Cecil Ramalli facts for kids

Cecil Ramalli (born 10 June 1919 – died 1998) was a talented Australian rugby union player and soldier. He played for Australia's national rugby team, the Wallabies, twice.

Early Life and School

Cecil Ramalli was born on 10 June 1919. His birthplace was Mungindi, a town in New South Wales. His father, Ali Ramalli, was a merchant from Lahore. He came to Sydney in 1898 and worked as a hawker. A hawker is someone who travels around selling goods. Cecil's mother, Adeline Doyle, was an Aboriginal Australian woman. She was from near Mungindi.

In 1934, Cecil started attending Hurlstone Agricultural High School. This school is located in Sydney.

Rugby Career Highlights

At Hurlstone Agricultural High School, Cecil's amazing talent for rugby was discovered. By his third year of playing school rugby, he became the captain. He led the school's top team, known as the First XV.

In 1938, when he was just 18 years old, Cecil made his big debut. He played for the New South Wales team.

Later that year, in August 1938, Cecil played his first game for Australia. This was a "Test match" against New Zealand. It took place at the Brisbane Exhibition Ground. He also played in the third Test match in Sydney. This was his last game for the Wallabies.

Cecil was chosen for a team of 29 players. This team was going to tour Britain in 1939. However, the team arrived in Portsmouth just one day before Britain declared war on Germany. Because World War II had started, the team had to return to Australia.

War Service

In 1940, Cecil Ramalli decided to join the military. He enlisted with the Australian Imperial Force. This was the main fighting force of the Australian Army during World War II. He had first tried to join the Royal Australian Air Force and the Royal Australian Navy.