Who was the oldest Australian rugby player? Meet Eric Tweedale

Eric Tweedale was the oldest rugby union player alive before he passed on in 2023. He made his mark playing club rugby for the renowned Parramatta Two Blues.

Tweedale proudly represented New South Wales, and played as a prop for the Australia national rugby union team, wearing the green and gold with honor and distinction.

Between May 5, 2021, and October 17, 2023, he held the esteemed title of the oldest living Australian rugby international.

Following his retirement in 1957, Tweedale took on the role of president for Parramatta.

His stature in the rugby community led to his becoming the patron of Parramatta Two Blues, a club that would later be renamed as the Western Sydney Two Blues.

In recognition of his remarkable contributions to the sport, in the year 2000, he was awarded the Australian Sports Medal.

One of the most enduring honors bestowed upon Tweedale was the renaming of Western Sydney Two Blues’ Granville Park stadium as the “Eric Tweedale Stadium” on the occasion of his 100th birthday.

His passing on October 17, 2023, at the age of 102, marked the end of an era in Australian rugby, but his memory and legacy will continue to inspire many.