flank, noun

Origin:
EnglishShow more Special sense of general English flank side.
In full flank forward: (the player occupying) the position of wing forward in rugby. Also attributive.
[1937 Rand Daily Mail 10 Apr. 18Of the flank or back rankers Strachan cannot be left out.]
1937 Rand Daily Mail 25 June 22Van der Berg will probably be one of the flank forwards.
1956 V. Jenkins Lions Rampant 19Scotland’s Greenwood, at flank-forward, saw to it that his country’s honour was not besmirched.
1960 E.S. & W.J. Higham High Speed Rugby p.xxWe have adopted the name ‘flank’ instead of the more common ‘wing forward’ as being less likely to cause confusion between wing forward and wing three-quarter.
1960 E.S. & W.J. Higham High Speed Rugby 154The Flanks (wing forwards): These are the open play specialists.
1994 E. Van den Burgh in E. Prov. Herald 30 Aug. 1While the EP [rugby] selectors keep choosing me as a lock, I still prefer playing flank.
1994 G. Doolan in Grocott’s Mail 2 Sept. 19Garth Wakeford played his heart out in the unfamiliar role of second-row lock. The guy definitely deserves a run at flank.
In full flank forward:(the player occupying) the position of wing forward in rugby. Also attributive.
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