Ali Lauitiiti, Steve Pitchford honoured as 4 more legends join Leeds Rhinos Hall of Fame

The new members include five-time Grand Final winner Ali Lauitiiti who flew from New Zealand to attend last Friday’s game against Leigh Leopards and a special lunch at AMT Headingley today (Sunday). Also inducted were Tommy Summersgill who played in the first game at the stadium in 1890, 1954 World Cup winner Gordon Brown and Steve Pitchford who was a Leeds cult hero in the 1970s and early-80s.

Tommy Summersgill: 179 appearances from 1890-1900.

Born in Kirkstall, Summersgill made his debut for the newly-formed Leeds club against Otley at Cardigan Fields on September 6, 1890, aged 17 and kicked the first goal at Headingley in its opening match, a 5-0 win against Manningham, three weeks later. The three-quarter was capped by Yorkshire at rugby union and continued with Leeds when the Northern Union broke away in 1895.

One of only four members of Leeds’ inaugural side to play in the new code, he made 36 appearances and scored four tries, taking his total for Leeds to 59 in 179 games. He came out of retirement in 1899-90 before hanging up his boots at the end of that season, but continued with the club as a director, committeeman and scout.

Summersgill was also a world championship-winning cyclist and served on Horsforth Urban Council. He died in June, 1959, aged 86.

Gordon Brown: 253 appearances from 1950-60.

A product of schools’ rugby in the city, Brown is one of only six men to have won a World Cup as a Leeds player. He scored two tries when Great Britain beat France 16-12 in the first final, at Parc des Princes, Paris, in 1954.

Brown made his debut at centre in the final game of the 1949-50 season, but didn’t become established into the side until switching to stand-off in October, 1953. He was capped twice against New Zealand in 1955 and, after missing the 1957 Challenge Cup final through injury, was a Yorkshire Cup winner in 1959. Brown scored 94 tries for the Loiners before joining Keighley in 1960.

Steve Pitchford: 327 appearances from 1970-83.

Known as the Bionic Barrel, Pitchford, a prop-forward, won the Lance Todd Trophy as man of the match when Leeds beat Widnes in the 1977 Challenge Cup final and was a member of the team which retained the trophy the following year. He was also twice a Premiership winner with Leeds and collected four Yorkshire Cup medals.

He made his debut in 1970, but didn’t become a regular in the team until the start of the 1974 season and that term became the first prop to win Leeds’ player of the year award. He was a try scorer when Great Britain lost the 1977 World Cup final to Australia, by a point, in Sydney.

A broken arm brought his Leeds career to an end, but he had a stint at Bramley before retiring and moving into the pub trade. During his time as a Leeds player he worked at the Barnbow tank factory in Seacroft.

Ali Lauitiiti: 200 appearances from 2004-2011.

A ball-handling back-rower, Lauitiiti joined Rhinos midway through the 2004 season and was the final piece in their first Grand Final-winning jigsaw. One of the greats of the modern era, he was big and fast, with an offload which was almost impossible to defend.

In eight seasons with Leeds he was a Super League winner five times - making his 200th and last appearance when St Helen were beaten at Wembley in 2011 - and World Club champion twice. A junior Kiwi, he played for Mangere Easts and New Zealand Warriors and was an NRL second-rower of the year before joining Leeds. He was capped 19 times by New Zealand and featured for Samoa at the 2008 World Cup.

After leaving Rhinos he made almost 100 appearances for Wakefield Trinity. He is now chaplain at New Zealand Warriors, where he finished his career as a reserve-grade player in 2016.