J J Giltinan

Who was J J Giltinan?

James Joseph Giltinan was an Australian entrepreneur who helped to found the sport of rugby league football in Australia. On 8 August 1907 at Bateman's Crystal Hotel, George Street, Sydney politician Henry Hoyle chaired a meeting of fifty, comprising several leading rugby players and officials. The New South Wales Rugby Football League, the body that would go on to conduct the major national rugby league premiership of Australia, was founded and Giltinan was elected its first secretary. Before that he had invited the 1907 "All Golds" New Zealand professional rugby team to tour Australia en route to Britain. Giltinan led the first Kangaroo tour to England in 1908. An all round sports enthusiast, Giltinan had also officiated as an umpire in representative cricket matches. At the begninning of the season, the 1909 NSWRFL season the League had met and kicked out its founders, Giltinan, Victor Trumper and Henry Hoyle.

In 1935, Giltinan formed a breakaway from the established Sydney Flying Squadron. His tenure at the Australian 18 Footers League culminated in his founding the JJ Giltinan International Trophy. This event is effectively the world championships for the specatular 18ft Skiff class and is contested each year on Sydney Harbour. Giltinan died in 1950 and the J J Giltinan Shield was created for the following New South Wales Rugby Football League season in his honour.