Obituary: Ken McCurrach, Scottish rugby player picked to play for Australia

He played for Australia and scored against Italy at the end of that trip but only the hosts awarded caps. Unfortunate not to have secured one, he did however play as no 8 forward in direct opposition to some of world rugby’s biggest names including iconic figures such as All Blacks and Springboks captains Brian Lochore and Tommy Bedford as well as Welsh legend Mervyn Davies.

Considered a tough, tactically astute player, powerful runner with ball in hand and useful goal kicker, Ken represented Harris Academy FPs, whom he captained, and Dundee/St Andrews Universities, gaining a ‘Blue’ from the latter. On the fringes of the North and Midlands District squad, he was selected for Scottish Universities against Glasgow alongside internationalists Erle Mitchell, John Frame and Irishman Harry Rea. With St Andrews University he shared in their Scottish Universities Championship success and was a teammate of Chris Rea, future Scottish and British Lions internationalist.

Away from rugby he enjoyed a successful career as a civil engineer engaged in various significant projects, while he was also an accomplished and enthusiastic piper.

Kenneth George McCurrach was born in Keith to parents George and Bet, the eldest of three children, Ian and Jane his younger siblings. His father was a nurse who had seen war service in India and in 1950 the family moved to Dundee for work reasons. Ken attended Liff Road primary school before going on to Harris Academy where he became school captain and first played rugby. His ability was soon evident as he enjoyed three seasons in the 1st XV which he also captained and was selected for Midlands Schools.

Next he began studying civil engineering at Dundee University, later St Andrews University, enabling him to play rugby for both and Harris Academy FPss His good form led to being picked for a Dundee Select XV and in a trial match for the District team while he also enjoyed success at seven-a-sides.

At school Ken met Joy Rollo and they started going out together, marrying in 1968 at Lochee West Church. Joy, a PE student, was a talented sportswoman, a Scottish internationalist in diving and a Midlands District swimmer. The couple enjoyed a long happy marriage during which they had daughters Fiona and Wendy. In 1969 they decided to move to Australia on the assisted passage scheme (“£10 Poms”, as it was known) for “work and adventure”. Initially they settled in Perth, Western Australia where Ken resumed his rugby career playing for Perth-Bayswater and the University of Western Australia. It did not take him long to make his mark, being selected for Western Australia over three years consecutively from 1970 to play against the touring All Blacks, Springboks and France.

In addition to Lochore the All Blacks featured players of the calibre of Earle Kirton, Alex Wyllie and Chris Laidlaw while the ‘Boks’ fielded outstanding back row players Jan Ellis and Piet Grayling alongside Bedford and the French XV was full of household names. Ken won the ‘Player of the Match’ accolade against the Springboks, whose tour was disrupted by widespread anti-apartheid protests.

In November 1972 Ken and Joy moved across Australia to live in Sydney, for “better rugby”, driving across the extensive Nullabor Plain between South and West Australia through the Outback. In Sydney he joined Eastwood Rugby Club and after playing a trial was selected as the first string no 8 for Australia’s short tour of England and Wales in late-1973.

A niggling ankle injury hampered him somewhat and although disappointed not to be picked for the Tests against Wales and England, he acquitted himself well in the five matches he played, against top no 8s including English caps Charlie Hannaford and Peter Dixon and Swansea’s Welsh captain Mervyn Davies. He played particularly well against West Wales where “his frequent breaks down the middle surprised the Welsh forwards” and against the North of England was well supported by a busload of former Harris Academy FP teammates.

Applying perspective to Ken’s tour, it is noteworthy that the no 8 for the Tests, Tony Shaw, was a future Wallabies’ captain and Ken was selected for the trip ahead of Mark Loane, another future Wallabies’ captain. At Eastwood he was a valued captain, leading the team to the Grand Final of the celebrated Shute Shield and later being named in the club’s ‘dream team’ ahead of Steve Tuynman, Wallaby Grand Slam winner.

Professional life included interesting periods working on projects while living in Saipan and Guam in the Mariana Islands in the Pacific Ocean, 1,500 miles east of the Philipinnes. While in Saipan he and Joy began scuba diving regularly, one highlight being a diving trip to the island of Palau.

Once back in Sydney, outside of work and family life, Ken was an enthusiastic golfer, “recreational but serious”, and became more involved in the bagpiping world, having begun here as a youngster. He played in several bands including the Windsor where he was President and later the Northern Suburbs and Castle Hill. In 2012 he took part in the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow.

Despite many years in Australia Ken remained Scottish at heart, retaining his accent. A well liked and well respected individual, a warm and loyal friend, he was a man of definite opinions which he did not shirk from expressing but always remained sensible and calm.

He is survived by his wife, daughters and grandchildren Frankie, Spencer, Georgie, Pippi and Cooper.

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