Russell Lindsay Frederick Kelly (25 November 1909 — 25 December 1943) was an Australian rugby union international.

Russell Kelly
Full nameRussell Lindsay Frederick Kelly
Date of birth(1909-11-25)25 November 1909
Place of birthMurwillumbah, NSW, Australia
Date of death25 December 1943(1943-12-25) (aged 34)
Place of deathConcord West, NSW, Australia
Rugby union career
Position(s) Back-row
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1936–38 Australia 7 (2)

Born in Murwillumbah, Kelly was educated at Canterbury Boys' High School, where he learnt his rugby.[1]

Kelly, a back-row forward, debuted in Sydney first-grade rugby in 1931 with Northern Suburbs, but spent the majority of his career at Drummoyne. Between 1933 and 1939, Kelly was a regular New South Wales representative, with 28 appearances. He was capped seven times for the Wallabies from 1936 to 1938, debuting on a tour of New Zealand.[2]

Enlisting in 1940, Kelly served in World War II with an anti-tank regiment and attained the rank of sergeant. While trapped with his unit in fighting near Tobruk, he was struck by machine gun fire, which shattered most of his ribs.[3] He was held by Italian forces as a prisoner of war in Benghazi and was later moved to a Naples hospital. In July, 1943, Kelly was repatriated in a prisoner exchange and died five months later while undergoing an operation for his injuries in Sydney.[4][5]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "R. Kelly Dead". The Sydney Morning Herald. 27 December 1943. p. 5 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. ^ "Russell Lindsay Frederick Kelly". classicwallabies.com.au.
  3. ^ "Footballers In The Wars". The Sun. 9 September 1943. p. 8 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. ^ "Soldiers Back From Italian Camps". The Barrier Miner. 17 July 1943. p. 1 (Sports Edition) – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ^ "Passing Of Russ Kelly". The Daily Mirror. 27 December 1943. p. 9 (Last Race All Details 2). Retrieved 11 January 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
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