It is with a heavy heart that I report rugby has lost another of its warriors.
Largely unheralded by the press during his rugby career but highly valued by his teammates, Australian Schoolboy, Queensland and Queensland Country representative and Wallabies lock Shane Nightingale passed peacefully on Monday night after a five-plus-year battle with pancreatic cancer.
My teammates and I were fortunate to have played rugby with Shane in the 1977 Australian Schoolboys Invincibles team that toured the UK, playing and winning all 16 games, scoring 110 tries to six.
On rugby tours you get to know who you can rely on when the chips are down. And while praise is often offered to backs and back-rowers, you don’t often hear too much about the tight forwards.
We were blessed on that tour to have young tough men of calibre in that department – not least among them, Shane.
I remember on the 1977 Schoolboys tour when we played one of our toughest opponents, past and present players of Sevenoaks rugby school in England. The game was in the balance and we could easily have lost the match, which would have derailed our tour goal of returning home undefeated. The opposition was crowding our illustrious back line, which was not used to being suffocated and could not find a way through.
It was decided that the tight forwards would truck the ball up and force the opposition to retreat thereby giving our backs the room to do their magic. And away they went with Shane leading the charge, allowing us to run in two tries and win 14-6.
Brothers Mark (left) and Shane (right) Nightingale. (Image: Brothers Rugby Club/Facebook)
It should also be mentioned that while the team scored 110 tries in 16 matches, which is quite remarkable, only six tries were scored against us, so some-one must have been doing the tackling. And while I do not want to disparage my illustrious brothers in the back line, I think I can say with some accuracy that the forwards had a lot to do with that statistic – and Shane can again take a bow.
After school, Shane played rugby for his beloved Brothers Rugby Club, well known for their fierce and uncompromising style of play. I can attest to this having been on the receiving end of thousands of sprig marks from the boots of their forward pack – again, Shane, take a bow.
In 1979 Shane played lock for Brothers with his brother Mark in the back row in the epic Brisbane first-grade club final series against Queensland University.
Two grand finals were played with 20 minutes extra time having to be played in the first game only to see the result a locked at 24-24.
In the second grand final replay, the scores were locked at 13-13. And in extra time, Brothers kicked a penalty goal to win the match 16-13.
At club level, Shane won five premier grade titles with Brothers (1980-84). Not many people have won one, let alone five. He was also awarded the JP Gralton Memorial Trophy for the most resilient player at Brothers Rugby Club. He and his brother Mark are only one of two sets of brothers to each play over 100 first-grade games for their club.
Shane went on to play for Queensland and the Wallabies. In 1982 I had the privilege of touring with him on the Wallabies tour to New Zealand. The Wallabies won ten of the 14 matches and lost four. The international match series against the All Blacks resulted in a 2-1 win for New Zealand, who won the first and third matches, with Australia winning the second match.
Shane has had a memorable rugby career with many golden moments. But the memories I will always treasure is of a quiet man who was humble, fiercely loyal, uncompromising and reliable, with a cheeky grin and a twinkle in his eyes.
On behalf of all of those of us who have had the privilege of playing with and against you, we salute you and say farewell.
I hope to see you in Valhalla.
Shane’s funeral is on Friday 14 February at 10.30am at Our Lady Help of Christians Church, Hendra, Brisbane with the wake at Brothers Rugby Football Club.
mzilikazi
Roar Pro
Ah, we only arrived in Australia in '88, and started at BTC in Charters Towers in '89....sorry I missed meeting Shane....as one would in a small region like the Townsville area.
Doug Perrins
Guest
Tony Parker (Wallaby) at 9 for Uni I think. Would like to know what the two team lineups were. Stack of Wallabies there.
Gary BIrd
Guest
Having had some involvement with Shane during the eighties I have nothing but respect for a great competitor RIP SHane. Gary BIrd
Gregory Burke
Guest
Many Thanks to Chris Roche for a wonderful tribute to great rugby man and mate Shane Nightingale. Also a reminder of great history of Australian Schoolboys efforts . ????????????
AJ
Guest
That would be Marto? wisely deciding to sprint back to fullback, after a brief attempt to join the ruck.
Shoes
Roar Rookie
Mzilikazi, Shane played in 87/88 and not sure if he played in 86. He was the first local I met in Ayr...all he said was ‘training is on tonight Shoes.. be there’
RAF
Guest
A great man and a great rugby player. I played with Shane in Qld Country team that beat a Brisbane team for the first time in many years. I loved his affinity with Country rugby. I still vividly remember him turning up to games in shorts, thongs, horse racing guide and his ciggies as constants.........oh and when we beat Brisbane.........a couple of us shared a cigar with him which he conveniently pulled from his shirt pocket. Yes indeed, "a quiet man who was humble, fiercely loyal, uncompromising and reliable".....and he was a funny bastard.
Peter
Guest
Condolences to the family and everyone who knew Shane. My thoughts go especially to his brother Brett with whom I had the privilege of being a team mate and friend at the mighty North Cronulla Sea Lice Rugby and North Cronulla Surf Club. Thoughts are with you.
Serge
Guest
I Went to school with Shane at st columbans albion. Played rugby and cricket together all through high school. He’s was such a competitor, fair , very tough , loyal. and a sharp intellect. Someone you want in the trenches. A very sad loss. Rip Shane. Serge
Harry
Guest
You are right on both counts johnb - thats Shane Nightingale in 4, and more importantly lower grade players mostly fancied a bit of 1st grade ... except against Brothers. Quite a few other noteworthies in that clip - test players Andy McIntyre, Brendan Moon (playing in the centres) andMichael Lynagh are all named, and pretty certain thats Nucifora Uni hooker, McBain Brothers hooker, Tony Shaw certainly for Brothers, Jeff Miller for Uni at 6.
ThugbyFan
Roar Guru
Great clip Harry. One tweeter there says those were the days "when sex was safe and rugby was dangerous". :laughing: Chris, a wonderful tribute to your friend and fellow rugger bugger, may SN rest in peace. I hope the shindig at Brothers club is a rip snorter for the bloke.
Tooly
Roar Rookie
Thank you Chris.
mzilikazi
Roar Pro
When did Shane play in the Burdekin, Shoes ? I spent a few years in Charters Towers, and did a bit of reffing. Great part of the world up there.
Chris
Guest
I remember watching Shane play Brisbane Club Rugby when i was a young teenager. RIP
mzilikazi
Roar Pro
Very sad to hear of Shane's death. RIP. Thanks for the great tribute, Chris. I was coaching Bangor GS in Ulster when your team came to Ireland. My co coach, Jim Welch, was an Irish Schools selector, and we had lunch with you all in a little town you stayed in, Donaghadee. This was prior to your playing Ulster. At lunch, Geoff Mould mentioned he had an injured player, who should see a doctor. I took the lad to see the Ulster Rugby doctor, who had a practice in Bangor, six miles away. Chatting to the lad, I learned he was from Brisbane. It was only years later that when we came to live in Qld. that the name cropped up again.....Wally Lewis ! We had Ulster's best team that year, winning the Schools Cup, but only one real star, winger Kenny Hooks. He played against Australian Schools both for Ulster, and Ireland. I saw the latter game in Limerick. It was tight, score about 10 - 6. That would have been easily your closest International result. Chris, your 1977/78 side is still, and probably always will be, the best schoolboy team I have ever seen. You played the game the way coaches dream of it being played.
johnb
Guest
Having trouble posting this so try again - Shane Nightingale is 4 in that (great) clip (5 looks like a young Damian Frawley - a number of other Wallabies in both those sides).
johnb
Guest
Shane Nightingale is 4 in that (great) clip (5 looks like a young Damian Frawley). I played mostly 2nd grade at a different club around that time - usually you really hoped to also get a run as a sub in 1st grade, but I recall being a lot more ambivalent about it if you were up against Brothers.
Gloria
Roar Rookie
The Nightingale brothers were greatly respected and perhaps even slightly feared, as was the entire Brothers forward pack in that era. Good thing the Brothers club would give you a complimentary XXXX and have their club doctor stitch you up on site after their pack had adjusted your facial appearance. Those were the days! Sad to hear of Shane’s passing. A great rugby man with a reputation of also being a great man.
Harry
Guest
Thank you Chris for the writeup of this great player and character. I know we aren't meant to post links, but younger readers in particular might enjoy this footage of the Brothers pack at work circa 1983 or thereabouts, including Shane Nightingale (5 I think) which bears vivid testimony to CR's recollections above the consequences of being at the bottom of a ruck : https://twitter.com/i/status/1163744706964152321
Adsa
Roar Rookie
Burdekin Cane Toads legend. RIP.