The British and Irish lions have gathered in Maitland to pay tribute to the inaugural Lions team captain who drowned in the Hunter Valley.
Members of the Lions Touring Party met to lay wreaths on the grave of Robert Seddon, who died in Maitland during a Lions tour in 1888.
A service was held in the grave of Seddon and included a minute of silence. ((ABC Newcastle: Courtney Yeandle))
The 28-year-old wore his Lions sweater when he drowned while rowing on the Hunter River.
He was buried the next day on Campbells Hill Cemetery in the outskirts of Maitland of Telarah.
Robert Seddon is buried on Campbells Hill Cemetery in Telarah. ((ABC Newcastle: Courtney Yeandle))
Former British Lion and current chairman, Ieuan Evans, said that the organization made the trip to Maitland during every Australian tour, which took place every 12 years.
Ieuan Evans says that Maitland is an important part of the inheritance of De Leeuw as the house of the grave of Seddon. ((ABC Newcastle: Courtney Yeandle))
“We are here to think about a tragic moment where we lost our captain halfway through the Tour, but also to celebrate the inheritance he left on the rest of his teammates,” said Evans.
“To be honest, they were the first big adventurers in rugby, traveled around the world, not only played rugby, but also cricket, and they also played Aussie rules of football.
“They were really pathfinders in the game and we still live that inheritance.
“It is all built on the efforts, history and tradition made by Robert Seddon all those years ago.“
Maitland Rugby Club, known as The Blacks, has maintained the grave for the past 137 years.
Blacks’ President Patrick Howard said it was a great source of pride for the 148-year-old club.
Patrick Howard says that the blacks are proud to take care of Seddon’s grave. ((ABC Newcastle: Courtney Yeandle))
“We are just excited to have the lions here and to put ourselves in the spotlight for a while,” Howard said.
“History is very important for Maitland Rugby Club and [Seddon] is a large part of our history.
“Much of our history was lost in the Maitland flood of 1955.
“All our documents and many of our photos have gone, so we are always new pieces of history.”
As part of the commemorations, the Maitland Historical Society collaborated with the blacks to compile historical sources that tell the story of Robert Seddon, which was presented to the Lions.
Howard said it was great to have that history documented for the next generation.
“We will now also keep that copy here at Maitland Rugby Club, as a different piece of history that we will recognize,” he said.
The members of Maitland Blacks attended the memorial service at Seddon’s Grave. ((ABC Newcastle: Courtney Yeandle))
Evans said that the efforts of the blacks to maintain the memory of Seddon were not considered obvious.
“We are humble and satisfied by the effort of Maitland Rugby Club to keep the grave so that we can pay tribute to Robert Seddon and his contribution to part of the tradition of British and Irish lions,” he said.
Lions CEO, Ben Calveley, repeated sentiment.
Ben Calveley thanked Maitland Rugby Club for maintaining Seddon’s Grave for 137 years. ((ABC Newcastle: Courtney Yeandle))
“It is important that we return and we express our respect to Robert, but we also pay our respect to our friends of Maitland Rugby Club,” said Calveley.
“There is a lot of integrity in the way in which Maitland Rugby Club has already provided a significant period for Robert’s grave, and friendship is more than whatever what Rugby Union is all about.“
After a visit to the grave on Sunday, representatives from the Lions to Newcastle went for the Wallabies match against Fiji.
Evans said that the short journey from De Leeuwen to De Jager was an important part of the involvement of the Tour.
“The tour of the Lions is not only a simple test series. We are really the last coach to get the chance to see the width of Australia and everything it has,” he said.
“We not only build a sporting legacy, but also a community of the community.”
Junior players learn about the unique connection between the blacks and lions. ((ABC Newcastle: Courtney Yeandle))
For Calveley it was a welcome break of the high use of Touring.
“It will be nice to be able to watch a game of rugby, where there is nothing at stake for the Lions,” he joked.
#Tragic #connection #brings #British #Irish #Lions #Maitland #Gravesite