London: Graeme Langlands, the rugby league “Immortal”, has died at the age of 76 after a long period of poor health.
The Immortals are eight players named by Rugby League Week magazine as Australia’s greatest ever.
Langlands, a full-back who also played at centre, played 45 games for Australia between 1963 and 1975 which was a record when he retired. He also played 227 for St George and was part of the Dragons’ golden age of the 1950s and 1960s.
He had lived in a Sydney nursing home suffering Alzheimer’s disease for the last several years.
The Langlands family released a statement saying he died peacefully.
“Graeme was in very poor health and suffering from a number of chronic diseases,” the statement said.
“His family are relieved by the nurse’s advice that his passing was peaceful and painless.”
Langlands was in the news recently after allegations were made that he had sexually assaulted a teenage girl in the 1980s.
The family said Queensland police’s “egregious prosecution” of Langlands worsened their devastation.
“The family maintains its position that this was an improper prosecution and that the allegations are refutable on the evidence in their possession. The family reserve making further comment to a later time.”
