Cyril Eastlake

Cyril Aston Eastlake (21 August 1930 – 30 September 2007) was a New Zealand rugby league player who represented his nation in the sport. He captained New Zealand at the 1954 World Cup and also played at the 1960 World Cup.

Playing career Eastlake played for Ellerslie in the Auckland Rugby League competition and also represented Auckland. Eastlake was a member of the New Zealand national rugby league team, "the Kiwis", from 1951. He represented New Zealand in 79 games, including 28 tests. In 1954 he was the captain of the New Zealand team at the first Rugby League World Cup competition in France.

During that World Cup competition, Eastlake's qualities were described in the opening game of the tournament, against France (captained by the legendary Puig Aubert). "The New Zealand captain, C. A. Eastlake, was an inspiration at centre, both in attack and defence. Time and again he halted dangerous back movements by holding Antoine Jiminez. It was no mean performance to reduce Jiminez, a highly ranked centre last year, practically to impotence. In addition, Eastlake initiated attacks with dash and resource. He showed speed to score New Zealand's second try, while he was also responsible for R J McKay scoring." Although the game was won by France by 22 points to 13, Eastlake remained optimistic saying, "We will do better now we have some match play. We can still win the cup. We were all a little stiff and the team took a long time to settle down. However, it was a good fast game, and I enjoyed it." Eastlake's optimism was not borne out. He retired following the 1960 World Cup.

In the Australian 1963 Rugby League season Eastlake was a player-coach for a New South Wales country team.

Honours Eastlake was inducted into the New Zealand 'Legends of League' in 1995, an acknowledgement of the skills he brought to the game during an international career that ran from 1951 to 1960. In 2012 he was posthumously named the Ellerslie Eagles Player of the Century at the club's centenary celebrations and in the same year he was honoured by his old school, St Peter's College, by being named an "old boy of distinction".