Dave Gallaher
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David Gallaher (30 October 1873–4 October 1917) was a New Zealand rugby union footballer, best known as the captain of "The Originals", the first New Zealand national team to be known as the All Blacks.
Born in Ramelton, County Donegal, Ireland, Gallaher's family emigrated to New Zealand in 1878. Originally settling in Katikati in the Bay of Plenty, they moved to Auckland in the 1890s and it was there that Gallaher played his provincial rugby.
Gallaher played 26 representative matches for Auckland, including the first ever Ranfurly Shield defense, and 36 for the All Blacks, including 6 tests. Gallaher's All Black career spanned from 1903 to 1906, the highlight being the captaincy of the "Originals" tour in which he played 26 matches including 4 tests. Gallaher proved to be an outstanding leader and one of the deepest thinkers of the game in his era.
Gallaher fought in the Boer War serving as a corporal in the Mounted Rifles. Although exempt from conscription due to his age, Gallaher also volunteered to fight in World War I, and after seeing action at Ypres was killed during the Passchendaele offensive on 4 October 1917.
[edit] Memorials
In 1922, the Auckland union introduced the Gallaher Shield in his honour as the trophy for that province's club competition.
Introduced in 2000, the Dave Gallaher Trophy is contested between New Zealand and France. It is awarded to the winner of the first test match between the two nations in any given year. So far it has been contested five times, with the All Blacks victorious in 2000 and 2001, retaining the trophy after a 20-all draw in 2002, and winning again in 2003, 2004 and 2006. The two teams did not play each other in 2005.
In 2005, the Letterkenny Rugby Football Club, the club closest to Gallaher's birthplace in Ramelton, decided to name its home ground the “Dave Gallaher Memorial Park” and unveiled a plaque at his birthplace. Members of the 2005 All Blacks, led by captain Tana Umaga, attended the unveiling.
