View source for Peter Sullivan (rugby, born 1948)

{{Short description|Australia international rugby union player}}
{{about|the Australian player|the Irish player|Peter Sullivan (rugby union, born 1998)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox rugby biography 
| name = Peter Sullivan
| birth_name = Peter David Sullivan
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1948|03|19|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Newcastle, New South Wales|Newcastle]], [[New South Wales|NSW]], [[Australia]]
| school = Chatswood Boys High
| height =
| image=
| weight =
| ru_position =[[Flanker (rugby union)|Flanker]]
| amatyears1     =           | amatteam1       = [[Forest Rugby Club]]
| years1         =           | clubs1          = [[Gordon RFC]]
| apps1          =           | points1         =
| provinceyears1 = 1966–73   | province1       = [[New South Wales rugby union team|New South Wales]]
| provinceapps1  = 18        | provincepoints1 = 
| repyears1      = 1971–1973 | repteam1        = {{nrut|Australia}}
| repcaps1       = 13        | reppoints1      = 4
| ru_ntupdate  =
| module       = {{infobox rugby league biography
| embed        = yes
| position     = {{rlp|SR}}
| year1start   = 1974
| club1        = {{nowrap|[[St George Dragons]]}}
| appearances1 = 1
| tries1       = 0
| goals1       = 0
| fieldgoals1  = 0
| points1      = 0
}}
}}

'''Peter David Sullivan''' (born 1948)<ref>[http://www.espnscrum.com/australia/rugby/player/7784.html Peter Sullivan player profile] ESPN Scrum.com</ref> is an Australian former national representative [[rugby union]] player. He represented for [[New South Wales rugby union team|New South Wales]] and [[Australia national rugby union team|Australia]], captaining the national side on eleven occasions from 1972 to 1973.

==Early life and rugby==
Sullivan was schooled at Chatswood Boys High School and played his early rugby at the [[Forest Rugby Club]] in Forestville. His senior rugby started in Wollongong and in his first season of first grade and scarcely eighteen he was selected for the Illawarra region and from there he was selected for [[New South Wales rugby union team|New South Wales]] after just six senior games. Howell writes that following state selection at such a young age, he found himself a marked man at club level and "injuries followed, his form deteriorated and his confidence with it"<ref name = Howellp190>Howell p190</ref> He did not represent again until 1970. In the mid 1970s he coached and was Physical Education teacher at Glenwood Boys High School in Durban South Africa.

==Representative career==
In 1969 Sullivan relocated to Sydney and joined the [[Gordon RFC|Gordon Rugby Club]].<ref>[https://news.google.com.au/newspapers?id=CqYpAAAAIBAJ&sjid=eeUDAAAAIBAJ&dq=peter-sullivan%20rugby%20wallaby&pg=867%2C4958235 No-risk order to Gordon player]</ref> He spent some time in reserve grade in that first season in Sydney first grade but in 1970 he regained his [[New South Wales rugby union team|state]] position in a match against Scotland and he represented for Sydney against those same visitors.<ref name="Howellp190" />

In 1971 Sullivan appeared for New South Wales against the visiting [[British and Irish Lions|British Lions]] and later that year when [[South Africa national rugby union team|South Africa]] also toured, Sullivan was selected to meet them for Sydney, New South Wales and in three Test matches for  [[Australia national rugby union team|Australia]]. He made the [[1971 Australia rugby union tour of France]] and played in both Test matches, experiencing his first Wallaby victory in the first Test.

In 1972 he played in both home Test matches against the visiting [[France national rugby union team|French]] and he toured under captain [[Greg Davis (rugby)|Greg Davis]] on the [[1972 Australia rugby union tour of New Zealand and Fiji]]. He was injured and had to be replaced in the games against North Otago and in the first Test match. Howell writes that the seven loss & five win result of the tour was "a disaster and occasioned Davis' retirement".<ref name = Howellp192>Howell p192</ref> An injury picked up in New Zealand prevented Davis from leading the side in the Test match in Fiji on the way home and Sullivan debuted as an Australian Test captain in the Wallabies' narrow 21–19 victory against Fiji. He had already captained the side in two mid-week games during the New Zealand leg.<ref name="Howellp192" />

In 1973 Peter Sullivan retained the Test captaincy in the two Test series against [[Tonga national rugby union team|Tonga]] and was at the helm in the 2nd Test boil-over when Tonga got up 16–11. Howell writes of this period as "the lowest ever point of Australian rugby".<ref name="Howellp192" /> He led the Wallabies on the [[1973 Australia rugby union tour of Europe]], and played in six of the nine matches including the Test loss against Wales. He was injured and did not take the field in the test against England, where the Wallabies were captained by [[John Hipwell]].

All told Sullivan captained the Wallabies in four Tests through 1972–1973 and in nine tour matches. He played twenty-eight matches for Australia, thirteen of them Tests. Howell writes that he was "a vigorous, aggressive player who played to the maximum when wearing the green and gold".<ref name="Howellp192" />

==Rugby league career==
Keen to secure his family's financial future Sullivan signed a five-year contract with the [[St George Dragons]] at the end of the 1973 season. He managed only one first grade game before a serious knee injury ended his playing days.<ref>Whiticker & Hudson</ref>

==Career summary==
===Test matches===
Playing for Australia

{| bgcolor="#f7f8ff" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" border="1" style="font-size: 95%; border: gray solid 1px; border-collapse: collapse;"
|- bgcolor="#CCCCCC"
!National Team
!Y
!M
!S
!P
!T
!W
!L
!D
|-
|{{flagicon|Fiji}} [[Fiji Rugby Union|Fiji]]
| 1972
| 1
| 1
| 4
| 1
| 1
| 0
| 0
|-
|{{flagicon|France}} [[France national rugby union team|France]]
| 1971–1972
| 4
| 4
| 0
| 0
| 1
| 2
| 1
|-
|{{flagicon|NZ}} [[New Zealand Rugby Union|New Zealand]]
| 1972
| 2
| 2
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 2
| 0
|-
|{{flagicon|South Africa}} [[South Africa national rugby union team|South Africa]]
| 1971
| 3
| 3
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 3
| 0
|-
|{{flagicon|Tonga}} [[Tonga Rugby Union|Tonga]]
| 1973
| 2
| 2
| 0
| 0
| 1
| 1
| 0
|-
|{{flagicon|Wales}} [[Wales Rugby Union|Wales]]
| 1973
| 1
| 1
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 1
|-
|}
:<small>Legend : '''Y''' : Year, '''M''' : Test Matches Played, '''S''' : Starts, '''P''' : Points, '''T''' : Tries, '''W''' : Won, '''L''' : Lost, '''D''' : Drawn</small>

{{s-start}}
{{succession box|title=[[Australia rugby union captains|Australian national rugby union captain]]|before=[[Greg Davis (rugby)|Greg Davis]]|after=[[John Hipwell]]|years=1972–73}}
{{s-end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Published sources==
* [[Max Howell (educator)|Howell, Max]] (2005) ''Born to Lead – Wallaby Test Captains'', Celebrity Books, Auckland NZ
* [[Alan Whiticker|Whiticker, Alan]] & Hudson, Glen (2006) ''The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players'', Gavin Allen Publishing, Sydney

==External links==
* {{ESPNscrum|7784}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sullivan, Peter}}
[[Category:1948 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Australia international rugby union players]]
[[Category:Australia national rugby union team captains]]
[[Category:Australian rugby league players]]
[[Category:Australian rugby union players]]
[[Category:Footballers who switched code]]
[[Category:Gordon RFC players]]
[[Category:New South Wales rugby union team players]]
[[Category:Rugby league players from Newcastle, New South Wales]]
[[Category:Rugby union flankers]]
[[Category:Rugby union players from Newcastle, New South Wales]]
[[Category:St. George Dragons players]]