Sandy Pearce

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Australia rugby league player
Australia rugby league player

Sidney Charles Pearce (1883 – November 14, 1930), better known as Sid or Sandy Pearce, was an Australian Rugby League player, a hooker, who played 157 matches for the Eastern Suburbs club from (1908-21), He was a member of the Eastern Suburbs side that won consecutive premierships from 1911-13, he was also a member of Easts City Cup winning sides of1914,’15 and ’16. Pearce was the first Eastern Suburbs player to register 100 matches with the club and the first in the New South Wales Rugby League competition to play in 150 matches.

Pearce was also a member of the side that played against the New Zealand ‘All Golds', helping to establish the code in Australia.

Pearce came from a long line of sporting Champion, His father Harry Pearce was a world champion sculler while nephew Bobby Pearce was a duel Olympic gold medalist, his own son Joe Pearce followed in his fathers footsteps playing rugby league for Eastern Suburbs and representing Australia in that sport.

Former Australian team mate Frank Burge, speaking at a function in Pearce's honour in 1940, had this to say

" Football has never had a gamer, rougher, tougher nor more loyal team player. Old Sandy, a hooker, was easily the best I have ever seen in his position. The fact that at 38 when he toured England in 1921 is sufficient testimony to his skill. In the scrums Sandy would have those English hookers eating out of his hand. He would pack in with one arm loose, and as the ball came in he would whack the opposing Hooker on the ear, then he would give them a twist, all the time getting the ball as it came in each time. Pearce had the strength of ten men. He neither drank nor smoked to any extent, and seldom swore. As part of his training he would spar 2 or 3 rounds with 6 or 7 of us in succession, finishing each spar by allowing us to whaile into his body with punches he made no attempt to block. Back home one of his greatest feats of strength was the carrying a bag of oysters, about 100 pounds, from Sussex Street to Double Bay. He also pulled a fishing skiff from Double Bay to Redhead on the South Coast, about 140 miles..."

Throughout his career Pearce played in 14 test matches for his country, he was 38 when he played his final one, making him the oldest ever 'Kangaroo' and along with son Joe Pearce, were the first father and Son to represent Australia in Rugby League. Following his retirement from the game as a player Pearce took up a roll as trainer with the University club.

Dubbed ‘The Prince Of Hookers’ , Sid ‘Sandy’ Pearce appears in Eastern Suburbs ‘Team Of The Century’and has recently been named in Easts' 'Centurion' team, for players who played at least 100 matches.

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