The eyebrows of a modern footballer are easily raised when it comes to travel arrangements.
But for any Wallabies player who dared sniff at a trip in cattle class, they only needed to talk to their most senior forebear – Wallaby No.336 Eric Tweedale – for a dose of reality.
Eric Tweedale (left), with Waratahs teammates at the SCG in 1949.Credit: Frank Burke
When Tweedale was first chosen to play for Australia in 1946, he was instructed to be at Rose Bay at 6am, to catch a Sunderland flying boat to New Zealand.
Tweedale lived at Guildford, however, and with cars and petrol scarce after the war, the big Parramatta Two Blues forward had to rely on public transport.
“So I had to catch the train the night before, at quarter-to-twelve, it left Guilford,” Tweedale said.
Armed with all his gear, Tweedale got to Central, hopped a tram to Rose Bay and arrived at 1.30am.
“I knocked at the door, there was a bit of a shuffle behind the door and a bloke came out holding a broom. I said: ‘I have come to catch the eight o’clock plane to New Zealand,’” Tweedale said in a Classic Wallabies interview with Gordon Bray in 2020.
The Wallabies team ahead of their Test against England at Twickenham in 1948. Tweedale is back row, fourth from the left.Credit: Rugby Australia archive
“He said, ‘Er, you’re a bit early, but come on in’.”
Tweedale slept on a bench and after being woken by teammates, flew off to meet the All Blacks.
It was the first of 10 Wallabies caps for Tweedale, who was farewelled this week after passing away at the remarkable age of 102.
Eric Tweedale talking to Sir Peter Cosgrove and Nick Farr-Jones at a dinner to decide the Wallabies jersey colour in 2021.Credit: Edwina Pickles
Tweedale was, unsuprisingly, the oldest living Wallaby for many years, and stories of his incredible life have been shared by vast numbers of people who loved and admired the charismatic front rower and war veteran.
“He was such a kind, and thoroughly decent, person,” said Two Blues official Peter Thompson.
Born in England, Tweedale moved to Australia at age three, where his parents bought a house at Merrylands, which was then a semi-rural area on Sydney’s outskirts.
After getting a “GPS education – Guildford Public School”, Tweedale said he left school at 14 because he was getting so big his mother insisted he help pay for all the food he was eating.
At 15, he was introduced to fearsome Australian prop “Wild” Bill Cerutti, who played for Parramatta. He asked Tweedale if he knew about rugby union.
“I said ‘Mr Cerutti, I have never even seen the game played. I know nothing about it’,” Tweedale said.
“He said ‘you look big and ugly enough to me, what say I pick you up on Tuesday night and I will take you over to Cumberland Oval’.”
Eric Tweedale with then-fiancee Enid Bradshaw in 1942. They would later be re-uinited, 64 years later.
So began Tweedale’s life in rugby. At 17, he debuted for Parramatta’s first grade side, but a promising career was put on hold when World War Two arrived and Tweedale joined the Navy.
He served as a signalman protecting shipping convoys on the Australian coast from attack. As reported by RSL, Tweedale acted as a pallbearer at the military funeral for the dead Japanese found in captured midget subs in 1942.
Tweedale played occasionally for the Two Blues while on shore leave, and when peace returned, he was selected for both NSW and the Wallabies in 1946. Working for Shell, Tweedale learned of his selection to play for Australia against the All Blacks after buying a newspaper at Wynyard ahead of the commute home.
Members of the Wallabies tour party in England in 1947. Tweedale is third from the left.Credit: Reuters
“I got on the train and turned straight to the sport pages, and there was the team that was announced,” Tweedale said. “My name was on the list.”
In a team comprised of recently discharged servicemen, and youngsters straight out of school like Trevor Allen, Tweedale’s first match was a heavy defeat to New Zealand, but the second Test at Eden Park saw the Wallabies outscore the All Blacks two tries to one; albeit in another loss.
Tweedale then toured with the Wallabies on their epic tour of the United Kingdom and France in 1947/48 – a trip that lasted nine months and featured 31 matches. Tweedale played in three of four Tests against the Home Unions – all matches where the Wallabies did not have their line crossed.
Eric Tweedale catches the ball against England.
Tweedale retired from international rugby in 1949 but remained heavily involved at Parramatta, where he finally retired at the age of 38 while serving as captain-coach.
Having been posted by Shell to work in NSW’s Central West, Tweedale captained NSW Country and played against the British and Irish Lions, and also helped form the Forbes Rugby Club.
Tweedale remained heavily involved with the Two Blues for the rest of his life; starting the Parramatta Juniors in 1959 and serving a number of club roles, including president. He was honoured by having the new grandstand at Granville Park named after him in 2022.
Tweedale remained an inspirational figure to many aspiring stars at the Two Blues.
“[Wallabies hooker] Tatafu [Polota-Nau] went to see him when he was picked to play for Australia, and asked for advice on playing for the Wallabies,” Thompson said.
“Eric said: ‘Don’t let anyone down, and be punctual’. It’s pretty sound advice!”
Eric Tweedale (left) and Nick Shehadie (right) became lifelong friends.
Polota-Nau posted a tribute on social media this week: “To one of my greatest mentors not only in Rugby but in life as well, there’s not enough inspiring words to describe the gentleman that you became. You definitely defined the word ‘resilient’ when it came to living your illustrious life.“
One of the most incredible stories of Tweedale’s life comes from the last of his three relationships.
After meeting Enid Bradshaw at the Merrylands RSL in the pre-war years, the pair got engaged but called it off due to the uncertainty of the war and Tweedale’s service.
He subsequently married twice, firstly to Isabel Duncan, who died in 1964 and with whom he fathered a daughter, and secondly to Phyllis Addicoat. After 42 years of marriage, Phyllis died in 2008.
But in an incredible twist, when in his mid-80s, Tweedale was invited to a Merrylands RSL reunion and an organiser asked if he could give a lift to a widow who was also keen to attend.
Eric Tweedale with Enid Bradshaw after being re-united.
“They said her name is Enid Bradshaw, do you know her?” Tweedale said. “Do I know her? I almost married her!”
Sixty-four years after they’d last seen each other, Tweedale and Enid re-united and later became a couple again, spending 12 years together, having moved to a retirement village in Umina.
Tweedale remained an enthusiastic watcher of rugby well past his 100th year, and prior to their deaths, he would meet regularly with his great mates, Nick Shehadie and fellow Wallaby Jim Phipps.
Author, poet and rugby coach Peter ‘Fab’ Fenton, who wrote a book about Tweedale, summed up his life in poem for his 99th birthday.
“A throwback to a time when sportsmanship was all the rage. A Two Blues Rugby legend and a marvel of our age.”
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