Eddie Lumsden facts for kids

Eddie Lumsden (born Edmund Lumsden, 28 September 1936 – 6 October 2019) was a famous Australian professional rugby league player. He was a talented winger for the St. George Dragons team. He played a big part in their amazing winning streak from 1956 to 1966. During this time, the Dragons won the championship for eleven years in a row! Eddie played in and won nine of those important grand final games.

Eddie came from a family of rugby league players. He had three brothers who also played the sport. His brother Jack even played for Australia!

Playing Rugby League

In 1955, Eddie moved from his hometown of Kurri Kurri to Sydney. He wanted to play for the Manly-Warringah team. But after only four games, he couldn't play for them anymore. This was because he didn't live in the right area for that team.

In 1956, Eddie played for a team called Country seconds. While playing for Country, the famous St. George Dragons team noticed him. They offered him money and a job to join their team.

Eddie joined the St. George Dragons in 1957. In his very first season in Sydney, he was chosen to play for both Sydney firsts and the New South Wales state team.

He was a top try-scorer in the league. He scored the most tries in 1958 (18 tries) and again in 1962 (21 tries). He was one of the first players after World War II to score 100 tries in his career.

Eddie was also chosen to play for the Australian national team, known as the Kangaroos. He was the 346th player to become a Kangaroo. On the 1959–60 Kangaroo tour, he played in all six main international games. He also played in 21 other matches during the tour. He scored 25 tries in total, which was the most by any Australian player on that tour.

He regularly played for Australia against teams from other countries. He played against France in 1961. He also played against Great Britain in the 1962 Ashes series. In 1963, he played against New Zealand and South Africa. He played his 100th game for the Dragons in 1963.

Eddie stopped playing rugby league after the Dragons won their eleventh championship in a row in 1966. He had played for the St. George Dragons for 10 years. He played 158 games and scored 136 tries. He is remembered as one of the best wingers of his time.

After Playing Career

After retiring from playing, Eddie Lumsden worked as a wine merchant. He then became very successful in business, managing and later buying and selling hotels.

In 1969, he was given a special award. He became a Life Member of the St. George Dragons club.

Eddie also became a rugby league selector in 1977. This meant he helped choose players for the Country and New South Wales teams. He did this job for 23 years! He also spent 14 years helping to select players for the Australian national team.

Eddie Lumsden passed away on 6 October 2019, when he was 83 years old.

Awards and Recognition

Eddie Lumsden received many awards for his amazing rugby league career:

• In February 2008, Eddie was named in a special list. This list was called Australia's 100 Greatest Players from 1908 to 2007. This list was created to celebrate 100 years of rugby league in Australia.
• In 2010, he was chosen for the Kurri Rugby League Club's team of the century. He was named as a winger.
• On 20 July 2022, Eddie was also named in the St. George Dragons District Rugby League Club's team of the century.