Jack Sullivan (rugby union)

John Lorraine Sullivan CBE (30 March 1915 – 9 July 1990) was a New Zealand rugby union player, coach and administrator. A three-quarter and second five-eighth, Sullivan represented Taranaki at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, from 1936 to 1938. He played nine matches for the All Blacks including six internationals.^[1]

Jack Sullivan

CBE

Birth name	John Lorraine Sullivan
Date of birth	(1915-03-30)30 March 1915
Place of birth	Tahora, New Zealand
Date of death	9 July 1990(1990-07-09) (aged 75)
Place of death	Wellington, New Zealand
Height	1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight	80 kg (180 lb)
Occupation(s)	Oil company executive
Rugby union career
Position(s) Wing, centre, second five-eighth Provincial / State sides Years Team Apps (Points) 1934–40 Taranaki 44 () International career Years Team Apps (Points) 1936–38 New Zealand 6 (9) Coaching career Years Team Taranaki 1958 New Zealand under-23 1960 New Zealand

He was selected by the editors of the 1937 Rugby Almanac of New Zealand as one of their 5 players of the year.

Following World War II, during which he saw service overseas, Sullivan became a rugby union coach, selector and administrator. He coached the Taranaki team during the late 1940s, the New Zealand under-23 side in 1958, and the All Blacks on their 1960 tour to South Africa. He was also a Taranaki selector, a North Island selector (1952–59) and a national selector (1954–60). Sullivan served on the New Zealand Rugby Union executive from 1962 to 1977, and was chairman between 1969 and 1977.^[1]

In 1977, Sullivan was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal.^[2] In the 1978 New Year Honours, he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire, for services to rugby.^[3] He died in Wellington in 1990,^[1] and was buried in Te Henui Cemetery, New Plymouth.^[4]

References

1. Knight, Lindsay. "Jack Sullivan". New Zealand Rugby Union. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
2. Taylor, Alister; Coddington, Deborah (1994). Honoured by the Queen – New Zealand. Auckland: New Zealand Who's Who Aotearoa. p. 433. ISBN 0-908578-34-2.
3. "No. 47420". The London Gazette (3rd supplement). 31 December 1977. p. 42.
4. "Cemetery search". New Plymouth District Council. Retrieved 7 December 2014.

Sporting positions
Preceded by Dick Everest	All Blacks coach 1958–1960	Succeeded by Neil McPhail

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