Arthur McCabe

This article is about the Australian rugby player. For the English footballer, see Arthur McCabe (footballer).

Arthur John Michael "Mackker" McCabe (23 June 1887 – 30 July 1924) was an Australian rugby union and pioneer professional rugby league footballer. He represented for Australian in rugby union at the 1908 Summer Olympics.^[2]

Arthur McCabe

Birth name	Arthur John Michael McCabe[1]
Date of birth	(1887-06-23)23 June 1887[1]
Place of birth	Tamworth, New South Wales[1]
Date of death	30 July 1924(1924-07-30) (aged 37)[1]
Place of death	Redfern, New South Wales
Rugby union career
Position(s) fly-half[1] International career Years Team Apps (Points) 1909[1] Australia 1 (0)
Rugby league career
Playing information
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 1910 Rabbitohs 65 144 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 1910 NSW 2 12
Medal record Men's rugby union Representing Australasia Olympic Games 1908 London Team competition

Rugby union career

1908 Olympic Gold Final Wallabies v Cornwall.

A brilliant fly-half, Mackker McCabe was a member of the Australian rugby union team, which won the gold medal, with McCabe scoring two tries in the gold medal victory.

While he toured the US and England with the Wallabies in the lead-up tour prior to the Olympics, his gold medal match was his sole Australian representative appearance.

Middle row far left, with the 1908 Wallaby tour squad

Rugby league career

On his return to Australia, he joined the fledgling code of rugby league along with 13 of his Olympic teammates. He played for five seasons with the South Sydney Rabbitohs, finishing his career with a premiership win in 1914. Despite representing for New South Wales in rugby league in 1910 he was unsuccessful in his bid to become a dual-code rugby international.^[3]

For the season 1910, he was the NSW Rugby Football League's top try scorer. He was so highly praised by the press that they dubbed him The Will-O'-The-Wisp, a phrase that became synonymous with McCabe.^[4]

Death

Arthur McCabe died suddenly of a heart attack at his home in Morehead Street, Redfern on 30 July 1924, age 37.^[5] A large funeral was held for 'Mackker' McCabe and was attended by many ex Wallaby players and South Sydney players. He was buried at Rookwood Cemetery on 31 July 1924.^{[6] [7]}

See also

• Rugby union at the 1908 Summer Olympics