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Dave Sands, born David Ritchie, (February 4 1926-August 11 1952) was an Australian Aborigine boxer, he was a member of the Dunghutti tribe. He was a middleweight, but held the Australian Light-Heavyweight and Heavyweight Championship titles at the same time. He was also a Commonwealth Middleweight champion, winning the title from Randy Turpin's brother Dick.

Dave Sands and Les Darcy are considered the two outstanding boxers in Australian history. Both were middleweights and both held the heavyweight title as well. They also both died at a tragically early age. Sands died in a truck accident near Dungog, New South Wales.

Dave came from a large family of boxers, who all took the name Sands as their boxing name. There were six brothers of which Dave was fourth. He also had a nephew who became a welterweight champion.

At the time of his death Sands record stood at 97 wins (62 by KO), 10 losses, a draw and 2 no-contests from 110 fights.

Trivia

• Because of racial prejudice at the time, Dave Sands was promoted as a Puerto Rican, rather than an Australian Aborigine.

• Dave Sands was well respected for his personal qualities, both on-ring and off-ring: it was said that after Dave Sands won a fight on one occasion, his managers were celebrating all night, but Dave Sands himself was absent; he was later seen waiting for the train back home from Sydney to Newcastle. When asked why he did not join the celebration, Dave Sands replied that he was celebrating indeed: instead of his usual one meat pie for supper, he bought two meat pies this time, one eaten while waiting at the railway station, the other to be eaten while travelling on the train.

• There are two memorials for Dave Sands in his home town of Stockton, near Newcastle, New South Wales; another memorial situates at Glebe in Sydney. There is also a memorial rest park near Dungog where the fatal truck crash took place.

Reference sources

Pictures held and digitised as part of the Arnold Thomas boxing collection by the National Library of Australia

• Dave Sands, Empire and Australian Middleweight Champion and Tom Maguire, trainer
• British Empire title bout, Dave Sands, 11 st. 5 lbs., K.O. Dick Turpin, 11 st. 3 3/4 lbs., in the first round at Harringay Arena, England, September 6th 1949
• Dave Sands (left), 11 st. 7 3/4 lbs. v. Henry Brimm, 11 st. 5 1/2 lbs., at Rushcutter's Bay Stadium, 8 August 1950

• 1926 births
• 1952 deaths
• Middleweights
• Australian boxers
• Australian indigenous sports people
• People of New South Wales