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ABC News
06-07-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
British and Irish Lions visit the Maitland grave of their inaugural captain Robert Seddon
The British and Irish Lions have gathered in Maitland to pay tribute to the inaugural Lions team captain who drowned in the Hunter Valley. Members of the Lions touring party gathered to lay wreaths at the grave of Robert Seddon, who died at Maitland during a Lions tour in 1888. The 28-year-old was wearing his Lions jumper when he drowned while rowing on the Hunter River. He was buried the next day at Campbells Hill Cemetery in the Maitland suburb of Telarah. Former British Lion and current chair, Ieuan Evans, said the organisation made the trip to Maitland on every Australian tour, which occurred every 12 years. "We're here to reflect on a tragic moment where we lost our captain midway through the tour, but also to celebrate the legacy that he left on the rest of his teammates," Evans said. "To be honest, they were the first great adventurers in rugby, travelling across the globe, playing not only rugby, but cricket, and they played Aussie rules football as well. "They really were pathfinders in the game and we're still living that legacy now. Maitland Rugby Club, known as the Blacks, has maintained the gravesite for the past 137 years. Blacks' president Patrick Howard said it was a great source of pride for the 148-year-old club. "We're just excited to have the Lions out here, putting a spotlight on us for a little while," Howard said. "History is very important to Maitland Rugby Club and [Seddon] is a big part of our history. "A lot of our history was lost in the 1955 Maitland flood. "All of our documents and a lot of our photos went, so we're always accruing new pieces of history." As part of the commemorations, the Maitland Historical Society worked with the Blacks to compile historical sources that tell the story of Robert Seddon, which was presented to the Lions. Howard said it was great to have that history documented for the next generation. "We will now hold that copy here at Maitland Rugby Club as well, as another piece of history that we'll acknowledge moving forward," he said. Evans said the efforts of the Blacks to preserve Seddon's memory were not taken for granted. "We are humbled and gratified by the effort of Maitland Rugby Club to maintain the grave, so we can pay homage to Robert Seddon and his contribution to part of the lore of British and Irish Lions," he said. Lions CEO, Ben Calveley, echoed the sentiment. "It's important that we return and we pay our respects to Robert, but we also pay our respects to our friends from Maitland Rugby Club as well," Calveley said. After visiting the grave on Sunday, representatives from the Lions headed to Newcastle for the Wallabies match against Fiji. Evans said the Lions' brief trip to the Hunter was an important part of the tour's community engagement. "The Lions' tour is not just a straightforward test series. We're the last touring squad really to get an opportunity to see the breadth of Australia and all it has," he said. "We're not only building a sporting legacy but also a community legacy as well." For Calveley, it was a welcome break from the high stakes of touring. "It will be nice to be able to watch a game of rugby with there being nothing at stake for the Lions," he joked.
The Advertiser
06-07-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
British Lions honour original skipper Robert Seddon, who died in 1888 in Maitland
British Lions chairman Ieuan Evans and Australian Rugby Union CEO Phil Waugh joined in Maitland on Sunday to pay tribute to the first Lions captain Robert Seddon. Seddon, 28, tragically drowned in a boating accident in the Hunter River on August 15, 1888, and he was buried in Maitland the next day, with the funeral one of the largest held in the city to that time. The Lions returned to Maitland for the first time on the tour of 1899 and have continued a tradition in recent times with visits on the tours of 1989, 2001 and 2013. lining the streets in tribute. About 50 members of the rugby community, with representatives from the Lions, Rugby Australia, Rugby NSW, Hunter Rugby and individual clubs from across the Hunter, gathered at the Telerah cemetery for a moving ceremony on Sunday. The visit came after the Lions overcame a spirited NSW Waratahs to win 21-10 in Sydney on Saturday night. Evans said the British and Irish Lions were eternally grateful to the Maitland Rugby Club for their stewardship of Seddon's grave site. "It is a thrill to be here as Lion 616 and pay due respects to Lion 11, Robert Seddon. "He died so tragically but made such an awfully important contribution to our legacy. "Legacy is important for the game, but for Lions in particular. "We shine a very powerful beacon wherever we travel, and for this moment, it is on the Maitland Rugby Club and this graveyard where we pay respects to our very first leader. Waugh paid tribute to the Maitland Blacks for continuing to maintain Seddon's grave site. "Robert Seddon was the Lions' first ever captain, and he lost his life at the tender age of 28 in a sculling accident," Waugh said. "Robert was a remarkable athlete. Capped three times for England, he scored tries for the Lions against teams including Auckland and NSW and even kicked goals in Aussie Rules games against Bendigo and Port Adelaide. "He was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2013." Waugh said the rugby union community from opposite sides of the world was united at the cemetery. "To stand here 137 years later paying tribute to a lost member of the rugby family speaks to the remarkable bond we share. The universal bond, is I believe, our greatest strength," he said. Maitland Blacks president Pat Howard said the club had ever since honoured a pledge to maintain Seddon's grave site. "It's a poignant part of our history, the links between Robert Seddon and the Maitland Rugby Club," Howard said. "I've been hearing of so many former tours when the Lions have come out to visit their captain in Maitland, including the 1913 tour. "The story of Robert Seddon is one we hold dear to our hearts. We look after his grave in honour of that, and it's a really important part of our history." British Lions chairman Ieuan Evans and Australian Rugby Union CEO Phil Waugh joined in Maitland on Sunday to pay tribute to the first Lions captain Robert Seddon. Seddon, 28, tragically drowned in a boating accident in the Hunter River on August 15, 1888, and he was buried in Maitland the next day, with the funeral one of the largest held in the city to that time. The Lions returned to Maitland for the first time on the tour of 1899 and have continued a tradition in recent times with visits on the tours of 1989, 2001 and 2013. lining the streets in tribute. About 50 members of the rugby community, with representatives from the Lions, Rugby Australia, Rugby NSW, Hunter Rugby and individual clubs from across the Hunter, gathered at the Telerah cemetery for a moving ceremony on Sunday. The visit came after the Lions overcame a spirited NSW Waratahs to win 21-10 in Sydney on Saturday night. Evans said the British and Irish Lions were eternally grateful to the Maitland Rugby Club for their stewardship of Seddon's grave site. "It is a thrill to be here as Lion 616 and pay due respects to Lion 11, Robert Seddon. "He died so tragically but made such an awfully important contribution to our legacy. "Legacy is important for the game, but for Lions in particular. "We shine a very powerful beacon wherever we travel, and for this moment, it is on the Maitland Rugby Club and this graveyard where we pay respects to our very first leader. Waugh paid tribute to the Maitland Blacks for continuing to maintain Seddon's grave site. "Robert Seddon was the Lions' first ever captain, and he lost his life at the tender age of 28 in a sculling accident," Waugh said. "Robert was a remarkable athlete. Capped three times for England, he scored tries for the Lions against teams including Auckland and NSW and even kicked goals in Aussie Rules games against Bendigo and Port Adelaide. "He was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2013." Waugh said the rugby union community from opposite sides of the world was united at the cemetery. "To stand here 137 years later paying tribute to a lost member of the rugby family speaks to the remarkable bond we share. The universal bond, is I believe, our greatest strength," he said. Maitland Blacks president Pat Howard said the club had ever since honoured a pledge to maintain Seddon's grave site. "It's a poignant part of our history, the links between Robert Seddon and the Maitland Rugby Club," Howard said. "I've been hearing of so many former tours when the Lions have come out to visit their captain in Maitland, including the 1913 tour. "The story of Robert Seddon is one we hold dear to our hearts. We look after his grave in honour of that, and it's a really important part of our history." British Lions chairman Ieuan Evans and Australian Rugby Union CEO Phil Waugh joined in Maitland on Sunday to pay tribute to the first Lions captain Robert Seddon. Seddon, 28, tragically drowned in a boating accident in the Hunter River on August 15, 1888, and he was buried in Maitland the next day, with the funeral one of the largest held in the city to that time. The Lions returned to Maitland for the first time on the tour of 1899 and have continued a tradition in recent times with visits on the tours of 1989, 2001 and 2013. lining the streets in tribute. About 50 members of the rugby community, with representatives from the Lions, Rugby Australia, Rugby NSW, Hunter Rugby and individual clubs from across the Hunter, gathered at the Telerah cemetery for a moving ceremony on Sunday. The visit came after the Lions overcame a spirited NSW Waratahs to win 21-10 in Sydney on Saturday night. Evans said the British and Irish Lions were eternally grateful to the Maitland Rugby Club for their stewardship of Seddon's grave site. "It is a thrill to be here as Lion 616 and pay due respects to Lion 11, Robert Seddon. "He died so tragically but made such an awfully important contribution to our legacy. "Legacy is important for the game, but for Lions in particular. "We shine a very powerful beacon wherever we travel, and for this moment, it is on the Maitland Rugby Club and this graveyard where we pay respects to our very first leader. Waugh paid tribute to the Maitland Blacks for continuing to maintain Seddon's grave site. "Robert Seddon was the Lions' first ever captain, and he lost his life at the tender age of 28 in a sculling accident," Waugh said. "Robert was a remarkable athlete. Capped three times for England, he scored tries for the Lions against teams including Auckland and NSW and even kicked goals in Aussie Rules games against Bendigo and Port Adelaide. "He was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2013." Waugh said the rugby union community from opposite sides of the world was united at the cemetery. "To stand here 137 years later paying tribute to a lost member of the rugby family speaks to the remarkable bond we share. The universal bond, is I believe, our greatest strength," he said. Maitland Blacks president Pat Howard said the club had ever since honoured a pledge to maintain Seddon's grave site. "It's a poignant part of our history, the links between Robert Seddon and the Maitland Rugby Club," Howard said. "I've been hearing of so many former tours when the Lions have come out to visit their captain in Maitland, including the 1913 tour. "The story of Robert Seddon is one we hold dear to our hearts. We look after his grave in honour of that, and it's a really important part of our history." British Lions chairman Ieuan Evans and Australian Rugby Union CEO Phil Waugh joined in Maitland on Sunday to pay tribute to the first Lions captain Robert Seddon. Seddon, 28, tragically drowned in a boating accident in the Hunter River on August 15, 1888, and he was buried in Maitland the next day, with the funeral one of the largest held in the city to that time. The Lions returned to Maitland for the first time on the tour of 1899 and have continued a tradition in recent times with visits on the tours of 1989, 2001 and 2013. lining the streets in tribute. About 50 members of the rugby community, with representatives from the Lions, Rugby Australia, Rugby NSW, Hunter Rugby and individual clubs from across the Hunter, gathered at the Telerah cemetery for a moving ceremony on Sunday. The visit came after the Lions overcame a spirited NSW Waratahs to win 21-10 in Sydney on Saturday night. Evans said the British and Irish Lions were eternally grateful to the Maitland Rugby Club for their stewardship of Seddon's grave site. "It is a thrill to be here as Lion 616 and pay due respects to Lion 11, Robert Seddon. "He died so tragically but made such an awfully important contribution to our legacy. "Legacy is important for the game, but for Lions in particular. "We shine a very powerful beacon wherever we travel, and for this moment, it is on the Maitland Rugby Club and this graveyard where we pay respects to our very first leader. Waugh paid tribute to the Maitland Blacks for continuing to maintain Seddon's grave site. "Robert Seddon was the Lions' first ever captain, and he lost his life at the tender age of 28 in a sculling accident," Waugh said. "Robert was a remarkable athlete. Capped three times for England, he scored tries for the Lions against teams including Auckland and NSW and even kicked goals in Aussie Rules games against Bendigo and Port Adelaide. "He was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2013." Waugh said the rugby union community from opposite sides of the world was united at the cemetery. "To stand here 137 years later paying tribute to a lost member of the rugby family speaks to the remarkable bond we share. The universal bond, is I believe, our greatest strength," he said. Maitland Blacks president Pat Howard said the club had ever since honoured a pledge to maintain Seddon's grave site. "It's a poignant part of our history, the links between Robert Seddon and the Maitland Rugby Club," Howard said. "I've been hearing of so many former tours when the Lions have come out to visit their captain in Maitland, including the 1913 tour. "The story of Robert Seddon is one we hold dear to our hearts. We look after his grave in honour of that, and it's a really important part of our history."
