Australian Rugby Union commemorates two great players – Rugby news
Australian Rugby Union (ARU) has paid special tributes to two of the most intriguing figures in the history of Australian Rugby. ARU on Friday, June 24, held separate services to commemorate the former Wallabies international flanker David Brockhoff and
Prop Rex Mossop.
Both David Brockhoff and Rex Mossop died last weekend within a day of each other. Brockhoff and Mossop were part of the Wallabies outfit that recovered the Bledisloe Cup after a span of 15 years in 1949. The Wallabies won both their matches during the 1949
Bledisloe Cup campaign.
ARU’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) John O’Neill AO, who is also ARU’s Managing Director spoke fondly of both the former Wallabies international players. He also expressed his condolences to the grieved families.
In his tribute, O’Neil termed Brockhoff as a great enthusiast of the game and a great admirer of Australian Rugby. He said, “Everyone associated with the game will never forget his commitment to the Wallabies. How he would be there at the airport to farewell
them whenever they travelled overseas, and how he would be there again at whatever hour to welcome them home when they returned to Australia.”
O’Neil has termed the demise of Brockhoff as a great loss to the Australian game. He further added, “His passion for Rugby was a flame that never flickered. It burned as brightly in his later years as it did when making his Test debut more than 60 years
ago, or when leading the Wallabies on a famous victory lap of the SCG in 1979 after coaching them to our first Bledisloe Cup success in 30 years.”
O’Neil has termed the former Wallabies international Rex Mossop as a larger than life character. Mossep was more of social figure, a status that he attained because of his commentary job. He said, “He was an uncompromising player whose hunger to succeed
on the field transferred off the field to a successful and colourful media career.”
Former Wallaby captain Sir Nicholas Shehadie, who led the Australian team to the victory in the 1949 Bledisloe Cup, also spoke on the occasion. He said, “I was very fortunate to have toured with both David and Rex to New Zealand in 1949, when we won the
Bledisloe Cup on NZ soil for the first time. David was a great ambassador for Rugby and Rex was a talented sportsman.”
In addition to O’Neil and Shehadie, former Wallaby captain, Geoff Shaw paid tribute to both Brockhoff and Mossep and termed their personalities as unique.
Wallabies world cup winner captain, Simon Poidevin, who lifted the 1991 Rugby World Cup trophy has termed both men as “tough and dynamic forwards.” Commenting on their demise he said, “Australian Rugby has lost two of its most enduring and inspirational
sons in David Brockoff and Rex Mossop.”
The Australian rugby fraternity will surely miss the two giants of the game.
Tags: