Ken Catchpole facts for kids

Kenneth "Ken" William Catchpole (born June 21, 1939 – died December 21, 2017) was a famous Australian rugby union player. He was known as one of Australia's greatest ever scrum-halves.

Ken Catchpole played for his state, New South Wales, and for the national team, the Wallabies. He played 27 matches for Australia, and was captain in 13 of those games. He started playing for the Randwick club when he was young. By age 19, he was playing for New South Wales. At just 21, he became the captain of the Australian national team.

Ken Catchpole was survived by his four children, Andrew, Mark, Jodie, and Sarah, and his grandchildren, Bryce, Bailey, Kai, and Ella.

Early Life and School Years

Ken Catchpole was born in Paddington, New South Wales. He first went to Randwick Primary School. Later, he attended Coogee Preparatory School. Ken was very good at many sports. He played rugby, swam, played tennis, and even boxed.

He earned a special academic scholarship to The Scots College for his high school studies. His amazing rugby skills meant he played for the Scots First XV team for three years. He was chosen for the GPS (Athletic Association of the Great Public Schools of New South Wales) 3rd team in his first senior year. Then, he made the GPS 1st team in his last two years. After high school, he went to Sydney University to study science.

Ken Catchpole's Rugby Career

Ken Catchpole decided to play for his local club, Randwick DRUFC, instead of the Sydney Uni Rugby Club. He started playing for Randwick in 1958 when he was 18. The next year, he became a regular player in the first-grade team.

After only a few games, he made his state debut for New South Wales. This was against the touring British Lions team. He played alongside Arthur Summons and even scored a try. New South Wales won the game 18–14, which was a big surprise. The very next year, at age 20, he was chosen to captain New South Wales. This was for matches against the famous All Blacks.

Leading the Wallabies

In 1961, Ken Catchpole played his first Test match for Australia. He was also the captain, leading the Wallabies to victory against Fiji in a three-game series. In the same year, he captained Australia on a tour to South Africa. He also led the team in a Test match at home against France. In 1963, he toured South Africa again, playing in all three Test matches.

Ken Catchpole played as a scrum-half. He often played with Phil Hawthorne as the fly-half. They became one of rugby's most famous pairs. In 1965, Catchpole played against South Africa in Australia. The Wallabies won both Test matches against the Springboks.

He also toured the United Kingdom in 1966 and 1967. He captained Australia to wins in Test matches against England and Wales. He also led the team against Scotland and Ireland. After the win against England, the President of the English Rugby Union called him "the greatest halfback of all time."

Career-Ending Injury

After returning from the UK tour, Ken Catchpole captained Australia, New South Wales, and Sydney in matches against a touring Irish team in 1967. He was also honored with the Australian captaincy later that year. This was for the 75th Jubilee Test, which celebrated the anniversary of the New Zealand Rugby Union.

The next year, in 1968, he was chosen as captain again for a two-Test series against the All Blacks. In the first of those Tests, he suffered a very serious leg injury. Colin "Pinetree" Meads grabbed and twisted Catchpole's leg during a ruck. This caused a severe injury to his hamstring and groin muscles. Ken Catchpole was 28 years old, and this injury ended his rugby career.

Awards and Recognition

Ken Catchpole received many honors for his contributions to rugby.

• In January 2001, he was given the Centenary Medal for his service to Australian society through rugby union.
• He also received the Australian Sports Medal for his services to rugby union.
• In the 2001 Australia Day Honours, he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM). This was for his service to rugby union football and the community.

In 2004, Ken Catchpole was added to the Wall of Fame at the Museum of Rugby. There is a special plaque in the Walk of Honour at the Sydney Cricket Ground that remembers his career. A statue of him stands at the Sydney Football Stadium. The award for the best player in the Shute Shield competition is named the Ken Catchpole Medal in his honor.

In 2005, he was one of the first five people to be inducted into the Australian Rugby Union Hall of Fame. The President of the Australian Rugby Union, Paul McLean, said Catchpole "exuded grace and majesty." Ken Catchpole was also inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1985 and the IRB Hall of Fame in 2013.

Bob Dwyer, a former Australian rugby coach, wrote in his book that Ken Catchpole was one of the five most skilled Australian rugby players he had ever seen. He said Catchpole was the best in terms of his "all-round ability."

In 2013, an Australian sports magazine called Inside Rugby named its four Australian Invincibles. This is like the "Immortals" in rugby league. Ken Catchpole was named alongside Col Windon, Mark Ella, and David Campese as the first "Invincibles" of Australian rugby.

Later Life

Ken Catchpole passed away in Sydney on December 21, 2017, at the age of 78. He had been battling an illness for a long time.

See also

In Spanish: Ken Catchpole para niños