John Patrick Kirwan (31 March 1896 – 20 October 1968), nicknamed "Jack Kirwan", was a rugby union and rugby league player. He represented the Hawke's Bay province and Auckland in rugby union before switching to rugby league in 1924. He was selected for the New Zealand team in 1925 becoming Kiwi number 174 in the process. His grandson was also named John Kirwan and he went on to become a famous All Black in the 1980s and 90s before also switching to rugby league.
Early life
John Patrick Kirwan was born on 31 March 1896 in Reefton on the West Coast of the South Island. His parents were Kate and Robert Kirwan. Kirwan had 3 brothers and 4 sisters; Michael, Ellen, Mary, Kate, Anastasia, Robert, and Edward.
Kirwan was a telegraphist who worked in Tokomaru Bay on the East Coast of the North Island in 1914 when he was 18 years of age. He was then transferred to Napier. After serving in World War I he returned to New Zealand and began working at the Dannevirke Post Office.
Rugby beginnings on the East Coast
Jack Kirwan moved to Tokomaru on the East Coast of the North Island in November 1914 where he began working at the local post office. During the 1914/15 summer he played cricket for Tokomaru Bay and then began playing for the Tokomaru City rugby union team in the Turnbill Cup against Waima and Wanderers. He scored tries in games against Wanderers on 8 May, and Waima on 5 July.
Kirwan was aged 19 by this time and in the match with Wanderers it was said that “a conspicuous feature of the game was the brilliant football played by Jack Kirwan (City). It was admitted by the most competent judges that a better exhibition had not been seen on this ground”. Kirwan was then selected for the Waiapu representative team to play against Tolaga Bay. In September, Kirwan was fare-welled at a function in his honour at the Magnet boarding house. He had proved to be a very popular figure in the local Tokomaru community. He was being promoted and transferred to Napier.
World War I
World War I was well underway and Kirwan enlisted in the New Zealand Army on 26 June 1916 aged 20. He trained at the Featherston Military Camp before leaving New Zealand for Europe on 2 January 1917. Kirwan managed to play some rugby while serving. He played for the South Island New Zealand Forces Army team against the North Island on 4 May 1919 in a match his side won 10–6. Kirwan was stationed in Western Europe, predominantly France serving in the New Zealand Field Artillery. In December 1918 he was promoted to Bombardier.
Tragedy struck Kirwan and his family in early January 1919 when his sister Anastasia passed away after contracting influenza during the tail end of the 1918 pandemic. She had been caring for the sick during this time and was aged just 24.
Kirwan was promoted again to corporal on 15 January after fighting in the war had ceased. While the New Zealand troops remained in Europe, Kirwan played rugby games for some of the NZ army teams which travelled around playing matches. One such match was played for the New Zealand Army team stationed at Sutton against the New Zealanders from Brocton in early April and he scored a try in a 22–0 win.
On 16 November 1919 he boarded the Arawa to return to New Zealand, arriving home on 16 December 1919. He was then discharged having served for 3 years and 174 days in total including 2 years and 321 days overseas.
Kirwan received the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
Playing career
Move to Dannevirke and Hawke's Bay rugby side
After being discharged Kirwan went immediately to Dannevirke where he resumed his career working in the Post Office as a telegraphist. He played for the Dannevirke Old Boys rugby club throughout the 3 years he was to spend there. He was selected to play for Southern Hawke's Bay against Northern Hawke's Bay on 10 July. In a description of the match Kirwan was said to be a “prominent member of the backs” in a match his side lost 6–0 before being selected to make his Hawke's Bay debut against Taranaki. The match was played on 22 July 1920 in New Plymouth with Hawke's Bay winning 8–6.
In 1921, Kirwan played further matches for Hawke's Bay against Wairarapa on 2 July and Manawatu on 6 July. He was then selected in the combined Hawke's Bay-Poverty Bay team to play against the touring South African international side. The match was a hard-fought one on 3 September at McLean Park in Napier before a crowd of 7,500. Kirwan played in the centres in a 14–8 loss. Playing alongside Kirwan was Bill Te Whata who would also like Kirwan switch to rugby league and represent New Zealand.