{{short description|New Zealand rugby union player and local politician}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2016}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=March 2016}} {{Infobox rugby biography | name = Quentin Donald | honorific-suffix = | image = Quentin Donald passport photo.jpg | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1900|03|13|df=yes}} | birth_place = Featherston, New Zealand | death_place = Greytown, New Zealand | death_date = {{Death date and age|1965|12|27|1900|03|13|df=yes}} | position = Hooker | height = {{convert|1.78|m|ftin|0|abbr=on}} | weight = {{convert|79|kg|lb|abbr=on}} | repteam1 = {{nrut|New Zealand}} | repyears1 = 1923–25 | repcaps1 = 4 | reppoints1 = 0 | province1 = Wairarapa | provinceyears1 = 1918–28 | provinceapps1 = 47 | provincepoints1 = | occupation = Farmer | relatives = Jim Donald (brother) | school = Wellington College) }}
'''Quentin Donald''' (13 March 1900 – 27 December 1965) was a New Zealand rugby union player and local politician. He appeared in 23 matches for the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, and served on the Featherston County Council for 27 years.
==Early life and family== Born in Featherston on 13 March 1900, Donald was the son of Alice Donald (née Ford) and her husband, Quentin Donald, a farmer. He was the younger brother of Jim Donald, who also played for the All Blacks. Donald was educated at Wellington College, where he was a member of the 1st XV rugby team in 1917.<ref name="DNZB">{{DNZB | title=Donald, James George and Donald, Quentin | first=N.A.C. | last=McMillan | id=4d14 | access-date=13 March 2016}}</ref>
Donald became engaged to Hazel Winifred Meikle Davies in July 1924,<ref>{{cite news | url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=CHP19240725.2.7 | title=Women's corner | date=25 July 1924 | work=The Press | access-date=13 March 2016 | page=2}}</ref> and the couple married in Wellington on 16 December 1925.<ref name="DNZB"/> Donald's best man was Rawi Cundy.<ref name="DNZB"/>
==Rugby union== alt=|left|thumb|Quentin Donald passport application (1924) A hooker, Donald made his debut for Wairarapa in 1918, the year after he left school,<ref name="AB profile">{{cite web| url = http://stats.allblacks.com/asp/Profile.asp?ABID=232 |title = Quentin Donald | last = Knight | first = Lindsay | publisher = New Zealand Rugby Union | access-date = 13 March 2016}}</ref> and in that first season he played five matches for the provincial side.<ref name="DNZB"/> The following year he made the first of his two appearances for the North Island in the inter-island fixture.<ref name="AB profile"/>
Donald first played for the All Blacks in 1923, in a match against the touring New South Wales team at Lancaster Park, Christchurch, and scored a try in New Zealand's 34–6 victory.<ref name="AB profile"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://stats.allblacks.com/asp/teamsheet.asp?MT_ID=1164 |title=164th All Black game |publisher=New Zealand Rugby Union |access-date=13 March 2016}}</ref> He was selected for the 1924–25 tour of Britain, Ireland and France after playing in three trial matches and the 1924 inter-island fixture. On that tour, he played in 22 matches, including four internationals, and scored five tries, and was regarded as one of the outstanding forwards in the team. However, he retired from all rugby after the team, dubbed "The Invincibles" as they went undefeated on tour, returned to New Zealand.<ref name="DNZB"/>
In 1927, Donald came out of retirement and once again played for the Wairarapa provincial team, most notably in the Ranfurly Shield defence against {{Rut|Hawke's Bay}} at Masterton that season, which came to be known as the Battle of Solway. Both Donald and Hawke's Bay player Maurice Brownlie were sent off after an on-field incident.<ref name="DNZB"/><ref name="AB profile"/>
Donald played his last season for Wairarapa in 1928, having played 47 times for his province,<ref name="AB profile"/> and in 78 first-class games overall.<ref name="DNZB"/> He later served as a Wairarapa selector in 1935.<ref name="DNZB"/>
==Politics and community involvement== Donald was first elected to the Featherston County Council in November 1938,<ref name="DNZB"/> filling the vacancy caused by the death of his father who had served on the council for 30 years, including as chairman from 1919 until May 1938.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=EP19381111.2.118 | title=Father's place taken | date=11 November 1938 | work=Evening Post | access-date=13 March 2016 | page=11}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=EP19381025.2.80 | title=Obituary: Mr. Quentin Donald | date=25 October 1938 | work=Evening Post | access-date=13 March 2016 | page=10}}</ref> He served as a county councillor until 1965.
A farmer, Donald was an active member of the Wairarapa and East Coast Agricultural and Pastoral Society, serving as vice president between 1946 and 1949, and president from 1949 to 1951.<ref name="DNZB"/>
==Death== Donald died at Greytown on 27 December 1965, the year after his wife's death,<ref name="DNZB"/> and was buried at Waihenga Cemetery, Martinborough.
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Portal|Sports}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Donald, Quentin}} Category:1900 births Category:1965 deaths Category:People from Featherston, New Zealand Category:People educated at Wellington College, Wellington Category:New Zealand rugby union players Category:New Zealand international rugby union players Category:Wairarapa rugby union players Category:Rugby union hookers Category:New Zealand referees and umpires Category:20th-century New Zealand farmers Category:Local politicians in New Zealand Category:20th-century New Zealand politicians Category:Rugby union players from the Wellington Region Category:20th-century New Zealand sportsmen