Rugby league Hall of Fame legend Mick Sullivan dies at age of 82

Winger Mick Sullivan defies the attentions of Graham Kennedy to score in the second Test against New Zealand at Bradford in 1961

RUGBY LEAGUE is mourning Hall of Fame member Mick Sullivan, who has died following a long illness, aged 82.

Sullivan was born in Pudsey, but began his career with Dewsbury club Shaw Cross and is recognised as one of the finest players ever to come out of the Heavy Woollen area.

He joined Huddersfield in 1952 and was later involved in record-breaking transfers to Wigan for £9,500 in 1957 and then to their arch-rivals St Helens – who paid an £11,000 fee – in 1961.

He also had a spell at York and finished his career as player-coach at Dewsbury in 1966.

Sullivan earned the first of a then-record 46 Great Britain Test caps in 1954 – a record later equalled by Leeds’ Garry Schofield –and was an integral part of the national team for nine years.

He scored 41 international tries and played in 36 consecutive Tests during a seven-year period.

He was a World Cup winner in 1954 and 1960 and scored a hat-trick in the 1958 deciding Ashes Test in Sydney.

That was one of four Ashes-winning campaigns for Sullivan, who also featured in Great Britain’s successes in 1956, 59 and 62.

An outstanding centre, wing or stand-off, Sullivan was a prolific try scorer and equally admired for his uncompromising defence.

One of only 25 members of the Rugby League Hall of Fame - he was inducted three years ago - Sullivan was last week admitted to Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield, where he died on Tuesday afternoon.