John Graham (rugby union) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Sir John Graham

Graham in 1960
Birth name	David John Graham
Date of birth	(1935-01-09)9 January 1935
Place of birth	Stratford, New Zealand
Date of death	2 August 2017(2017-08-02) (aged 82)
Place of death	Auckland, New Zealand
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight	83 kg (183 lb)
School	New Plymouth Boys' High School
University	Auckland University College
Occupation(s)	Educator and educational administrator
Rugby union career
Position(s) Flanker, number 8 All Black No. 593 Provincial / State sides Years Team Apps (Points) 1955–57 1958–65 Auckland Canterbury () National team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 1958–64 New Zealand 22 (6)

Sir David John Graham (born January 9, 1935 – died August 2, 2017) was a famous New Zealander. He was known as John Graham. He was a great teacher and a talented rugby union player.

John Graham was the president of the New Zealand Rugby Football Union (NZRFU). He also played for the All Blacks, New Zealand's national rugby team. He played in 22 international matches between 1958 and 1964, and was captain for three of those games.

Outside of rugby, he was the headmaster of Auckland Grammar School for 20 years. He also managed the New Zealand cricket team and was the Chancellor of the University of Auckland.

Early Life and Education

John Graham was born in Stratford. He went to New Plymouth Boys' High School with his brothers. There, he played rugby for the school's top team.

After high school, he studied at Auckland University College. He earned a Master of Arts degree in history. During this time, he also played for the Auckland provincial rugby team. In only his fourth game for Auckland, he played against the famous 1956 Springboks team from South Africa.

Rugby Star

In 1958, after finishing university, John Graham moved to Christchurch. He became a teacher at Christchurch Boys' High School. He joined the Christchurch High School Old Boys rugby club and became their captain right away.

That same year, he was chosen to play for the All Blacks. He made his first international appearance on August 23 in Wellington. The All Blacks won that game 25–3 against Australia.

In 1960, he toured South Africa with the All Blacks. He played in 10 matches and often captained the team. John Graham was known for being a smart and fast player. He became one of the best loose forwards for the All Blacks.

When Wilson Whineray, another All Black captain, retired in 1964, John Graham took over as captain. He led the All Blacks until he retired from rugby in 1965. In total, he played 31 games for the All Blacks, captaining seven of them. He scored 11 tries for the team.

Life After Rugby

After retiring from rugby, John Graham went back to teaching. He became the Head of Social Studies at Christchurch Boys' High School. Later, he became the Headmaster of Auckland Grammar School in 1973. He held this important job for 21 years.

John Graham was not afraid to share his strong opinions about rugby. After touring South Africa in 1960, he felt it was wrong to play there because of the country's apartheid system. He and Wilson Whineray refused to watch the 1981 Springbok tour of New Zealand.

He also believed that nothing but the silver fern should be on the All Black jersey. He thought that New Zealanders focused too much on rugby. He said that solving problems like poverty and unemployment were much more important than how well the rugby team played.

John Graham spent many years working in education. He believed that teachers should share knowledge with students. He passed away in Auckland on August 2, 2017.

Awards and Recognition

John Graham receiving his knighthood from the governor-general, Sir Anand Satyanand, in 2011.

In 1994, John Graham was honored by the Queen. He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for his work in education.

From 1997 to 1999, he managed the New Zealand cricket team. In 1999, he became the Chancellor of the University of Auckland, a role he held until 2004.

In 1999, North & South magazine named him "New Zealander of the Year." The magazine called him a "Renaissance man" because he was good at so many different things.

In 2005, he was elected president of the New Zealand Rugby Football Union. The University of Auckland also gave him an Honorary Doctorate that same year.

In 2011, John Graham received another high honor. He was appointed a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit. This was for his great contributions to both education and sports.