Nev Callaghan
Australian rugby league player
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Neville Alan Callaghan (17 February 1936 – 3 December 2016) was an Australian rugby league player, who played one representative game for Queensland in 1959.[1][2]
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| Full name | Neville Alan Callaghan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 17 February 1936 Rockhampton, Queensland | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 3 December 2016 (aged 80) Rockhampton, Queensland | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Rugby league
Born in Rockhampton, Callaghan became interested in rugby league as a primary school student when Cyril Connell Jnr. took up a teaching position at Allenstown State School in 1947.[3]
After playing the sport at school, Callaghan rose through the junior rugby league grades through the 1950s while playing for local clubs Colts and then Fitzroys.[4] He was acknowledged as being Fitzroys' most improved junior player in 1954.[5]
In 1956, he represented Central Queensland when he played in the second row against New Zealand at the Rockhampton Showgrounds during the 1956 New Zealand rugby league tour of Australia.[citation needed]
Callaghan's career highlight came in 1959 when he was selected to play as a hooker for Queensland in the second game of the 1959 Interstate series at Lang Park on 30 May 1959 as a replacement for an injured Noel Kelly. Playing in a team alongside Elton Rasmussen, Bob Banks, Barry Muir, Paul Pyers, Dud Beattie, Henry Holloway and Jim Paterson, it was seen that Callaghan had a promising rugby league career.[3]
However, that same year Callaghan decided to retire from the sport at the age of 24 due to issues with his knees and his desire to go into business.[4] In later years, Callaghan openly expressed regret at the premature end to his rugby league career.[6] In 2012, Callaghan said he "retired too early" because he "couldn't afford to get hurt".[6]
Despite this, Callaghan continued his involvement with rugby league in Rockhampton.[7] In 2008, a new undercover seating area at Browne Park was named the Nev Callaghan Stand in his honour, in recognition of his service to the sport.[3]