Richard Lewis Taylor
Biography
Born in Ryde, NSW, Dick attended Ryde Public School and then Drummoyne Boys’ High School. After playing two seasons in the Eastwood Juniors in the Metropolitan competition, he joined the Eastwood District Rugby Club in 1961.
Taylor was one of three Taylor brothers who played over 600 games with the Eastwood Club, Barry (360 games) and Ken (150 games). The three brothers made history for the Club when they formed the entire front row in a grade match in 1963.
Originally a breakaway, Dick was switched to the hooking position by former Wallaby Jim Brown, who coached the Eastwood team in 1963. Dick was a regular first grader and was to be captain of Eastwood’s first grade team to play in a Sydney Grand Final in 1966.
Following representation for North Harbour, City, Sydney, and NSW teams, Dick played in all the Wallaby trials leading up to the selection of the 1966/7 Wallaby touring team. Considered unlucky to miss the original selection, he was invited to join the tour after Ross Cullen was sent home after the second tour match. Taylor played thirteen matches on the tour and returned to play one more season with the Eastwood Club before switching codes to join the Sydney-based Newtown Rugby League Club in 1969.
Currently living in the Sydney suburb of Cherrybrook, Dick and his wife Pam have two children and four grandchildren.
Dick Taylor played for Eastwood. Allan Wilson wrote Those Magnificent Men: 50 years of Eastwood Rugby, and he asked coaches to pick their Eastwood dream teams: John Bain (coach 1960-62), Dave Jackson (coach 1976-78, 1983-85) and Peter Fenton ( 1986-88). All picked Dick Taylor as Eastwood’s greatest hooker. Peter Johnson and Ross Cullen were Australia’s premier hookers during Taylor’s time, and they limited Taylor’s representative possibilities. However, Cullen being sent home from the British Isles opened up the opportunity for him to be on a Wallaby tour, and he played 13 matches on that tour.
He never did play a Test, but he will ever be a 13-match Wallaby. He also played in three NSW matches.
