Thomas Crean

Thomas Crean

Birth name	Thomas Joseph Crean
Date of birth	(1873-04-19)19 April 1873
Place of birth	Dublin, Ireland
Date of death	25 March 1923(1923-03-25) (aged 49)
Place of death	Mayfair, London, England
Height	6 ft 1.5 in (1.87 m)
Weight	14 st 7 lb (92 kg)
School	Belvedere College Clongowes Wood College
University	Royal College of Surgeons
Notable relative(s)	Frank Crean (brother) Fr Cyril Patrick Crean MBE (nephew)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Forward Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 1891-189x 1892-1895 1895-1896 1896-18xx Wanderers St. Vincent's Hospital Richmond Johannesburg Wanderers () Provincial / State sides Years Team Apps (Points) 1894-1896 Leinster 6 0(?) International career Years Team Apps (Points) 1894-1896 1896 Ireland British Isles 9 4 0(6) 0(3)

Major Dr. Thomas Joseph Crean, VC DSO (19 April 1873^[1] – 25 March 1923) was an Irish rugby union player, British Army soldier and doctor. During the Second Boer War, while serving with the Imperial Light Horse, he was awarded the Victoria Cross. In 1902, he was made an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons. During the First World War he served with the Royal Army Medical Corps and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order.

Crean played rugby for Leinster, Ireland and the British Isles. In 1894, he was a member of the first Ireland team to win both a Home Nations Championship and a Triple Crown. Then in 1896, he helped Ireland win their second Home Nations title. He is one of three Ireland rugby union internationals to have been awarded the Victoria Cross. The other two are Robert Johnston, who also served with the Imperial Light Horse in the Second Boer War, and Frederick Harvey who served in the First World War. Crean, Johnston and Harvey all played club rugby for Wanderers. In 1896 Crean and Johnston were also members of the same British Isles squad that toured South Africa.^[2]