Rugby Player Nine Elms Cemetery

Sergeant David Gallaher

32513 Sergeant David Gallaher, 2nd Battalion Auckland Infantry Regiment, 1st New Zealand Infantry Brigade, New Zealand Division. Killed in action 4 October 1914, age 41. Grave III.D.8. Husband of Ellen Ivy May Francis Gallaher and they lived with their daughter at 1 John Street, Ponsonby, Auckland. He was the third son of James Henry Gallagher, a 69-year-old shopkeeper, and his 29-year-old wife, Maria Hardy Gallagher. James had two children from his first marriage and David was the seventh from his marriage to Maria. The family emigrated to New Zealand living first in Tauranga and later moving to Auckland and they had changed their name to Gallaher. His mother died from cancer and at age 13 David left school so he could help his brothers support the family. He took a job with a local stock and station agent and at age 17 he was able to obtain work at the Northern Roller Mills Company, and was soon a member of the firm's junior cricket team. In the late 1890s he was working as a labourer at the Auckland Farmers Freezing Company and by the time of his enlistment he was a foreman. David Gallaher is

David Gallaher in 1905

best known as the captain of ‘The Originals’, the first New Zealand national rugby union team to be known as the All Blacks during their 1905 tour of the UK and Ireland. He played club rugby for Ponsonby, Auckland and was selected for the All Blacks in the 1903 team to Australia. In 1904, he played against the British Team at Athletic Park and was captain of the 1905 ‘Original’ All Blacks for their tour of Britain & France winning 32 of 33 games played. On his return he retired from the game and became the sole Auckland selector from 1906 to 1916. Gallaher first saw action during the Boer War in South Africa as a Sergeant-Major and although exempt, he enlisted again after the death of his younger brother, on 25 July 1916, at 40 years of age and was sent overseas. After training in England he was sent to France and joined 2nd Battalion, Auckland Infantry Regiment in the field. On the 4th October 1917 the New Zealand Division, during the Battle of Broodseinde Ridge, attacked up Gravenstafel Spur. Gallaher was severely wounded during the assault and he was taken down the line to No.3 Australian Casualty Clearing Station, but died later that day. The CWGC officially list his age as 41 however, he was actually 44 years old. He had first lowered his age when volunteering to fight in the South African War in 1901. His name lives on in the Gallaher Shield, awarded to the winner of Auckland’s premier club competition since 1922 and a more recent trophy, and from 2000 the Dave Gallaher Cup, has been awarded to the winner of the first rugby test between New Zealand and France. Since 1924, All Black teams touring in Britain and France have often made a pilgrimage to the site of his grave.