The Queensland Rugby community is mourning the loss of Queensland Representative 622, Jack Buchanan, who passed on Sunday 13 September at the age of 95
Jack, a stalwart of Brothers Rugby Club, played two games for Queensland in 1951 and was the oldest living Queensland representative at the time of his death.
A talented forward, Jack was born in Gympie in August of 1925 and was educated at Rugby nursery Downlands College in Toowoomba, before moving to Brisbane to study at the University of Queensland.
Jack graduated with a degree in civil engineering in 1947, and after previously representing UQ, began his Rugby career with Brothers in 1949 and would go on to play 77 First Grade games between 1949 to 1953 and 1957.
Playing under renowned coach Joe French, Jack was a consistent performer for the club during the early 1950’s and was a part of the club’s premiership winning sides in 1949, 1950, 1951 and 1953.
Jack started the season as coach of the 1953 side until he made the decisive call to bring French back as coach.
“I didn’t think I was getting the best out of the team. I approached Joe because we needed him to come back and smarten us up,” Jack recalled.
Jack was needed again as a player in any case because of injuries and French slipped comfortably back in as coach to steer Brothers to the title, his fifth and final premiership and Jack’s fourth.
Jack also made an immense contribution to the club off the field.
Brothers originally acquired Albion’s Crosby Park in 1949 and by 1951 the improvements to Crosby Park had begun.
The building of the famous Green Shed was led by Joe French, Peter and Tom Sweeney, Frank Kenny, Peter O’Shea and Jack, who used his instruments so a field could be properly pegged out.
The boundaries which Jack marked out 69-years ago are still where Jack Ross Oval sits to this day.
Jack was elected as a Brothers Rugby Club Life Member in 1959, while he is now known around the club as ‘the Father of Crosby Park’.
His two games for Queensland came in 1951 against New South Wales and New Zealand respectively, with the front rower scoring a try in his debut.
Upon finishing his Rugby career, Jack worked with Pioneer Concrete across Australia and abroad, before eventually settling in Sydney.
The QRU will provide funeral details once they are made available.
