John George Fuller (18 May 1920 – 2 December 2003) was an Australian international rugby union player.
| Full name | John George Fuller | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 18 May 1920 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Sydney, NSW, Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 2 December 2003 (aged 83) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Cranbrook School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | University of Sydney | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Fuller was educated at Cranbrook School and the University of Sydney, where he studied medicine. He made his first-grade debut for the university in 1939, before his career was stalled by the war. A lieutenant with the 2/18th Battalion, Fuller fought along the Malayan peninsula and in 1942 was captured by the Japanese in Singapore. He was initially interned at Changi Prison, then sent to a prisoner of war camp in Japan, remaining there until the war's end in 1945.[1][2]
A forward, Fuller recovered sufficiently to return to rugby and made his New South Wales debut as a front-rower in 1946, scoring a try in their win over Toowoomba. He was used as a breakaway in a later fixture against Queensland and it was in this position he got selected by the Wallabies for their 1947–48 northern hemisphere tour. Although not required for the Test matches, Fuller featured often in tour fixtures, making 11 uncapped appearances.[3]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Man about town". Daily Mirror. 12 October 1945. p. 8 (Noon Edition) – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Informal portrait of NX34875 Lieutenant (Lt) John George Fuller, 2/18th Battalion from Bellevue ..." www.awm.gov.au.
- ^ "John George Fuller". classicwallabies.com.au.