Alonzo Stephen "Lonnie" Spragg (2 October 1879 – 12 February 1904) was a

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 who represented Australia. Spragg, a

centre Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentricity ...

, was born in

Redfern, New South Wales Redfern is an inner-city suburb of Sydney located 3 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the City of Sydney. Strawberry Hills is a locality on the border with Surry Hills. The area ...

and claimed four international rugby caps for Australia. He did not start playing rugby until he was seventeen and two years later he made his Test debut was against Great Britain, at Sydney, on 24 June 1899, the inaugural rugby Test match played by an Australian national representative side. Due to funding constraints he was one of only six

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 ...

players (with

Charlie Ellis Charles L. Seymour Ellis (18 January 1875 – 31 December 1943) was a rugby union player who represented Australia. Ellis, a lock and flanker, was born in Newcastle, New South Wales and claimed a total of four international rugby caps for ...

Hyram Marks Hyram A. Marks (8 June 1872 – 17 August 1957) was a rugby union player who represented Australia. Marks, a lock, was born in Sydney, NSW and attended Sydney Grammar School and Sydney University. He claimed two international rugby caps for Aust ...

Bob McCowan Robert Herman "Bob" McCowan (28 February 1875 – 29 April 1941) was a pioneer Australian rugby union player, a state and national representative fullback who played in his country's first Test series of 1899, captaining the national side on on ...

, Peter Ward &

Robert Challoner Robert Louis Challoner (3 October 1872 – 6 May 1955) was a rugby union player who represented for Australia. Challoner, a number 8, was born in Stratford-upon-Avon and claimed a total of 1 international rugby caps for Australia. His debu ...

) selected to make the trip to Brisbane four weeks later for the second Test.Howell p19 Zavos describes Spragg as a "crack three-quarter" and a "brilliant outside back".Zavos p95 He quotes contemporary commentators describing Spragg as "''possessing rare gifts, denoting a special aptitude for the game.....a splendid kick, either place or drop and eager and capable on defence"'' Spragg was also a state representative oarsman, and a cricketer who captained the Norths Brisbane Cricket Club. Spragg died in February 1904 at the age of 25, from appendicitis and peritonitis. A memorial was erected at Toowong Cemetery to his memory. 1899 Australian Team

Published references

* 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

Footnotes

External links

Spragg Stephen Alvinzo
– Brisbane City Council Grave Location Search (Note that his middle name is wrong). {{DEFAULTSORT:Spragg, Lonnie Australian rugby union players Australia international rugby union players 1879 births 1904 deaths Burials at Toowong Cemetery Rugby union players from Sydney Rugby union centres