Malcolm McArthur
Encyclopedia
Malcolm J. "Mannie" McArthur (30 July 1882 – 1961) was an Australia
n rugby union
national representative rugby union
player. He won a gold medal in rugby at the 1908 Summer Olympics
.
in Sydney. He was selected in Australia's inaugural national rugby team to tour the northern hemisphere - Dr Paddy Moran
's First Wallabies
for the 1908-09 Australia rugby union tour of the British Isles and France.
At the time the rugby tournament for the London Olympics
game may not have appeared to be of great significance. Australia had already beaten Cornwall, the British county champions early in the tour and Scotland
, Ireland
and France had all turned down the Rugby Football Union
's invitation to participate in the Olympic bouts. Neither the tour captain Moran, nor the vice-captain Fred Wood
played, so Chris McKivat
led the Wallabies to an easy 32-3 victory and to Olympic glory, with each Wallaby in that match thereafter an Olympic gold medallist.
McArthur made his Test debut on that tour at Rectory Field, Blackheath in the Test against England
in January 1909 - a match won by Australia 9-3.
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...
national representative 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. He won a gold medal in rugby at the 1908 Summer Olympics
1908 Summer Olympics
The 1908 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the IV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in 1908 in London, England, United Kingdom. These games were originally scheduled to be held in Rome. At the time they were the fifth modern Olympic games...
.
Rugby career
McArthur's rugby career was played with the Eastern Suburbs RUFCEastern 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 Sydney. He was selected in Australia's inaugural national rugby team to tour the northern hemisphere - Dr Paddy Moran
Herbert Moran
Herbert Michael "Paddy" Moran was an Australian rugby union player, a state and national representative flanker who captained the Wallabies' on their first overseas tour in 1908-09.-Early years:...
's First 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...
for the 1908-09 Australia rugby union tour of the British Isles and France.
1908 Summer Olympics
The 1908 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the IV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in 1908 in London, England, United Kingdom. These games were originally scheduled to be held in Rome. At the time they were the fifth modern Olympic games...
game may not have appeared to be of great significance. Australia had already beaten Cornwall, the British county champions early in the tour and Scotland
Scottish Rugby Union
The Scottish Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Scotland. It is the second oldest Rugby Union, having been founded in 1873, as the Scottish Football Union.-History:...
, Ireland
Irish Rugby Football Union
The Irish Rugby Football Union is the body managing rugby union in Ireland. The IRFU has its head office at 10/12 Lansdowne Road and home ground at Aviva Stadium, where Irish rugby union international matches are played...
and France had all turned down the Rugby Football Union
Rugby Football Union
The Rugby Football Union was founded in 1871 as the governing body for the sport of rugby union, and performed as the international governing body prior to the formation of the International Rugby Board in 1886...
's invitation to participate in the Olympic bouts. Neither the tour captain Moran, nor the vice-captain Fred Wood
Fred Wood
Frederick Wood was an Australian rugby union player, a state and national representative half-back. He was vice-captain of the Wallabies on their first overseas tour in 1908-09 and later captained the side in Test matches in 1910 and 1914...
played, so Chris McKivat
Chris McKivat
Christopher Hobart McKivat was an Australian rugby union and rugby league player – a dual-code rugby international. 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...
led the Wallabies to an easy 32-3 victory and to Olympic glory, with each Wallaby in that match thereafter an Olympic gold medallist.
McArthur made his Test debut on that tour at Rectory Field, Blackheath in the Test against England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
in January 1909 - a match won by Australia 9-3.