Rugby league legend Syd Hynes has tragically died aged 80, his former club Leeds Rhinos have confirmed.
Hynes is written into West Yorkshire folklore as the former centre, who was born in Leeds, played 366 times for the club between 1965 and 1976, scoring 158 tries.
He then coached the club, initially as player-coach, and Hynes won multiple trophies during his tenure, including back-to-back Challenge Cup triumphs in 1977 and 1978.
Hynes moved to Australia in the last years of his life and died in Perth after a short illness.
Leeds Rhinos chief executive Gary Hetherington, who stayed in touch with Hynes during his retirement in Australia, paid tribute to him.
“It is a sad day for the club to have lost a legendary player, captain and coach, who was an incredible character,” he said.
Rugby league legend Syd Hynes has tragically passed away at the age of 80.
Hynes (right) is part of Leeds Rhinos folklore after shining as a player and coach.
The former center (left), who lived in Australia in his final years, died after a brief illness.
‘Our thoughts are with his two nieces and Syd’s many friends, both here in England and in Perth.
“We will pay tribute to Syd at our Boxing Day match and will also look to organize an event for his former club and country teammates and opponents to come together to celebrate his life in due course.”
Hynes also represented Yorkshire, Great Britain and England, making 17 appearances at international level, which included participating in the 1970 World Cup.
The former centre, who captained Leeds for part of his brilliant career, was signed by his boyhood club in October 1964, at the age of 21.
In honor of his many achievements, the former center was inducted into the Leeds Rugby League Hall of Fame in 2019.
In a statement announcing Hynes’ passing, which was accompanied by a video of some of his best moments on the field, Leeds shared a heartfelt message.
“It is with great sadness that the club has learned today of the passing of legendary former player, captain and coach Syd Hynes, aged 80, following a brief illness in Perth, Australia, where he had lived for many years,” he said.
In a wider post highlighting his achievements, they added: “Heading to Headingley to request trials, he played two of his four ‘A’ team matches at No. 7 and was quickly signed as a professional in October 1964, three months later. celebrating his 21st birthday.
In honor of his record, Hynes was inducted into the Leeds Rugby League Hall of Fame in 2019.
“It became a tenacious, relentless center of resourceful resourcefulness and lively imagination, and was destined to play an increasingly prominent role from 1966, when the Loiners rose from an arid valley of desolation to enjoy Eight Fabulous Seasons on fertile uplands of unrivaled effort, with trophies simply a by-product of the most magnificent rugby ever witnessed at Headingley.’
Having worked as a player-coach between 1975 and 1976, Hynes hung up his boots due to injury in 1976, and the rugby league icon spent another five successful years solely as a coach.
He remains the only player-manager in Leeds’ history, while he won all seven finals in which he participated as a manager.
Hynes also suffered the record of being the first player sent off in a Challenge Cup final at Wembley in 1971 and won nine trophies in total as a player, before lifting a further seven as a coach.
However, the highlight of Hynes’ career was possibly scoring in Great Britain’s third Test of their 1970 tour of Australia, helping the Lions regain the Ashes, something they have failed to achieve since.