The Sport Australia Hall of Fame (SAHOF) is mourning the passing of our esteemed Member, Sir Nicholas Shehadie AC OBE who passed away in hospital last night (11/02/2018) aged 91.

Shehadie was an inaugural Inductee into The Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1985, inducted into the Australian Rugby Union Hall of Fame in 2006 and Inducted into the International Rugby Union Hall of Fame in 2011.

Shehadie was one of the all-time great prop forwards and was an institution in the Australian rugby union team for a decade. He represented the Wallabies 114 times and played 30 Tests (a record at the time), three as captain, between 1947 and 1958. Shehadie has been involved with distinction in almost every facet of rugby union.

SAHOF Chairman John Bertrand AO said; “Sir Nicholas was a great Australian on many levels. An inspiration to Rugby Union and the broader sport community. He will be dearly missed, and our thoughts are with the Shehadie family.”

Sir Nicholas Shehadie AC OBE | Athlete Member (Rugby Union) | The Sport Australia Hall of Fame

15/11/1926 – 11/02/2018

Sir Nicholas Shehadie played his first international against the New Zealand All Blacks as a second rower in 1947 and first toured the British Isles in 1947/48 as a 20 year old. He went on to play against the New Zealand 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 teammates 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.