Frank Leonard Row (25 January 1877 – 28 January 1950) was a pioneer

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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 ...

player, a

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and national representative

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who was his country's first Test captain in 1899, leading the national side on three occasions.

Early life and club rugby

Born in Dalby,

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_ ...

Row's father William had emigrated from

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and settled in

in 1864 to farm. The family moved to

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

and after his schooling at

Sydney Boys High School Sydney Boys High School (”SBHS”), otherwise known as The Sydney High School (“SHS”) or High, is a Education in Australia#Government schools, government-funded Single-sex school, single-sex Selective school (New South Wales), academically s ...

, Row played for Manly Federals, Wallaroos and North Sydney. In the early 1900s Rowe would move to

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where he continued to play rugby, captaining a

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side in 1902. Row's younger brother

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was also a Wallaby representative from 1907 to 1910.

Representative career

Row was first selected in a

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

representative side in 1896 and he played ten games in total for his state up till 1902. In 1899 he served as captain of

on four occasions. He played at fullback for New South Wales against

Matthew Mullineux Matthew Mullineux MC (8 August 1867 – 13 February 1945) was an English rugby union scrum-half who, although not capped for England, was selected for two British Lions tours. He gained one cap during the 1896 tour to South Africa and cap ...

's first British Lions to tour Australia with the hosts going down narrowly 4-3. He was then selected at centre in a Sydney Metropolitan side who played against the same tourists days later, in which game he kicked a conversion. Consequently, Row was selected at centre for the first Test of the tour - Australian rugby union's inaugural Test match - played at the

Sydney Cricket Ground The Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) is a sports stadium in Sydney, Australia. It is used for Test cricket, Test, One Day International and Twenty20 cricket, as well as, Australian rules football and occasionally for rugby league, rugby union and as ...

on 24 June 1899. The players in those days elected their captain and chose Row, Queensland-born but a New South Wales resident.Howell p. 18 Few New South Welshman were sent north to Queensland for the second Test match of the tour a month later and although he was the incumbent skipper, Row was not selected. He was picked again in the centres and led the side in the third and fourth Tests of the tour played in Sydney in August 1899 both losses to Australia. His Test record therefore was three appearances, all as captain for one win and two losses. 1899 Australian Team

Bibliography

* Collection (1995) ''Gordon Bray presents The Spirit of Rugby'', Harper Collins Publishers Sydney * Howell, Max (2005) ''Born to Lead - Wallaby Test Captains'', Celebrity Books, Auckland NZ * Zavos, Spiro (2000) ''The Golden Wallabies'', Penguin, Victoria

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Row, Frank Australian rugby union players Australian rugby union captains Australia international rugby union players 1877 births 1950 deaths Rugby union players from Queensland Rugby union centres People from Dalby, Queensland