Jack Kyle

{{Infobox rugby biography

| name = Jack Kyle

| image = Jack Kyle 1950.jpg

| image_size = 240px

| caption = Kyle in 1950

| birth_name = John Wilson Kyle

| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1926|2|10}}

| birth_place = Belfast, Northern Ireland

| death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|2014|11|28|1926|2|10}}

| death_place = Bryansford, Northern Ireland

| height =

| weight =

| ru_currentteam =

| ru_currentposition =

| position = Out-half

| ru_clubupdate =

| clubs1 = Queen's University

| clubs2 = North of Ireland

| years1 =

| apps1 =

| points1 =

| province1 = Ulster

| provinceyears1 =

| provinceapps1 =

| provincepoints1 =

| ru_provinceupdate =

| repyears1 = 1946–1958

| repyears2 = 1950

| repyears3 = 1948–1954Starmer-Smith, Nigel (1977) The Barbarians. Macdonald & Jane's Publishers. p. 225. {{ISBN|0-86007-552-4}}

| repteam1 = Ireland

| repteam2 = British and Irish Lions

| repteam3 = Barbarians

| repcaps1 = 46

| repcaps2 = 6

| repcaps3 = 8

| reppoints1 = 24

| reppoints2 = 6

| reppoints3 = 3

| ru_ntupdate =

| school = Belfast Royal Academy

| university = Queen's University, Belfast

}}

John Wilson Kyle {{post-nominals|country=GBR|OBE}} (10 February 1926 – 27 November 2014), most commonly known as Jack Kyle, was a rugby union player who represented Ireland, the British and Irish Lions and the Barbarians during the 1940s and 1950s.[http://www.barbarianfc.co.uk/roll-of-honour/profiles/jack-kyle/ Jack Kyle]. www.barbarianfc.co.uk. Retrieved on 10 July 2018. Kyle was a member of the Irish team that won the grand slam in the 1948 Five Nations Championship.Van Esbeck, Edmund. [https://web.archive.org/web/20121011182428/http://www.irishtimes.com/sports/other/century/rugby1948.htm "A day and a team etched in the annals – 1948: Ireland's Grand Slam. The Ravenhill climax"]. Irish Times. In 1950, Kyle was declared one of the six players of the year by the New Zealand Rugby Almanac.[http://www.lionsrugby.com/history/jackkyle.php Kyle bio at Lions web site] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110303110437/http://www.lionsrugby.com/history/jackkyle.php |date=3 March 2011 |status=dead}} Kyle is a member of the International Rugby Hall of Fame and was inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame[https://archive.today/20120605032006/http://www.rugbyhalloffame.com/pages/kyle1999.htm Bio at International Rugby Hall of Fame]. Archive.is. Retrieved on 10 July 2018.{{cite news|url=http://www.irb.com/history/halloffame/newsid=2027752.html#irb+hall+fame+welcomes+five+inductees |title=IRB Hall of Fame Welcomes Five Inductees |publisher=International Rugby Board |date=23 November 2008 |access-date=23 November 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090223212347/http://www.irb.com/history/halloffame/newsid%3D2027752.html |archive-date=23 February 2009 }} before the two halls merged to form the current World Rugby Hall of Fame. He was named the Greatest Ever Irish Rugby Player by the Irish Rugby Football Union in 2002.[https://web.archive.org/web/20070619053654/http://www.irishrugby.ie/6855_1608.php Kyle named as Greatest Ever Irish Rugby Player]. irishrugby.ie (5 May 2002). Retrieved on 2018-07-10.

Kyle was educated at Belfast Royal Academy and studied medicine at Queen's University Belfast. He graduated in 1951 and, in 1991, was awarded an honorary doctorate by the university.[https://web.archive.org/web/20090425071813/http://www.qub.ac.uk/home/Alumni/Reunions/PastReunions2008/GoldenJubileeReunion2008 Golden Jubilee Reunion 2008]. Queen's University Belfast. In 2007, he was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Irish Journal of Medical Science and the Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland.[https://web.archive.org/web/20110303154815/http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/medical-oscar-for-rugbys-jack-kyle-13409565.html "Medical 'Oscar' for rugby's Jack Kyle", Lesley-Anne Henry, 1 February 2007, Belfast Telegraph] He received an OBE in 1959.{{cite web|url = https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/nov/28/jack-kyle-dies-ireland-rugby-team|title= Former Ireland rugby union player Jack Kyle dies aged 88|date=28 November 2014|work=Guardian|access-date=28 November 2014}}

Rugby international

=Ireland=

Kyle first played for Ireland during the Second World War in a friendly against a British Army XV. However, no caps were awarded.Mairs, Gavin (24 August 2007) [http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/rugby/jacks-emotional-return-13469675.html "Jack's emotional return"]. Belfast Telegraph.

He made his official debut for Ireland on 25 January 1947 against France in the 1947 Five Nations Championship in an 8–12 defeat Lansdowne Road.{{cite web|url = https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=GGgVawPscysC&dat=19470127&printsec=frontpage&hl=en|title=Irish Pack take honours |date=27 January 1947|work=Glasgow Herald (Page 2)|access-date=28 November 2014}}{{cite web|url =http://www.espn.co.uk/statsguru/rugby/match/19611.html |title= Ireland 8 France 12|date=27 January 1947|work=ESPN|access-date=28 November 2014}}

Between 1947 and 1958, while playing for Ireland, he went on to make 46 full appearances and score 24 points, including 7 tries.{{cite web|url = http://www.espn.co.uk/ireland/rugby/player/4807.html|title= Jackie Kyle|work=ESPN|access-date=28 November 2014}}

The highlight of his Ireland career came during the 1948 Five Nations Championship when, together with Karl Mullen and Mick O'Flanagan, he helped Ireland win a grand slam. Kyle played in all four games and he is often credited with masterminding Ireland's success.The Ireland Rugby Miscellany (2007): Ciaran Cronin In 1949, he also helped Ireland win the Triple Crown and in 1951, they won the title again. Kyle made his last appearance for Ireland against Scotland on 1 March 1958. Following a solo try against France at Ravenhill in 1953, an impressed newspaper journalist parodied The Scarlet Pimpernel with the lines:

They seek him here, they seek him there

Those Frenchies seek him everywhere.

That paragon of pace and guile,

That damned elusive Jackie Kyle.

=British and Irish Lions=

In 1950, Kyle also played for the British Lions on their tour to New Zealand and Australia. He played in 20 of the 29 games, including all six Tests. Among his tour highlights was a display that came in the first Test, a 9–9 draw with New Zealand. Of the Lions' nine points, Kyle scored a try, created another for Ken Jones and won a penalty that was converted by John Robins. During the tour, he also scored a try in the 24–3 defeat of Australia.

=Barbarians=

Kyle made eight appearances for the Barbarian F.C.'s between 1948 and 1954, scoring three points in total.{{cite web|url = http://www.barbarianfc.co.uk/archive/profile/2426/j-w-kyle/|title= Player Archive – J. W. Kyle|work=Barbarianfc.co.uk|access-date=28 November 2014}}

Later years

After retiring from club rugby in 1963, Kyle embarked on humanitarian work in Sumatra and Indonesia. Between 1966 and 2000, he worked as a consultant surgeon in Chingola, Zambia. He then returned to Northern Ireland and settled in County Down. He remained involved in rugby and in 2001, established the Jack Kyle Bursary Fund in support of the Queen's University RFC Rugby Academy.

[http://www.qub.ac.uk/home/Alumni/AlumniMagazineFileStore/Filetoupload,2272,en.pdf "Rugby Greats", Queen's University magazine] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090326224415/http://www.qub.ac.uk/home/Alumni/AlumniMagazineFileStore/Filetoupload%2C2272%2Cen.pdf |date=26 March 2009 }}[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/1660001.stm "Kyle dreams of Kiwi defeat"], BBC News (16 November 2001).

Kyle died on 28 November 2014 after a prolonged illness and is survived by his son Caleb, daughter Justine and nephew David.[http://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/irish-international/2014/1128/663228-ireland-legend-kyle-dies-at-88/ "Ireland legend Jack Kyle dies at 88"]. Rte.ie (28 November 2014). Retrieved on 2018-07-10.{{cite web|url = https://www.bbc.com/sport/0/rugby-union/30244021|title=Ireland rugby legend Jack Kyle dies aged 88|date=28 November 2014|work=BBC Sport|access-date=28 November 2014}}