Frank Row
Encyclopedia
Frank Leonard Row was a pioneer Australia
n rugby union
player, a state
and national representative centre who was his country's first Test captain in 1899, leading the national side on three occasions.
, Queensland
Row's father William had emigrated from England and settled in Queensland in 1864 to farm . The family moved to Sydney and after his schooling at Sydney Boys High School
Row played for Manly Federals, Wallaroos and North Sydney. In the early 1900s Rowe would move to New Zealand where he continued to play rugby, captaining a Wellington side in 1902. Row's younger brother Norman
was also a Wallaby representative from 1907 to 1910.
representative side in 1896 and he played ten games in total for his state up till 1902. In 1899 he served as captain of New South Wales on four occasions..
He played at fullback for New South Wales against Matthew Mullineux
's first British Lions to tour Australia
with the hosts going down narrowly 4-3. He was then selected at centre in a Sydney Metropolitan side who played against the same tourists days later, in which game he kicked a conversion. Consequently Row was selected at centre for the first Test of the tour - Australian rugby union's inaugural Test match - played at the Sydney Cricket Ground
on 24 June 1899. The players in those days elected their captain and chose Row, Queensland-born but a New South Wales resident. Few New South Welshman were sent north to Queensland for the second Test match of the tour a month later and although he was the incumbent skipper, Row was not selected. He was picked again in the centres and led the side in the third and fourth Tests of the tour played in Sydney in August 1899 both losses to Australia. His Test record therefore was three appearances, all as captain for one win and two losses.
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...
player, 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 centre who was his country's first Test captain in 1899, leading the national side on three occasions.
Early life and club rugby
Born in DalbyDalby, Queensland
Dalby is a town in the Darling Downs region of Queensland, Australia, and is located approximately west of the state capital, Brisbane, at the junction of the Warrego, Moonie and Bunya Highways. Dalby is the administrative centre of the Western Downs Region and the centre of Australia's richest...
, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
Row's father William had emigrated from England and settled in Queensland in 1864 to farm . The family moved to Sydney and after his schooling at Sydney Boys High School
Sydney Boys High School
Sydney Boys High School is an academically selective public secondary school for boys, located in the City of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, with 1,180 students, from years 7 to 12...
Row played for Manly Federals, Wallaroos and North Sydney. In the early 1900s Rowe would move to New Zealand where he continued to play rugby, captaining a Wellington side in 1902. Row's younger brother Norman
Norm Row
Norman Edward Row was a rugby union player who represented in the Australia national rugby union team. His brother Frank Row was Australia's inaugural rugby Test captain in 1899....
was also a Wallaby representative from 1907 to 1910.
Representative career
Row was first selected in a New South WalesNew 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...
representative side in 1896 and he played ten games in total for his state up till 1902. In 1899 he served as captain of New South Wales on four occasions..
He played at fullback for New South Wales against Matthew Mullineux
Matthew Mullineux
Matthew Mullineux MC was an English rugby union scrum-half who, although not capped for England, was selected for two British Lions tours. He gained one cap during the 1896 tour to South Africa and captained the 1899 tour of Australia...
's first British Lions to tour Australia
1899 British Lions tour to Australia
The 1899 British Isles tour to Australia was the fourth rugby union tour by a British Isles team and the second to Australia; though the first tour in 1888 was a private venture, making the 1899 tour the first official undertaking of Australia...
with the hosts going down narrowly 4-3. He was then selected at centre in a Sydney Metropolitan side who played against the same tourists days later, in which game he kicked a conversion. Consequently Row was selected at centre for the first Test of the tour - Australian rugby union's inaugural Test match - played 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...
on 24 June 1899. The players in those days elected their captain and chose Row, Queensland-born but a New South Wales resident. Few New South Welshman were sent north to Queensland for the second Test match of the tour a month later and although he was the incumbent skipper, Row was not selected. He was picked again in the centres and led the side in the third and fourth Tests of the tour played in Sydney in August 1899 both losses to Australia. His Test record therefore was three appearances, all as captain for one win and two losses.