Dick Huddart

Dick Huddart

Personal information
Full name	Richard Huddart
Born	22 June 1936 (1936-06-22) (age 75) Flimby, England
Playing information
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight	15st
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 Huddart (born 22 June 1936 in Flimby, Cumbria) is an English-Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1950s, '60s and '70s. He played in the Second-row 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.

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 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 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.

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 Provan. 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 England 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.^[1]

Honoured at Whitehaven

Dick Huddart is a Whitehaven Hall of Fame inductee.

Genealogical information

Dick Huddart is the father of the rugby league footballer, Milton Huddart.

References

1. ^ "International Statistics at englandrl.co.uk". englandrl. 2008-12-31. http://www.englandrl.co.uk/international_stats.php?EnSearch=Huddart&GBSearch=Huddart&submit_x=10&submit_y=14&submit.x=4&submit.y=7. Retrieved 2009-01-01. 

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

Persondata
Name	Huddart, Dick
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1936-06-22
Place of birth	Flimby
Date of death
Place of death