Kevin O'Brien (born 1932) is an Australian former

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as rugby league in English-speaking countries and rugby 13/XIII in non-Anglophone Europe, is a contact sport, full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular Rugby league playin ...

footballer in the 1950s. He was a premiership winning centre with the

St George Dragons The St. George Dragons are an Australian rugby league, rugby league football club from the St George, Sydney, St George District in Sydney, New South Wales that played in the top level New South Wales Rugby League, New South Wales competition ...

, made

state representative A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system. Two federations literally use the term "state legislature": * The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United St ...

appearances and toured with the Australian national side in 1956–57.

Playing career

O'Brien played five seasons with the

St. George Dragons The St. George Dragons are an Australian rugby league, rugby league football club from the St George, Sydney, St George District in Sydney, New South Wales that played in the top level New South Wales Rugby League, New South Wales competition ...

between 1954 and 1958. He won a premiership with

, playing alongside Merv Lees in the 1956 Grand Final. He also represented

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

in two appearances in 1956, and was selected to tour England with the 1956-57

Kangaroo Tour Kangaroo Tour is the name given to Australia national rugby league team tours of Great Britain and France, tours to New Zealand and the one-off tour to Papua New Guinea (1991). The first Kangaroo Tour was in 1908. Traditionally, Kangaroo Tours too ...

. He played in 11 matches on tour, but no Tests. He was able to play at wing, fullback, centre and five-eighth. He is listed on the Australian Players Register as Kangaroo No. 326. He retired at the conclusion of the 1958 season.

Accolades

O'Brien was a foundation member of the Penshurst R.S.L. junior rugby league football club, and the Kevin "Obie" O'Brien Award is awarded to members of the Penshurst R.S.L. Club to recognise service beyond life membership.Penshurst RSL website: http://www.penshurstfooty.org/history

References

St. George Dragons players New South Wales rugby league team players Australia national rugby league team players Australian rugby league players Living people 1932 births Rugby league centres Rugby league players from Sydney 20th-century Australian sportsmen {{Australia-rugbyleague-bio-1930s-stub