David Brockhoff

Dave Brockhoff

Birth name	John David Brockhoff
Date of birth	(1928-06-08)8 June 1928
Place of birth	Sydney
Date of death	17 June 2011(2011-06-17)(aged 83)
School	The Scots College
University	University of Sydney
Occupation(s)	Coach, Administrator, businessman
Rugby union career
Position(s) Flanker International career Years Team Apps (Points) 1949–51 Australia 8 (6) Coaching career Years Team 1974–76, 79  Australia 1970–71,73–74, 78 New South Wales 1967–73 Sydney Uni

John David "Brock" Brockhoff(8 June 1928 – 17 June 2011) was an Australianrugby unionidentity, astateandnational representativewho played eight Tests asflankerbetween 1949 and 1951. He was later coach of the national team from 1974 to 1976, and in 1979. He maintained an active involvement in rugby union in Australia for his entire life.

Early life

Born atRose Bayin Sydney, Brockoff was educated atThe Scots Collegewhere he played in the first XV for his three senior years. He attendedSt. Andrew's Collegeat theUniversity of Sydney.His family were successful in the flour milling business in Sydney and he was very successful in the biscuit industry.

Playing career

He attendedSydney University,where gained blues in rugby union through four consecutive years from 1948 to 1951, playing 95 games for theSydney Uni Football Clubbefore he joinedEastern Suburbsin 1953. His career was played at flanker.

He played eight Tests for theWallabiesbetween 1949 and 1951, touring with the side in Britain and South Africa. In the 1949 tour to New Zealand he played in 10 of the 12 matches, including both Tests which were won by Australia. The latter tour was his last with the Wallabies and he did not feature in the test side on that tour. He made a total of twenty-five appearances for the Australian national side. After concluding his Test career, he continued to play for Eastern Suburbs until 1961.

Coaching career

Brockhoff began coaching at Eastern Suburbs in 1963 and guided them to a fourth grade premiership win in his first season as a coach.He became the first grade coach ofSydney Uni Football Clubin 1967, a position he held for eight seasons, winning three premierships.Brockhoff coachedNew South Walesin three stints from 1970–71, 1973–74 and 1978.

His coaching philosophy was based on an aggressive, dominant forward pack that was brutal at the ruck and scrum in combination with an accurate kicker at five-eighth. Brockhoff was known for firing-up his players with stirring verbal imagery of what the team needed to do such as"make every line-out a dockyard brawl",and use the"famous Vickers machine-gun tripod defence".

After the 1974 season, he was appointed coach ofAustralia.Brockhoff achieved victory in his first Test series in 1975 when the Wallabies defeatedEnglandin two fiery matches at Sydney and Brisbane,and he went on to guide the side to two further series clean-sweeps at home againstJapanandFiji.He was renowned in this period as the man who had instilled renewed pride in the Wallaby jersey.

Brockhoff had a sometimes testy relationship with other Australian rugby administrators due to his confrontational style and as a result of coaching his sides to be abrasive and aggressive.He coached the Wallabies on the1975–76 tour of Britain and Ireland,although he was banned from talking to the media.TheARFUhad made it a priority to ensure the tour was an off-field success after media recriminations and accusations of unsavoury play following the England series in Australia.The Wallabies lost against three of the home nations on the tour before gaining wins against Ireland and the United States on the way home. Brockhoff was replaced as coach byBob Templetonin June 1976.

He was recalled to the Australian coaching position for the 1979 season,after incumbentDaryl Haberechthad stepped down.The final match of his tenure came in memorable circumstances when Australia beat New Zealand 12–6 in a one-off Test at theSydney Cricket Groundto regain theBledisloe Cup.The vision of Brockhoff grabbing the Bledisloe Cup and running around the perimeter of the SCG is one of the lasting images in Australian rugby history. From this match onwards the Wallabies became much harder to beat than previously.

Later life

After coaching, Brockhoff continued to be active in New South Wales and Australian rugby. He frequently attended training sessions for both sides, and when the teams travelled on tour he would often go to Sydney Airport to wish them well on departure and welcome them home on return.He was elected a life member of theAustralian Rugby Unionin 2004.

He died on 17 June 2011 in his 83rd year and was survived by his wife Claire, daughter Juliet and sons Peter and John.David's wife, Claire, died four years later in July 2015.

Honours

Brockhoff was inducted into theRugby Australia Hall of Famein 2017, alongsideGreg Cornelsen.

Sources

• Growden, Greg (2010).Inside the Wallabies.Read How You Want.ISBN978-1-74175-970-9.
• McGregor, Malcolm (1985).Paul McLean.University of Queensland Press.ISBN0-7022-1885-5.

External links

• David BrockhoffatESPNscrum