Herbert “Paddy” Moran will forever be remembered as the man who gave Australian Rugby its now famous moniker of the Wallabies.

It was on Australia’s first trip to Europe that Moran called on his team-mates to vote for a name after the British press had taken to calling the Australians the Rabbits.

While the names Kookaburras, Kangaroos and Wallaroos were all put forward it was the now famous Wallabies that won out by just a handful of votes.

Moran was chosen to lead the national team on its first European assignment in 1908-09, with the trip including Test matches against Wales and England and a gold-medal winning performance at the London Olympics.

Moran had never played for Australia before the tour, made only the one Test appearance against Wales due to injury, and turned exclusively to a career in medicine after the Wallabies trip, bringing an end to his short yet historically significant Rugby career.

BACK TO HALL OF FAME