Henderson Gill has led the tributes to fellow Great Britain player Des Drummond (pictured) who has died at the age of 63.
The two lightning-quick wingers did so much for Rugby League’s image when the sport was struggling badly in the early 1980s. And both were victims of racist abuse both on and off the field.
“I’m absolutely gutted because Dessie was a lifelong mate,” said Gill.
“We were good mates. We used to socialise together and go to matches together.
“He was a great player. We used to have laugh and joke about which of us was quicker. I’d tell him he was too slow to catch a cold, and he’d tell me I never caught him on the pitch.
“We used to discuss the racism we received, but we just concluded that you can’t please everyone, and there are small-minded people everywhere. It motivated us more to score against their team. We never gave them the satisfaction of being affected by it.
“Des will be a great loss to Rugby League, not just to the players of the older generations who played alongside him, but also to upcoming players who now won’t get the chance to meet him.”
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