Robert Esmond McMaster (15 January 1921 – 1 August 2003), also known by the

nickname A nickname is a substitute for the proper name of a familiar person, place or thing. Commonly used to express affection, a form of endearment, and sometimes amusement, it can also be used to express defamation of character. As a concept, it is ...

of "Wallaby Bob", was an Australian wrestler,

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...

and professional

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...

footballer. He played in the 1940s and 1950s, and was a wrestling referee in the 1960s and 1970s. He played representative level rugby union (RU) for

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, and at club level for

Brothers Old Boys Brothers Rugby Club (formally Brothers Old Boys) is an Australian rugby union club based in Brisbane, Queensland. The name alludes to its beginnings as a rugby club founded by alumni of schools established by the Congregation of Christian Brothe ...

, as a

prop A prop, formally known as (theatrical) property, is an object used on stage or screen by actors during a performance or screen production. In practical terms, a prop is considered to be anything movable or portable on a stage or a set, distinct ...

, i.e. number 1 or 3, and representative level rugby league (RL) for

Other Nationalities The Other Nationalities rugby league team are a rugby league representative team that usually consists of non-English players. They have also played under the name The Exiles and more recently Combined Nations All Stars. They competed in the first ...

and

British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...

, and at club level for

Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by populati ...

and

Past Brothers The Past Brothers Rugby League Football Club, or Brisbane Brothers Rugby League Football Club nicknamed the Leprechauns, or more commonly known as Brothers, or as The Brethren, was a rugby league club based in the city of Brisbane, Australia, t ...

, as a , i.e. number 8 or 10.

Background

McMaster was born in

Rockhampton Rockhampton is a city in the Rockhampton Region of Central Queensland, Australia. The population of Rockhampton in June 2021 was 79,967, Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018. making it the fourth-largest city in the state outside of the ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

, Australia, he was a pupil at Kelvin Grove State School, and then at St Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace, he retired from participative sport in the late 1950s to become the owner of the Wallaby Hotel at

Mudgeeraba Mudgeeraba ( ) is a town and suburb in the City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. In the , the suburb of Mudgeeraba had a population of 13,624 people. Mudgeeraba's essential character remains one of a nineteenth-century village, and contai ...

, Gold Coast hinterland, he sold the hotel in 1979 and retired to

Tallai, Queensland Tallai is a suburb in the City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. In the , Tallai had a population of 4,150 people. Geography Tallai is situated in the Gold Coast hinterland. History In the , the population of Tallai was 3,765, 51.8% fema ...

to concentrate on

trotting The trot is a ten-beat diagonal horse gait where the diagonal pairs of legs move forward at the same time with a moment of suspension between each beat. It has a wide variation in possible speeds, but averages about . A very slow trot is someti ...

, the horses were sold off in the early 1990s, he suffered a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...

while attending a presentation ceremony by the

Australian Rugby Union Rugby Australia Ltd, previously named the Australian Rugby Union Limited and Australian Rugby Football Union Limited, is an Australian company operating the premier rugby union competition in Australia and teams. It has its origins in 1949. It ...

at the

Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC) is a convention centre in Brisbane, Australia. It is located in South Brisbane and occupies most of the block formed by Grey Street, Melbourne Street, Merivale Street, and Glenelg Street. The centre ...

, and he died aged 82 in

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

, Australia.

International honours

Bob McMaster won

cap A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. Caps typically have a visor, or no brim at all. They are popular in casual and informal se ...

s for Australia (RU) while at Brothers Old Boys in 1946 against New Zealand, New Zealand Māori, and New Zealand, in 1947 against New Zealand (two matches), and on the

1947–48 Australia rugby union tour of Britain, Ireland, France and North America Between July 1947 and March 1948 the Australia national rugby union team – the Wallabies – conducted a world tour encompassing Ceylon, Britain, Ireland, France and the United States on which they played five Tests and thirty-six minor tour m ...

in 1947 against Ireland, and Wales, represented British Empire (RL) while at Leeds in 1949 against France, and won

s for

(RL) while at Leeds in 1949 against England, Wales, in 1950 against France (two matches), in 1951 against France, and in 1952 against England.

Wrestling

Bob McMaster made his début as a professional wrestler in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

during 1949, he was trained in Australia by former wrestler

Samuel Burmister Samuel (Sam) Burmister(1897-1962) was a professional wrestler from Estonia who represented the Russian Empire in the 1912 Olympic games as a lightweight. He was also a trainer of wrestlers, and performed in vaudeville and sideshows as a strongman. ...

, he toured South Africa in mid-1956, and later became a referee for

World Championship Wrestling (Australia) World Championship Wrestling was an Australian professional wrestling promotion that ran from 1964 until 1978. History The promotion gained publicity through television programs on the Nine Network, which were presented at noon on Saturdays and ...

Genealogical information

Bob McMaster was married (1948–61) to Joyce May (

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

Hamilton, (–January 2019), and married (1966–) the dancer Dawn Butler. He was the father of Jim McMaster, the comedian and impressionist

Danny McMaster Danny is a masculine given name. It is related to the male name Daniel. It may refer to: People * Danny Altmann, British immunologist *Danny Antonucci, Canadian animator, director, producer, and writer *Danny Baker (born 1957), English journal ...

, and the grandfather (Danny McMaster's son) of the

association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

(soccer) player

Griffin McMaster Griffin McMaster (born 2 June 1983) is an Australian footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for FC Bulleen Lions in the National Premier Leagues Victoria. Club career McMaster started playing for the Palm Beach Sharks and Surfers Paradise bef ...

References

External links

*(archived by web.archive.org
Profile at braveandgame.com.auProfile at obsessedwithwrestling.com
* {{DEFAULTSORT:McMaster, Robert 1921 births 2003 deaths Australian rugby league players Australian rugby union players Australia international rugby union players Australian male professional wrestlers British Empire rugby league team players Brothers Old Boys players Leeds Rhinos players Other Nationalities rugby league team players Past Brothers players Professional wrestling referees Rugby league players from Rockhampton, Queensland Rugby league props Rugby union players from Queensland Rugby union props Sportspeople from Rockhampton