Eric Hughes (20 January 1913 – 15 August 2012) was an Australian rugby league footballer from the 1930s. Born and raised in

Ipswich, Queensland Ipswich () is a city in South East Queensland, Australia. Situated on the Bremer River, it is approximately west of the Brisbane central business district. The city is renowned for its architectural, natural and cultural heritage. Ipswich pre ...

, Eric Hughes was a 22 year old miner from Mount Isa who travelled over 2000 miles at his own expense costing him £300, to trial with the St. George Dragons in 1936. He left a job at the mines where he earned 2 pounds a day in wages. He came to Sydney with his friend Jack Stathers who also trialled with St. George. During his years in

Ipswich Ipswich () is a port town and borough in Suffolk, England, of which it is the county town. The town is located in East Anglia about away from the mouth of the River Orwell and the North Sea. Ipswich is both on the Great Eastern Main Line r ...

, Eric Hughes was trained and mentored by two lengedary players Jim Craig and

Dan Dempsey Dan Dempsey (15 January 1902 – 9 January 1960) was an Australian rugby league Australian Kangaroos, national and Queensland Maroons, Queensland state representative player. He played his career at and is considered one of the nation's finest f ...

. He lived in Sydney with the patron of the St. George club, Jack McGrath. Hughes suffered injuries due to a motorcycle accident late in 1936. He tried out for the Dragons again in 1937, but did not play first grade again.Alan Whiticker/Glen Hudson: Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players, 1995. Hughes also served in the

Australian Army The Australian Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army (Austral ...

as a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

References

1913 births 2012 deaths Australian rugby league players Australian Army personnel of World War II Australian Army soldiers Rugby league halfbacks St. George Dragons players Rugby league players from Ipswich, Queensland {{Australia-rugbyleague-bio-stub