Edward Root

Eddie Root (1902–1986) was an Australian rugby league footballer who played in the 1920s and 1930s. A New South Wales state and Australia national representative forward, his club career was played in Sydney with South Sydney, Newtown and St. George. Enlisted in World War I at the age of just 16 years, he had the distinction of being the last representative footballer to go to the Great War.[3]

Eddie Root
Personal information
Full nameEdward Alexander Root
Born(1902-10-05)5 October 1902
Waterloo, New South Wales, Australia
Died7 May 1986(1986-05-07) (aged 83)
Brighton-Le-Sands, New South Wales, Australia
Playing information
PositionSecond-row, Prop
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1923–29 South Sydney 68 29 1 0 89
1930 Newtown 12 7 1 0 23
1931–33 South Sydney 31 5 0 0 15
1935–36 St. George 24 3 0 0 9
Total 135 44 2 0 136
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1927–32 New South Wales 25 8 3 0 30
1929–30 Australia 0 0 0 0 0
1923–30 Metropolis 4 5 1 0 17
1928–32 NSW City 4 3 0 0 9
Source: [1][2]

Playing career

A South Sydney junior, Root started playing first grade for Souths in 1923, becoming a mainstay in the side in 1926. That year he first tasted premiership success with Souths, who also won the following two years' competitions. He was sent off in the 1926 decider against University. He made his representative debut for New South Wales in 1927 and was regularly selected for the Blues over the next six seasons.[4] He was selected to go on the 1929–30 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain, playing in fifteen tour matches but no Tests.[5] When the NSWRL changed the South Sydney/Newtown boundary distinction in 1930 Root spent the following season with Newtown due to the strict residential criteria of the time. He then returned to Souths and played in the back-to-back premiership-winning Souths sides of 1931 and 1932.

In 1935 he was signed by St. George and scored two tries in the record-breaking 91–6 win over competition newcomers Canterbury-Bankstown before later becoming the club's captain-coach. He played with Saints for two seasons before retiring.[6] His son, Stan Root was also a St. George Dragons player between 1941 and 1950.

Death

Root died on 7 May 1986 at Brighton-Le-Sands, New South Wales, [7]

References
  1. Rugby League Project
  2. Rugby League Project
  3. "History of St. George". Retrieved 6 October 2008.
  4. Whiticker p. 473
  5. Andrews p256
  6. LABOR DAILY (Sydney) "Eddie Root For St.George" 12/11/1934 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/236463627?searchTerm=eddie%20root&searchLimits=l-state=New+South+Wales
  7. Daily Telegraph (Sydney) Death Notice 8/5/1986

Sources
  • Whiticker, Alan & Hudson, Glen (2006) The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players, Gavin Allen Publishing, Sydney
  • Andrews, Malcolm (2006) The ABC of Rugby League Austn Broadcasting Corpn, Sydney
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