Jack Kyle

Who is Jack Kyle?

John Wilson Kyle OBE, commonly referred to as Jack Kyle or Jackie Kyle, is a former rugby union player who played for Ireland, the British Lions and the Barbarians during the 1940s and 1950s. In 1950, Kyle was declared one of the six players of the year by the New Zealand Rugby Almanac, in 1999, he was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame, in 2002, he was named the Greatest Ever Irish Rugby Player by the Irish Rugby Football Union, and in 2008, he was inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame.

Kyle was educated at Belfast Royal Academy and studied medicine at Queen's University, Belfast. He graduated in 1951 and in 1991, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University. In 2007, he was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Irish Journal of Medical Science and the Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland. He has also been awarded an OBE.