Huihai Xie Jonny Raper – a living legend

This portrait by Huihai Xie of rugby league legend Johnny Raper was a finalist in the Daily Telegraph Sporting Portrait Prize, held in conjunction with the Archibald Prize 2000.

Raper played 186 games for Sydney club St George between 1959 and 1969, the last as captain-coach. His international career lasted almost as long, running from 1959 to 1968.

Born in Shanghai, China in 1957, Xie came to Australia in 1989 and used to be a member of St George Leagues Club, hence his choice of Raper as a subject for the Sporting Portrait Prize. He tried a couple of poses but this one struck him as very typical of Raper. 'He is very strong. When he sat like that, he was just like he had caught a football.’