Timothy Alexander Pickup (6 October 1948 – 7 June 2021) was an Australian Rugby League footballer for the North Sydney Bears, Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, New South Wales and Australian national side in the 1970s, playing his First Test for Australia in 1972, only 14 games after his NSWRL First Grade debut. A player with blistering acceleration that could step off both feet, he had good hands, a smart kicking game, was a cunning tactician complimented by the unusual combination of being an exceptional defender for a small man. Pickup also played First Grade Rugby Union for the Manly Rugby Club as a teenage prodigy for three seasons from 1966-68. In retirement Pickup was involved in boxing at famed Newtown PCYC and was Jeff Harding's manager when he won the WBC World Light-Heavyweight title in 1989. He was the foundation CEO of the Adelaide Rams franchise of the Australian Super League in 1995. In 2000 he was awarded the Australian Sports Medal for services to Australian sport. Pickup was named in the North Sydney Bears Team of the Century in 2006 and was a finalist for both the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 70th Anniversary team as well as Manly Rugby Union's Team of the Century.
Early years
Tim Pickup was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia as the second of three sons to Harrie and Mary Pickup, between brothers Paul and Chris. His father Harrie was a lower-grade player for St. George and Eastern Suburbs, and his brother, Tim's uncle, Laurie was an outstanding First Grade Rugby League player with the Eastern Suburbs Roosters (player #258).
Laurie Pickup is on record as the third youngest ever captain of the Tri-colors whose career was cut short when killed on duty at age 26 during World War II.
Enfield Federals
Tim Pickup was a Western Suburbs Rugby League junior who played his formative years with the Enfield Federals J.R.L.F.C. from 1959 to 1965. Dormant since the 1930s, the Federals were revived by a local consortium including Tim's father Harrie Pickup and friends in 1959. Harrie was club President from 1959 to 1965.
The Federals became a juggernaut and Pickup's teammates included six future Sydney first-graders, including Michael McClean – Manly, North Sydney and Wests (son of former Western Suburbs captain Peter McClean), Neville Hornery – Canterbury and Wests, Geoff Nielsen – Canterbury and Easts, John Clark – Wests and Parramatta, as well as Rod Smith and Australian horse-racing identity, Frank Tagg – both Wests. Legendary Balmain, NSW and Australian Rugby League trainer/conditioner, and noted hard man Les Hobbs was also a key member of this team.
The Enfield Federals were such a dominant side they went undefeated for seven years, and ironically lost their one and only game, the 1965 Grand Final which was Pickup's last ever match for the club. During the Federals reign they quickly ran out of opponents, having to play up an age group to get a game and eventually had to shift to other Junior Leagues (Balmain, Newtown) to be accommodated. The Federals were such a force that twelve out of the starting thirteen line-up represented Western Suburbs RLFC in the 1963 (u15) S.G Ball/Oatley Shield and 1965 (u17) Jersey Flegg Shield and won both competitions undefeated, with Tim Pickup as five-eighth and captain.
In 1965, Western Suburbs RLFC called upon Pickup and teammate Neville Hornery to play in the 3rd grade open-age semi-finals. Harrie Pickup deemed his son to be too young for this promotion at only 16 years of age, yet Neville not only accepted the challenge, he excelled and so began his chequered career. Hornery never realised his immense potential and after five short seasons he misbehaved his way out of a couple of clubs, leaving all who saw him play to wonder what might have been.
Pickup did his schooling at St. Patrick's Strathfield, and graduated from Christian Brothers Lewisham in 1965. He was offered a high school scholarship to storied Rugby Union nursery, St. Joseph's Hunter's Hill but declined for at that time was not a fan of Rugby Union.
At the end of 1965 Harrie Pickup decided to move his family to the Northern Beaches, as all three brothers had discovered surfing and were regulars on the Peninsula. The Pickups settled in Curl Curl.
In 2019 The Enfield Federals named their Team of the Century with Tim Pickup as the Halfback and Captain;
1.Tony Ford 2.Graham McKay 3.Wayne Smith 4.Ken Hey 5.Hazem El Masri 6.Denis Pittard 7.Tim Pickup(c) 8.Rod Smith 9.Neville Hornery 10.Jim Serdaris 11.Sid Walsh 12.Robbie Farah 13.John Armstrong Reserves: 14.Solomon Haumono 15.Jason Williams 16.Scott Gale 17.Neville Sinclair