RFL pays tribute as last surviving Great Britain 1954 World Cup winner passes away

The RFL has paid tribute to Gordon Brown, the last surviving member of Great Britain’s 1954 World Cup winning side, who passed away this morning aged 95. 

The decorated stand-off spent the bulk of his career at hometown Leeds, making 253 appearances and scoring 94 tries across ten seasons.

He made his debut at centre in the final game of the 1949-50 season, a 10-7 home win over Halifax, before scoring his first try at Keighley at the start of the following campaign.

But it was in 1953 when Brown first switched to stand-off and it quickly became obvious this would be the position in which he’d flourish.

He was picked for Great Britain in the following year’s World Cup when they were given little hope of success given so many Lions had pulled out following a recent tour. 

Brown scored two tries in a win against Australia in Lyon and crossed again in a 13-all draw with France in front of a record crowd for the sport across the Channel of almost 38,000 in Toulouse. 

He was again on the mark as New Zealand were beaten in Bordeaux, leaving Great Britain and the hosts on level points in the table.

And Brown came to the fore again with two tries in a hastily-arranged final in Paris which Dave Valentine’s side prospered 16-12.

That took him to six in the tournament and he was carried shoulder high by his team-mates on the final whistle.

Brown gained two more Test caps against New Zealand in 1955 before a severe knee injury plagued him from thereon in.

He left for Keighley in 1960, a year before the Loiners claimed the Championship. Brown was the 30th inductee in Leeds’ Hall of Fame in 2024 when he received a standing ovation in the Howard Suite at AMT Headingley to mark the occasion.

Interim RFL chief executive Abi Ekoku said: “We would like to pass on our condolences to Gordon’s family and friends.

“He enjoyed a wonderful Rugby League career not just with Leeds but, of course, those tremendous exploits in Great Britain colours in 1954.

“As the last surviving member of that World Cup-winning side, it is now the end of an era but a time to also remember those achievements.”

Leeds Rhinos will wear black armbands for Friday night’s game at Leigh Leopards as a mark of respect.