Kevin Skinner (rugby union)
Arthur Hughes (cousin)[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Kevin Lawrence Skinner (24 November 1927 – 21 July 2014) was a rugby union player from New Zealand who won 20 full caps for the All Blacks, two of them as captain. He was also a heavyweight boxer, winning the New Zealand championship in 1947.
Early life
Born in
First-class career
In 1947, Skinner played nine matches for the
Skinner played for Otago again from 1950 to 1954, and represented
All Blacks
Skinner was selected for the 1949 All Black tour of South Africa. He continued playing for the All Blacks and was captain in the 1952 series against Australia. However Bob Stuart (also an old boy of St. Kevin's College, Oamaru) was captain of the 1953/4 All Blacks in their tour of Great Britain and France. Skinner also went on that tour and played in 27 games including all five tests. He was one of the key players.[2]
Skinner retired at the end of the 1954 season after equaling Maurice Brownlie's record of 61 All Black appearances but he played again for the All Blacks for the final two tests against South Africa in 1956, extending the record to 63.[4] Both those tests were won by New Zealand.
Skinner has been described as "a skilled lineout No.2, expert rush stopper, strong scrummager and extremely mobile" and "one of the very best props New Zealand has produced."[2] He was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 1996.[5]
Death
Skinner died in Auckland on 21 July 2014.[6] Among those sending their condolences was another rugby-boxer, Sonny Bill Williams.[7]
References
- ^ Cameron, D.J. (25 June 2005). "Obituary: Arthur Hughes". New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 6 July 2019.
- ^ a b c d Luxford, Bob. "Kevin Skinner". New Zealand Rugby Museum. Archived from the original on 6 November 2017. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
- ISBN 9781869710989.
- ^ Griffiths, John. "The All Blacks' record breaker". espnscrum.com. Archived from the original on 18 December 2013. Retrieved 20 December 2013.
- ^ Meikle, Hayden (25 July 2011). "Greatest moments in Otago sport – Number 96". Otago Daily Times. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 23 August 2014.
- ^ "NZ Rugby mourns passing of Kevin Skinner". Voxy.co.nz. 21 July 2014. Archived from the original on 12 February 2019. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
- ^ Hinton, Marc (21 July 2014). "All Blacks great Kevin Skinner dies". stuff.co.nz. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2014.