Kevin Yow Yeh (1941– 27 June 1975) was an Australian rugby league player for the Balmain Tigers in the

New South Wales Rugby League premiership The New South Wales Rugby League premiership was the first rugby league football club competition established in Australia and contributor to today's National Rugby League. Run by the New South Wales Rugby League (initially named the New Sout ...

competition, his position of choice was on the . His great-nephew is retired Brisbane Broncos player

Jharal Yow Yeh Jharal Yow Yeh (born 22 December 1989) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played for the Brisbane Broncos in the NRL. An Australian international and Queensland State of Origin representative or , he also played ...

Queensland career

Yow Yeh began his career in Gladstone, and played for the Redcliffe Dolphins. In 1964 Yow Yeh was named the Redcliffe club's player of the year and in 1965 Redcliffe defeated Valleys at

Lang Park Lang Park, also known as Brisbane Football Stadium, by the sponsored name Suncorp Stadium, and nicknamed: 'The Cauldron', is a multi-purpose stadium in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, located in the suburb of Milton. The current facility co ...

to win the Brisbane Rugby League grand final.

Sydney career

He was then sold to the Balmain Tigers along with fellow Redcliffe player

Arthur Beetson Arthur Henry "Artie" Beetson OAM (21 January 1945 – 1 December 2011

for a fee of about 1,500 pounds each. According to Beetson in his autobiography Yow Yeh was of Aboriginal and South Sea Islander descent. His nickname was "Rab" or "Rabbie". His highlight for Balmain came in his debut season when he appeared for them at centre in the

1966 NSWRFL season The 1966 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the 59th season of the rugby league competition based in Sydney. Ten clubs from across the city competed for the J.J. Giltinan Shield and the WD & HO Wills Cup during the season, which ...

's grand final against the St. George Dragons, a game which they eventually lost. Kevin only played two seasons for the club and because he could never fully adjust to city life he left Balmain at the end of the

1967 NSWRFL season The 1967 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the 60th season of Sydney's professional rugby league football competition, Australia's first. The introduction of the Cronulla-Sutherland and Penrith clubs saw a total of twelve t ...

to return home. He will be remembered for being involved in a great covering tackle by Canterbury fullback

Les Johns Les Johns (born 1942 in Newcastle, New South Wales) is a former Australian professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1960s and early 1970s. Club career Les Johns started his career at Newcastle's Souths club. He then played nine ...

at the

Sydney Sports Ground The Sydney Sports Ground No. 1 was a Stadium and Dirt track racing venue in Sydney, New South Wales. The ground was located where the car park of the Sydney Football Stadium (SFS) currently sits. The ground had two main grandstands and was surro ...

also in 1966.

Later life and death

Arthur Beetson wrote of Yow Yeh: "he couldn't live with the white man, a hatred inspired by the attitudes of some. It virtually killed him". Yow Yeh's suffering manifested as alcoholism. He died in the watchhouse at

Mackay Mackay may refer to: *Clan Mackay, the Scottish clan from which the surname "MacKay" derives Mackay may also refer to: Places Australia * Mackay Region, a local government area ** Mackay, Queensland, a city in the above region *** Mackay Airport ...

Jail on 27 June 1975, supposedly of a heart attack. Beetson has "always been suspicious" about the circumstances and considers it "another

Aboriginal death in custody Aboriginal deaths in custody is a political and social issue in Australia. It rose in prominence in the early 1980s, with Aboriginal activists campaigning following the death of 16-year-old John Peter Pat in 1983. Subsequent deaths in custody, ...

" where the true real story will never be revealed.

References

* Arthur Beetson. ''Big Artie: the autobiography.'' ABC Books, 2004 1941 births 1975 deaths Australian people of Vanuatuan descent Australian people who died in prison custody Australian rugby league players Balmain Tigers players Indigenous Australian rugby league players Prisoners who died in Queensland detention Redcliffe Dolphins players Rugby league players from Queensland Rugby league wingers Place of birth missing {{Australia-rugbyleague-bio-1940s-stub