Chris McKivat facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Chris McKivat

Birth name	Christopher Hobart McKivat
Date of birth	(1880-11-27)27 November 1880
Place of birth	Cumnock, New South Wales
Date of death	4 May 1941(1941-05-04) (aged 60)
Place of death	Camperdown, New South Wales
Height	175 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Weight	76 kg (168 lb)
Rugby union career
Position(s) fly-half Five-eighth & halfback Amateur team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 1895–1900 Bowen Brothers () 1900–05 Wellington () 1905 Glebe Rugby Union () National team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 1907–09 Wallabies 4 (0)
Rugby league career
Playing information
Position	Halfback
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 1910–14 Glebe Dirty Reds 54 15 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 1910–12 New South Wales 13 15 1910–12 Australia 5 12
Coaching information
Representative Years Team Gms W D L W% 1915–20 Glebe Dirty Reds 1920–22 North Sydney 1928 Western Suburbs

Christopher Hobart McKivat (born November 27, 1880 – died May 4, 1941) was an amazing Australian athlete. He played both rugby union and rugby league, which are two different types of rugby. This made him a "dual-code international" player.

McKivat played for the Wallabies (Australia's rugby union team) from 1907 to 1909. He also played for the Kangaroos (Australia's rugby league team) from 1910 to 1912. What makes him truly special is that he is the only person in Australian rugby history to be captain of both national teams! After he stopped playing, he became a very successful coach for the North Sydney Bears rugby league team.

Chris McKivat

A Unique Rugby Legend

Chris McKivat achieved something no other Australian rugby player has done. He led the 1908 Summer Olympics Wallaby team to a gold medal. He was also the eighth captain of the Australian national rugby league team. He led them in all three important matches during their 1911–12 tour. This means he captained his country to victory in two different kinds of rugby!

His Rugby Union Journey

McKivat was born in Cumnock, New South Wales. He went to school in Orange. He started playing rugby union in the countryside for the "Our Boys" club in Wellington. He was often chosen to play for country teams until he was 26 years old. He was a very smart player, especially as a half-back. He was also a great leader on the field.

People sometimes called him the "hairy bloke." In 1905, he moved to Sydney and joined the Glebe Rugby Club. For four seasons, he played as a five-eighth. In 1905, he was chosen to play for New South Wales against the famous All Blacks team from New Zealand. Then, in 1907, he played three matches for the Wallabies against the All Blacks.

McKivat was part of the first Wallaby tour to the United Kingdom in 1908–09. He was captain for 17 matches during this tour. This included the historic gold medal match at the 1908 London Olympics. In that game, the Wallabies played against Cornwall, which represented England.

McKivatt (middle row, second from left) with the 1908 Wallaby tour squad

His Rugby League Journey

In 1910, when he was 29, McKivat switched to professional rugby league. He joined the Glebe Rugby League Club.

He played his first international rugby league match on June 18, 1910, in Sydney against Great Britain. Four of his old Wallaby teammates also played their first rugby league international that day. These players were John Barnett, Bob Craig, Jack Hickey, and Charles Russell. This made them some of Australia's first players to play both rugby codes internationally.

Glebe RLFC in 1911. McKivat is in the center with the ball, with Roy Algie on his left and Frank Burge on his right.

The biggest success of his playing career came during the 1911–12 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain. He was captain of the Australian team for all three matches against Great Britain. Australia won two games and drew one, winning the series. This was Australia's first time winning the Rugby League Ashes series. It showed how brilliant he was on the field and how well he led his team.

On that tour, he played in 31 matches and scored 10 tries. People said he was a magnificent leader, tough, and an inspiration to his teammates. Johnny Quinlan, one of the tour managers, said McKivat "always set a splendid example in conduct and training – a natural leader." Chris McKivat is known as Kangaroo No. 67 on the Australian Players Register.

McKivat stopped playing international rugby at age 32 after winning the Ashes. He then became one of the first famous non-playing coaches in the sport. He coached Glebe, Wests, and Norths. He led North Sydney to win championships in 1921 and 1922.

Later Life and Legacy

Christopher McKivat passed away on May 4, 1941, at the age of 60, after a short illness. He was survived by his wife and son. His funeral was held at St. James Church in Forest Lodge, New South Wales. He was buried at Botany Cemetery.

People described him as a quiet and good-humored man off the field. He was always well-dressed and often smoked a cigar. But on the field, he was completely different – loud, tough, and always giving orders. The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper said he was "the 'best' halfback of all time." They added that "No one possessed better all round ability."

In 2005, McKivat was added to the Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame. In 2006, he was named as coach of the North Sydney Bears' Team of the Century. In 2008, he was included in the list of Australia's 100 Greatest Players. This list was created to celebrate 100 years of rugby league in Australia.

See also

• Rugby union at the 1908 Summer Olympics