Sir Nicholas Shehadie AC OBE

Rugby Union

Nicholas Shehadie was one of the all-time great prop forwards and an institution in the Australian team for a decade. He represented his country in more than 100 appearances and played thirty Tests (a record at the time), three as captain.

He played on the Wallaby tour to Britain in 1947-48, against the NZ Maoris and New Zealand in 1949, the British Lions in 1950, New Zealand again in 1951, Fiji in 1952 and 1954, and on tours to New Zealand and South Africa. He captained the team in South Africa and against Fiji in 1954.

One of his greatest honours was being the first player invited to appear against his own team-mates for the Barbarians, during the Wallaby tour of Britain in 1957-58. After a magnificent match which the Barbarians won 11-6, spectators chaired Shehadie and Australian captain Bob Davidson from the field.

He also captained NSW and Randwick, where he played 175 First Grade games.

After his playing career, Shehadie became an administrator, was President of the Australian Rugby Football Union in 1979 and managed the 1981-82 Wallabies on their British tour. He also managed Australian teams to the Hong Kong sevens. Off the field, he was the thirty-third Lord Mayor of Sydney.

His greatest legacy may well be the Rugby World Cup, now the third biggest sporting event in the world, for which he was a driving force.