TREVOR KILKELLY – KIWI #369

West Coast product Trevor Kilkelly broke into the New Zealand team after transferring to Canterbury with Sydenham and took his Test tally to 11 matches following his return home with the Brunner club.

A reserve hooker for West Coast as a 17-year-old, Kilkelly debuted for Canterbury and South Island in 1952. He represented South Island against Australia and was a Test reserve in 1953 – helping Sydenham to the first of four straight premierships that year – and turned out for Canterbury against Great Britain in 1954.

Kilkelly debuted for the Kiwis in the 1955-56 tour of Britain and France. He played the first match against Great Britain in Manchester at hooker but an injury ruled him out of the remaining two Tests in the Old Dart, with fellow ex-Coaster and Sydenham and Canterbury teammate Jock Butterfield coming in at hooker. The rangy 25-year-old returned to the Test line-up as a second-rower for the first clash with France.

After missing the 1956 tour of Australia, Kilkelly returned to the West Coast in 1957. He was restored to the Test pack in 1958 – playing both matches against Great Britain in the second-row – and made a belated trip across the Tasman in 1959, featuring in all three Tests against Australia.

Kilkelly’s international career wrapped up in 1960 with two appearances against France on home soil and two games at the World Cup in England.

He continued to represent West Coast until 1963, before spending the 1964 season in Sydney with Manly-Warringah.

TREVOR KILKELLY
NEW ZEALAND (1955-56, 1958-60)
11 Tests – 0 points
19 tour matches – 5 tries (15 points)
-1955-56 Kiwis tour of Britain and France
-1959 Kiwis tour of Australia
-1960 Kiwis World Cup squad