Former Greats - Sandy Pearce
Sandy Pearce
| Plyr No. |
Debut Year |
Final Year |
Birth Date | Death Date | Games | Tries | Points |
| 10 | 1908 | 1921 | 31/05/1883 | 14/11/1930 | 157 | 5 | 17 |
| Debut Club Game | 20/04/1908 | Round 1, 1908 v Newtown Wentworth Park, Glebe (Age 24) |
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| Final Club Game | 25/06/1921 | Round 9, 1921 v Western Suburbs Pratten Park, Ashfield (Age 38) |
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| Seasons | 14 | 1908 - 1921 | |||||
| Debut Club | One Club Player? | Final Club | |||||
| Sydney Roosters | Yes | Sydney Roosters | |||||
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. 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.
| Representative Honours | ||
| Australia | 14 Tests (Player No.17) | 1908 - 1921 |
| New South Wales | 6 Interstate Games (Player No. 13) | 1910 - 1920 |
| Club Honours |
| 3 Premiership Titles (1911, 1912 and 1913) |
| 3 City Cup Titles (1914, 1915 and 1916) |
| Sydney Roosters Life Member |
| Sydney Roosters Hall of Fame Inductee No. 11 (2023) |
| Sydney Roosters Team of the 20th Century Hooker (2007) |
| Sydney Roosters Centurions Hooker (2000) |
| Game Honours |
| NRL Hall of Fame Inductee No.4 (2008) |
| International Rugby League Hall of Fame (2006) |
| N.S.W. Hall of Champions Inductee (1979) |
| N.S.W. Rugby League Team of the Century Hooker (2007) |
Sydney Roosters respect and honour the Traditional Custodians of the land and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and future. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on the lands we meet, gather and play on.
