Ken Catchpole
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Ken Catchpole (in Paddington in 1939) is a former Australian rugby union footballer. He played 27 matches for Australia, 13 of them as captain. Catchpole rose through the ranks at the Randwick club as a young man, before making his debut for New South Wales at only 19 years of age. He is considered of the games greatest scrumhalves.[1][2]
In 1961 Catchpole made his test debut as captain, leading the Wallabies to victory over Fiji in a three game series. That same year, as captain of Australia, he went on tour to South Africa. He repeated this again, two years later in 1963, when he again toured to South Africa.
Playing at scrumhalf, partnered with Phil Hawthorne at flyhalf, the pair became one of rugby's most famous duos. Catchpole again toured to South Africa in 1965, where the Wallabies won two tests in a three games series over the Springboks. He also toured the United Kingdom in 1966 and 1967, winning games against England and the Welsh. After the win against England the President of the English Rugby Union described him as "the greatest halfback the world has known". An injury in a test against New Zealand in 1968, forced him to hang up the boots.
