Lachlan Ashwell Grant (4 October 1923 – 27 April 2002) was a New Zealand

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. Born in

Temuka Temuka is a town on New Zealand's Canterbury Plains, 15 kilometres north of Timaru and 142 km south of Christchurch. It is located at the centre of a rich sheep and dairy farming region, for which it is a service town. It lies on the north ...

, Grant is regarded as that town's finest rugby product. A flanker and

lock Lock(s) may refer to: Common meanings *Lock and key, a mechanical device used to secure items of importance *Lock (water navigation), a device for boats to transit between different levels of water, as in a canal Arts and entertainment * ''Lock ...

, Booth represented at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the

All Blacks The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks ( mi, Ōpango), represents New Zealand in men's international rugby union, which is considered the country's national sport. The team won the Rugby World Cup in 1987 ...

, from 1947 to 1951. He played 23 matches for the All Blacks including four internationals, and captained the team in two matches during the 1951 tour of Australia.

Early life and rugby

Educated at

Timaru Boys' High School Timaru Boys' High School (also known as TBHS), established in 1880, is a single sex state (public) secondary school located in the port city of Timaru, South Canterbury, New Zealand. TBHS caters for years 9 to 13 (ages 12 to 19 years). At th ...

, Grant played club rugby for the Temuka Rugby Club, and made his debut for South Canterbury in 1941 as a 17-year-old. He then served overseas with the

2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force The New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) was the title of the military forces sent from New Zealand to fight alongside other British Empire and Dominion troops during World War I (1914–1918) and World War II (1939–1945). Ultimately, the NZE ...

(2NZEF) during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Following the end of the war, he was called into the 2NZEF rugby team, known as the "Kiwis", that toured Britain and France, as an injury replacement early in the tour, and he appeared in 13 matches.

Post-war rugby

Returning from the war Grant played for Temuka and South Canterbury. However, it was not too long before higher honours beckoned including appearances for the

Hanan Shield The Hanan Shield is one of the most prestigious trophies in New Zealand's domestic rugby union competition. First played for in 1946 after being presented by the Mayor of Timaru, A.E.S. Hanan. The Hanan Shield is based on a challenge system played ...

s Districts in 1946, and New Zealand trials in 1947, culminating in his selection for the All Blacks' 1947 tour of Australia. He made his

Test Test(s), testing, or TEST may refer to: * Test (assessment), an educational assessment intended to measure the respondents' knowledge or other abilities Arts and entertainment * ''Test'' (2013 film), an American film * ''Test'' (2014 film), ...

debut against at

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 ...

on 14 July 1947. During his All Blacks career, Grant scored four tries. Grant was captain of the 1950 South Canterbury team that defeated

Wairarapa The Wairarapa (; ), a geographical region of New Zealand, lies in the south-eastern corner of the North Island, east of metropolitan Wellington and south-west of the Hawke's Bay Region. It is lightly populated, having several rural service ...

17–14 to lift the

Ranfurly Shield The Ranfurly Shield, colloquially known as the Log o' Wood, is a trophy in New Zealand's domestic rugby union competition. First played for in 1904, the Shield is based on a challenge system. The holding union must defend the shield in challeng ...

; in that match he scored two tries and converted a penalty from halfway.

Later life and death

After his retirement as a player, Grant was a committee member at the Temuka Rugby Club, and in 1976 he served as president of the South Canterbury Rugby Football Union. He died in

Timaru Timaru (; mi, Te Tihi-o-Maru) is a port city in the southern Canterbury Region of New Zealand, located southwest of Christchurch and about northeast of Dunedin on the eastern Pacific coast of the South Island. The Timaru urban area is home to ...

on 27 April 2002.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Grant, Lachie 1923 births 2002 deaths People from Temuka People educated at Timaru Boys' High School New Zealand rugby union players New Zealand international rugby union players South Canterbury rugby union players Rugby union locks Rugby union flankers New Zealand military personnel of World War II New Zealand sports executives and administrators Rugby union players from Canterbury, New Zealand