Love is the son of New South Wales representative rugby league winger Jimmy Love, who played for Balmain.
[1] Raised in Sydney, Love attended Saint Ignatius' College, Riverview, and gained Combined G.P.S.
He competed in rugby union for Drummoyne after school and in 1954 earned state representative honours at halfback against Queensland.
[2] In 1955, Love won the Fairfax Cup as Sydney rugby union's best and fairest.
[3] Love switched to rugby league in 1958 and had seven seasons as a first-grade halfback with North Sydney.