John (Jack) Lorraine Sullivan was born small Taranaki settlement of Whangamōmona on 30 March 1915, one of six children of George (Chalkie) and Violet Annie (nee Roos/Ross) Sullivan. He grew up in Tangarakau where his father was a tunneller on the Ohura-Stratford railway line.
He represented Taranaki in rugby before being selected as an All Black from 1936 to 1938. He was remembered as one of the fastest running backs in the game.
John served in the NZ Army as a private in Africa during WW2, and once was whisked away from the front on the judgement of the NZ commander, Major-General Sir Bernard Freyberg, to play rugby with the NZ Army team against the South Africans. Later in the war he was severely wounded.
After the war he worked for Caltex, starting out driving trucks and eventually becoming the managing director. He was also an All Black’s selector, briefly an All Black coach in 1960, and then chairman of the New Zealand Rugby Union. His time as chairman coincided with a time when New Zealand was coming under political pressure for its sporting links with South Africa. He was awarded an CBE in 1978 and died in 1990.
Documents
Tenacity keystone in work and sport, NZ Herald 22 March 1980
All Black great mourned, Daily News 13 July 1990
Sullivan to feature in rugby museum, Daily News 8 February 1992
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