forge closer links between schools and club rugby in Queensland.
Published sources
- Howell, Max (2005) Born to Lead – Wallaby Test Captains, Celebrity Books, Auckland NZ