Dick Huddart
Encyclopedia
Dick Huddart is an English
-Australia
n former rugby league
footballer of the 1950s, '60s and '70s. He played in the for Whitehaven
and St. Helens in England, and for the St. George Dragons
in Australia. He also played for the Great Britain national rugby league team
.
, touring Australia with them and winning the Ashes. Upon his return, Huddart decided to move to St Helens, signing with them in October, 1958. Huddart went on to win the Lance Todd Trophy
for man-of-the-match in the 1961 Challenge Cup
final. He also helped Great Britain retain the Ashes in the 1962 tour of Australia.
. Huddart went on to help the Dragons continue their dominance in that period, scoring a try in their 1966 Grand Final win against Balmain. The turning point of that match came when Huddart and Ian Walsh put on a set move as the Balmain defence rushed up too early. Walsh burst through the line and with only the fullback to beat and passed the ball to Huddart who raced 30 yards to score. Huddart thus became the first Great Britain Test player to win a premiership in Australia.
Huddart returned to England in 1970–71 to play a final season with Whitehaven.
while at St. Helens in 1962 against France, and won caps for Great Britain
while at Whitehaven in 1958 against Australia (2 matches), and New Zealand (2 matches); while at St. Helens in 1959 against Australia; in 1961 against New Zealand (3 matches); in 1962 against France (2 matches), Australia (3 matches), and New Zealand (2 matches); and in 1963 against Australia.
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
-Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n former rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
footballer of the 1950s, '60s and '70s. He played in the for Whitehaven
Whitehaven RLFC
Whitehaven RLFC is a rugby league club playing in Whitehaven in West Cumbria. They play in Co-operative Championship. Their stadium is called the Recreation Ground...
and St. Helens in England, and for the St. George Dragons
St. George Dragons
The St George Dragons was an Australian Rugby league football club in St George, Sydney, New South Wales that played in Australia's top-level Rugby league competition from New South Wales Rugby Football League in 1921 until 1998; in 1999 they formed a joint venture with the Illawarra Steelers,...
in Australia. He also played for the Great Britain national rugby league team
Great Britain national rugby league team
The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....
.
England
After playing amateur rugby for Risehow, Huddart turned professional, signing with Whitehaven for £250. Later that year he became the first Whitehaven player to be selected to play for the Great Britain LionsGreat Britain national rugby league team
The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....
, touring Australia with them and winning the Ashes. Upon his return, Huddart decided to move to St Helens, signing with them in October, 1958. Huddart went on to win the Lance Todd Trophy
Lance Todd Trophy
The Lance Todd Trophy is awarded to the Man-of-the-Match in rugby league football's Challenge Cup Final.The trophy was introduced in 1946, in memory of Lance Todd, the New Zealand-born player and administrator, who was killed in a road accident during the Second World War...
for man-of-the-match in the 1961 Challenge Cup
Challenge Cup
The Challenge Cup is a knockout cup competition for rugby league clubs organised by the Rugby Football League. Originally it was contested only by British teams but in recent years has been expanded to allow teams from France and Russia to take part....
final. He also helped Great Britain retain the Ashes in the 1962 tour of Australia.
Australia
Huddart moved to Australia to play at St. George from the 1964 season. It was hoped he could help fill the large shoes left in the record-breaking champion St. George side's second-row by the retiring Norm ProvanNorm Provan
Norm "Sticks" Provan is an Australian former rugby league footballer and coach. A giant of a man, he was a second-row forward with the St. George Dragons during their 11-year consecutive premiership-winning run from 1956 to 1966...
. Huddart went on to help the Dragons continue their dominance in that period, scoring a try in their 1966 Grand Final win against Balmain. The turning point of that match came when Huddart and Ian Walsh put on a set move as the Balmain defence rushed up too early. Walsh burst through the line and with only the fullback to beat and passed the ball to Huddart who raced 30 yards to score. Huddart thus became the first Great Britain Test player to win a premiership in Australia.
Huddart returned to England in 1970–71 to play a final season with Whitehaven.
International honours
Dick Huddart won a cap for EnglandEngland national rugby league team
The England national rugby league team represent England in international rugby league football tournaments. The team has now seen a revival, having largely formed from the Great Britain team, who also represented Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The team is run under the auspices of the Rugby Football...
while at St. Helens in 1962 against France, and won caps for Great Britain
Great Britain national rugby league team
The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....
while at Whitehaven in 1958 against Australia (2 matches), and New Zealand (2 matches); while at St. Helens in 1959 against Australia; in 1961 against New Zealand (3 matches); in 1962 against France (2 matches), Australia (3 matches), and New Zealand (2 matches); and in 1963 against Australia.
Genealogical information
Dick Huddart is the father of the rugby league footballer, Milton HuddartMilton Huddart
Milton Huddart is an English former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s who at representative level has played for England, and at club level for Whitehaven, playing at /, i.e...
.
External links
- Statistics at englandrl.co.uk
- Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org
- Dick Huddart at saints.org.uk
- Dick Huddart at the National Archive of Rugby League Interviews
- Dick Huddart at yesterdayshero.com.au
- St. George Dragons history at showroom.com.au/dragons
- Whitehaven RLFC Immortals at marras.co.uk
- When Haven beat the Aussies