By Membership Manager DJ Munro
The great Sir Nicholas Shehadie AC was a force to be reckoned with, both during his time on the field as Wallabies captain, and also in his business, political and personal life.
Across his 92 years, Sir Nick would play 30 Tests for Australia and captain his Wallabies team, become President of Australian Rugby Union, Chair of the Sydney Cricket Ground Trust, Chair of the SBS, lord mayor of Sydney, and be appointed Companion of the Order of Australia.
We are proud that Sir Nick was able to strive for these wonderful achievements as a Tattersalls Member – Sir Nick joined in September 1960 and became a Life Member in 2010 – and we are equally proud of his latest recognition in the Ring of Champions at the newly-unveiled Allianz Stadium.
In lieu of naming the stands after prolific icons, the Sydney Cricket Ground Heritage Committee has instead opted to honour an ever-increasing roster of sporting greats in a ‘Ring of Champions’ that lines the concourse inside the stadium.
The inaugural Champions are:
- Sir Nicholas Shehadie AC: Wallabies captain and player, Tattersalls Member
- Betty Cuthbert AC: Olympian
- Johnny Warren OAM: Socceroos captain and player
- Arthur Beetson OAM: Rugby League player and coach
- Ron Coote AM: Rugby League captain and player
To visualise the new Ring of Champions, our Sir Nick has his name in gold lettering above one of the bars on the eastern side of the 45,000-seat stadium, with career statistics, facts and figures alongside. His fellow Champions mirror this spectacle as you move around the stadium, and the SCG Heritage Committee anticipates more names will be added to the Ring of Champions in coming years.
Away from the limelight, Sir Nick’s love of rugby was evident, hosting and speaking at many events at the Club. One event especially went down in history as a quiet little drink between 20 friends suddenly sprung into a raucous fundraiser of 240 plus, a snippet about which can be read in the November-December 1981 edition of the Tattersalls Club Magazine. Click the image below to read.