FORMER Leigh RL legend Ted Brophy has died in his native South Africa, aged 69.

Brophy is best remembered for the night he dived into the freezing canal close to Leigh Bridge to save the life of Great Britain and St Helens star Dick Huddart in 1962.

Brophy plunged into the water and pulled Huddart from the driver's seat after the van they were trying to start toppled into the water.

Bill Robinson, chairman of Leigh's Past Players Association and a former team-mate of Brophy's said: "Lots of fans will be sad to hear of Ted's death. He was well respected in the town and best remembered on the pitch for a great display in a Cup replay at Leeds.

But the canal incident was typical of Ted and added to his reputation as one of the game's great characters.

He had a large scar on his back which he claimed was as the result of an encounter with a Great White Shark off the South African coast.

Equally famous was his daredevil dive off Runcorn Bridge and into the River Mersey.

Adds Robinson: "There is no doubt that Huddart would have drowned had Ted not dived into the canal to force open the door as the water poured in.

"Amazingly Ted went back into the freezing water the following day to help a salvage team to retrieve the vehicle. That's the sort of guy he was. Nothing seemed to bother him."

Brophy initially arrived in England in 1959 along with Tom Van Vollenhoven to play for St Helens. He could not get at game at Knowsley Road and went to Blackpool Borough.

Leigh snapped him up after he starred against them for Borough and he went on to play 70 games in three seasons at Hilton Park.