Former Greats - Sandy Pearce /

Sandy Pearce 

Regarded by many as Australia’s greatest hooker of rugby league's first 100 years, Sandy Pearce, a foundation Rooster, was nearing 25 when Easts played its first ever game, and was to become Australia’s oldest Kangaroo (38 years and 158 days) when he played his final League game in a match for Australia against Wales in 1921.

Pearce, from Double Bay in Sydney's eastern suburbs, toured with both the 1909/09 and 1921/22 Kangaroos (he was unavailable for the 1911/12 tour) and played an extraordinary 33 matches, including all three tests, on that first ever Kangaroo tour in 1908/09. Pearce was an indispensable member of the Roosters team for 14 seasons and one of only two players to feature in each of the Club’s three premiership wins of 1911, 1912 and 1913 and the three City Cup wins of 1914, 1915 and 1916, captaining the City Cup team in 1915. He was the first player in Roosters history to play 150 first grade games and held the games’ appearance record between 1921 and 1923 and the Roosters’ appearance record from 1912 to 1945.

Immensely strong and durable, the man known as ‘The Prince of Hookers’ is a member of the extraordinary Pearce family of sporting champions and played a vital role in establishing rugby league in Australia.

Pearce was 38 years and 25 days old when he played his final premiership match for the Roosters. He remains the oldest ever Roosters first grader and the seventh oldest across all clubs.