The Australian and New South Wales Rugby community is mourning the loss of former Wallabies flanker and Nyngan product Denis O’Callaghan, who passed away earlier this week, aged 77.
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O’Callaghan made the move from the country to the city in 1961 and while he never received an official Wallabies cap from playing in an international Test match later in his career, he played sixteen non-Test matches during the Wallabies’ 1966/67 Spring/Summer tour of Britain, Ireland, France and Canada.
“Denis will be remembered as an extremely modest and talented bloke from the country, who made many lifelong friends through rugby,” Wallabies manager Stephen Hoiles said.
“On behalf of all Wallabies, past and present and the entire Rugby community, we pass on our sincere condolences to the entire O’Callaghan family."
While he started out as a centre and flyhalf at Randwick, O’Callaghan found the most success when he transitioned into the forward pack, becoming known as a highly skillful breakaway.
He was part of two Randwick premierships in 1965 and 1966 and before being called into the Wallabies’ 31-man touring squad for the 1966/67 Spring/Summer Tour.
During the tour, O’Callaghan’s most notable performances came against Cardiff, London Counties, South-Western Counties, Languedoc-Roussillon, and South-West France.
He remained involved in rugby later in his life, coaching in Tamworth where his son played for the Pirates Rugby Club.