View source for Dick Huddart

{{Short description|English rugby league footballer (1936–2021)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox rugby league biography
|name           = Dick Huddart
|fullname       = Richard Huddart
<!-- Commented out because image was deleted: |image          = File:Dick_Huddart_St.George_Dragons_1967.jpg -->
|caption        = Dick Huddart. St.George 1967
|birth_date     = {{birth date|1936|06|22|df=y}}
|birth_place    = [[Flimby]], [[Cumberland]], England
|death_date     = {{death date and age|2021|8|11|1936|6|22|df=y}}
| death_place   = Australia
|height         = {{convert|6|ft|0|in|m|abbr=on}}
|weight         = {{convert|15|st|0|lb|kg|abbr=on}}
|position       = {{Rlp|PR|HK|SR}} 
|club1          = [[Whitehaven R.L.F.C.|Whitehaven]]
|year1start     = 1956
|year1end       = 58
|appearances1   = 64
|tries1         = 34
|goals1         = 0
|fieldgoals1    = 0
|points1        = 102
|club2          = [[St Helens R.F.C.|St. Helens]]
|year2start     = 1958
|year2end       = 64
|appearances2   = 209
|tries2         = 76
|goals2         = 0
|fieldgoals2    = 0
|points2        = 228
|club3          = [[St. George Dragons|St. George]] 
|year3start     = 1964
|year3end       = 68
|appearances3   = 78
|tries3         = 16
|goals3         = 0
|fieldgoals3    = 0
|points3        = 48
|club4          = [[Whitehaven R.L.F.C.|Whitehaven]]
|year4start     = 1970
|year4end       = 71
|appearances4   = 7
|tries4         = 0
|goals4         = 0
|fieldgoals4    = 0
|points4        = 0
|retired        = yes
|teamA          = [[Great Britain national rugby league team|Great Britain]]
|yearAstart     = 1958
|yearAend       = 63
|appearancesA   = 16
|triesA         = 2
|goalsA         = 0
|fieldgoalsA    = 0
|pointsA        = 6
|teamB          = [[England national rugby league team|England]]
|yearBstart     = 1962
|yearBend       = 
|appearancesB   = 1
|triesB         = 0
|goalsB         = 0
|fieldgoalsB    = 0
|pointsB        = 0
| teamC         = [[Cumbria rugby league team|Cumberland]]
| yearCstart    = 1956
| yearCend      = 63
| appearancesC  = 11
| triesC        = 4
| goalsC        = 0
| fieldgoalsC   = 0
| pointsC       = 12
|updated        = 23 August 2021
|source         = <ref name="Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/dick-huddart/summary.html|title=Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org|publisher=rugbyleagueproject.org|date=31 December 2017|access-date=1 January 2018}}</ref><ref name="England Statistics at englandrl.co.uk">{{cite web|url=http://www.englandrl.co.uk/player_records?search=Huddart&submit=Go&c=England|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180418032608/http://www.englandrl.co.uk/player_records?search=Huddart&submit=Go&c=England|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 April 2018|title=England Statistics at englandrl.co.uk|publisher=englandrl.co.uk|date=31 December 2017|access-date=1 January 2018}}</ref><ref name="Great Britain Statistics at englandrl.co.uk">{{cite web|url=http://www.englandrl.co.uk/player_records?search=Huddart&submit=Go&c=GB|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180418032453/http://www.englandrl.co.uk/player_records?search=Huddart&submit=Go&c=GB|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 April 2018|title=Great Britain Statistics at englandrl.co.uk|publisher=englandrl.co.uk|date=31 December 2017|access-date=1 January 2018}}</ref><ref name="RLJ Autumn 2021"/>
|new            = yes
| module        = {{infobox person
| embed         = yes
| relatives     = [[Milton Huddart]] (son)
}}
}}

'''Richard Huddart''' (22 June 1936 – 11 August 2021) was an English professional [[rugby league]] footballer who played in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. A [[Great Britain national rugby league team|Great Britain]] and [[England national rugby league team|England]] international representative forward, he played at club level in England for [[Whitehaven R.L.F.C.|Whitehaven]] and [[St Helens R.F.C.|St Helens]] (with whom he won the [[1961 Challenge Cup]]), and in Australia for [[St. George Dragons|St. George]] (with whom he won the [[1966 NSWRFL Premiership]]).<ref name="Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org"/> Huddart was both a Whitehaven and [[St Helens R.F.C. Hall of Fame]] inductee.

==Background==
Dick Huddart was born in [[Flimby]], [[Cumberland]] on 22 June 1936.  After leaving school he worked as a fitter at a local coal mine. He played amateur rugby for Risehow, Huddart turned professional, signing with rugby league club Whitehaven in 1954.<ref name="RLJ Autumn 2021"/>

==Playing career==
===Britain===
Huddart's first team debut for Whitehaven came in August 1956 against Warrington, the following month he played in his first [[County Championship (rugby league)|County Championship]] match for Cumberland.<ref name="RLJ Autumn 2021">{{cite magazine |title=Special Tribute: Dick Huddart |magazine=Rugby League Journal |issue=76 |date=Autumn 2021 |pages=24–26}}</ref> Huddart played right-{{rlp|sr}} in Whitehaven's 14–11 victory over [[Australia national rugby league team|Australia]] in the [[Kangaroo Tour|1956–57 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France]] match at the [[Recreation Ground (Whitehaven)|Recreation Ground]], [[Whitehaven]] on Saturday 20 October 1956, in front of a crowd of 10,917.<ref name="When Haven beat the Aussies">{{cite web|url=http://www.totalrl.com/features/content.php?feat_id=269&featcat_id=32|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100114185405/http://totalrl.com/features/content.php?feat_id=269&featcat_id=32|url-status=dead|archive-date=14 January 2010|title=When Haven beat the Aussies|publisher=totalrl.com|date=31 December 2017|access-date=1 January 2018}}</ref> Later that year he became the first Whitehaven player to be selected to play for the [[Great Britain national rugby league team]],<ref name="RLJ Autumn 2021"/> touring Australia and New Zealand as a member of the [[1958 Great Britain Lions tour|1958 Great Britain team]] and winning [[The Ashes (rugby league)|the Ashes]] being [[Cap (sport)|capped]] four times on the tour - twice against Australia and wice against New Zealand.<ref name="RLJ Autumn 2021"/>

Upon his return, Huddart decided to move to [[St Helens R.F.C.|St. Helens]], signing with them in October, 1958. During the [[1959–60 Northern Rugby Football League season|1959–60 season]] he played as a {{rlp|sr}} in [[St Helens R.F.C.|St. Helens]]' 4–5 loss against [[Warrington Wolves|Warrington]] in the [[1959 Lancashire Cup]] Final  at [[Central Park (Wigan)|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 (three matches), in 1962 against France (two matches), Australia (three matches), and New Zealand (two matches), and in 1963 against Australia.<ref name="Great Britain Statistics at englandrl.co.uk"/> During the [[1960–61 Northern Rugby Football League season|1960–61 season]] Huddart played at {{rlp|sr}} and was named [[player of the match|man of the match]], winning the [[Lance Todd Trophy]] in the 12–6 victory over [[Wigan Warriors|Wigan]] in the [[1961 Challenge Cup]] Final at [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Wembley Stadium]], [[London]] on Saturday 13 May 1961, in front of a crowd of 94,672. He also helped Great Britain retain the Ashes in the 1962 tour of Australia. Huddart won a single cap for [[England national rugby league team|England]] while at St. Helens in 1962 against France.<ref name="England Statistics at englandrl.co.uk"/> During the 1960–61 season he played at {{rlp|sr}} in the 15–9 victory over [[Swinton Lions|Swinton]] in the [[1960 Lancashire Cup]] Final  at Central Park, Wigan on Saturday 29 October 1960. During the [[1961–62 Northern Rugby Football League season|1961–62 season]] he played right-{{rlp|sr}} in the 25–9 victory over [[Swinton Lions|Swinton]] in the [[1961 Lancashire Cup]] Final at Central Park, Wigan on Saturday 11 November 1961. During the [[1962–63 Northern Rugby Football League season|1962–63 season]] he played at {{rlp|sr}} 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 Dragons|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 victory over [[Balmain Tigers|Balmain]]. The turning point of that match came when Huddart and [[Ian Walsh (rugby league)|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.<ref>{{cite web |title=1966 grand final rewind: Eras end as Dragons win 11th straight |url=https://www.nrl.com/news/2021/01/24/1966-grand-final-rewind-eras-end-as-dragons-win-11th-straight/ |website=National Rugby League |access-date=23 August 2021 |date=24 January 2021}}</ref> Huddart thus became the first Great Britain Test player to win a premiership in Australia.<ref name="RLJ Autumn 2021"/>  After leaving St. George, Huddart became player-coach at Dubbo Macquarrie in the [[Group 11 Rugby League|Western Division]] of the [[New South Wales Rugby League|NSWRL]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Riviere |first1=Richard de la |title=Rugby League Heroes: Dick Huddart (Part 2) |url=https://www.totalrl.com/rugby-league-heroes-dick-huddart-part-2/ |access-date=23 August 2021 |work=TotalRL.com {{!}} Rugby League Express {{!}} Rugby League World |date=1 July 2021}}</ref>

Huddart returned to Britain in [[1970–71 Northern Rugby Football League season|1970–71]] to play a final season with Whitehaven.<ref name="RLJ Autumn 2021"/>

==Personal life==
Huddart was married twice, his first marriage to Iris ended in divorce after the family returned to England in 1970. After the divorce Huddart returned to Australia where he met and married his second wife, Lyn.<ref>{{cite news |title=Rugby League had never seen a more explosive running forward than Dick Huddart |url=https://www.sthelensstar.co.uk/sport/19507148.tribute-st-helens-great-britain-legend-dick-huddart/ |access-date=23 August 2021 |work=St Helens Star |date=11 August 2021}}</ref> He was the father of rugby league footballer; [[Milton Huddart]] while and uncle, Dan Huddart, also played professional rugby league for [[Workington Town]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Rugby legend dies in Australia |url=https://www.whitehavennews.co.uk/news/19505676.legend-dick-huddart-dies-australia/ |access-date=23 August 2021 |work=Whitehaven News |date=11 August 2021}}</ref>

He died on 11 August 2021, aged 85.<ref>{{cite web|website=Sky Sports|date=11 Aug 2021|accessdate=11 Aug 2021|title=Dick Huddart: St Helens legend and three-time Ashes winner with Great Britain dies aged 85|url=https://www.skysports.com/rugby-league/news/12196/12378889/dick-huddart-st-helens-legend-and-three-time-ashes-winner-with-great-britain-dies-aged-85}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.saints.org.uk/saints.org.uk/home/viewpage.php?page_id=10&num=15649 Dick Huddart at saints.org.uk]
*(archived by web.archive.org) [https://web.archive.org/web/20110706114154/http://www.yesterdayshero.com.au/PlayerProfile_Dick-Huddart_4129.aspx Dick Huddart at yesterdayshero.com.au]
*[http://www.showroom.com.au/dragons/dragonshistory/history_stgeorge4c.htm St. George Dragons history at showroom.com.au/dragons] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080721145127/http://www.showroom.com.au/dragons/dragonshistory/history_stgeorge4c.htm |date=21 July 2008 }}
*[http://www.marras.co.uk/Mimortals.html#anchor61616 Whitehaven RLFC Immortals at marras.co.uk] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090529053956/http://www.marras.co.uk/Mimortals.html#anchor61616 |date=29 May 2009 }}
*(archived by web.archive.org) [https://web.archive.org/web/20100114185405/http://totalrl.com/features/content.php?feat_id=269&featcat_id=32 When Haven beat the Aussies]

{{St Helens - 1958–59 Championship Final Winners}}
{{St. Helens - 1961 Challenge Cup Final winners}}
{{St. George Dragons squad 1966 NSWRFL premiership}}
{{Great Britain squad – 1958 Tour}}
{{Great Britain squad – 1962 Tour}}
{{Lance Todd Trophy winners}}
{{St Helens RLFC Hall of Fame Inductees}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Huddart, Dick}}
[[Category:1936 births]]
[[Category:2021 deaths]]
[[Category:Cumberland rugby league team players]]
[[Category:England national rugby league team players]]
[[Category:English rugby league players]]
[[Category:Great Britain national rugby league team players]]
[[Category:Lance Todd Trophy winners]]
[[Category:Rugby league players from Maryport]]
[[Category:Rugby league second-rows]]
[[Category:St Helens R.F.C. players]]
[[Category:St. George Dragons players]]
[[Category:Whitehaven R.L.F.C. players]]
[[Category:20th-century English sportsmen]]