Dick Huddart

Dick Huddart
Personal information
Full name Richard Huddart
Nickname Tiger
Born (1936-06-22) 22 June 1936
Flimby, Cumberland, England
Playing information
Height 6 ft (183 cm)
Weight 15 st (95 kg)
Position Second-row
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1958 Whitehaven
1958–64 St. Helens 209 76 0 0 228
1964–68 St. George 78 16 0 48
1970–71 Whitehaven 0 0 0 0 0
Total 287 92 0 0 276
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1958–63 Great Britain 16 2 0 0 6
1962 England 1 0 0 0 0

Dick 'Tiger' Huddart (born 22 June 1936) is an English-Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. A Great Britain and England international representative forward, he played club football in England for Whitehaven and St. Helens (with whom he won the 1961 Challenge Cup), and in Australia for St. George (with whom he won the 1966 NSWRFL Premiership). Huddart is both a Whitehaven, and St. Helens Hall of Fame inductee. He is also the father of professional rugby league footballer, Milton Huddart.

Playing career

Britain

Huddart was born in Flimby, Cumberland. After playing amateur rugby for Risehow, he 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 Lions, touring Australia with them and winning the Ashes. He won caps for Great Britain while at Whitehaven in 1958 against Australia (2 matches), and New Zealand (2 matches).

Upon his return, Huddart decided to move to St Helens, signing with them in October, 1958. During the 1959–60 season he played as a second-row forward in St. Helens' 4-5 loss against Warrington in the 1959 Lancashire Cup final at Central Park, Wigan on Saturday 31 October 1959. While at St. Helens he played for Great Britain 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.[1] 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 won a cap for England while at St. Helens in 1962 against France.[2] During the 1960–61 season he played at second-row forward in the 15-9 victory over Swinton in the 1960 Lancashire Cup final at Central Park, Wigan on Saturday 29 October 1960. During the 1961–62 season He played Right-Second-rowin the 25-9 victory over Swinton in the 1961 Lancashire Cup final at Central Park, Wigan on Saturday 11 November 1961. During the 1962–63 season he played at secon-row forward in the 7-4 victory over Swinton in the 1962 Lancashire Cup final at Central Park, Wigan on Saturday 27 October 1962.

Australia

Huddart moved to Australia to play for NSWRFL club 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 Provan. Huddart went on to help the Dragons continue their dominance in that period, scoring a try in the 1966 NSWRFL season's 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.

References

  1. ↑ "Great Britain Statistics at englandrl.co.uk". englandrl. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  2. ↑ "England Statistics at englandrl.co.uk". englandrl. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.

External links

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