Seddon started his career at
Broughton Rangers, and was one original members of the club when it was founded in 1877. He left the club in October 1887 and joined
Swinton. Seddon first came to note as a rugby player when he was chosen to represent England during the
1887 Home Nations Championship. Seddon was representing Broughton at the time of his first international, and was one of five new caps brought into the pack for the opening game of the Championship, played away against
Wales. The game ended in a 0–0 draw, but despite this being the worst result against the Welsh to date, the selectors kept faith in Seddon who was chosen for the next game against
Ireland. Another poor game for England saw Ireland beat the English team for the first time in their history. Seddon played one final international game for England, a draw against
Scotland, which capped off England's worst ever season in the Home Nations Championship, ending bottom of the table. Seddon may have gained reselection in the next season, but after the Rugby Football Union refused to join the International Rugby Board, the other Home Nations refused to play England. In 1888, a private venture by cricketers
Alfred Shaw and
Arthur Shrewsbury, saw a group of rugby players chosen to tour Australia and New Zealand. The tour was not sanctioned by any of the Home Nations, and no test games were played, but it was the
first rugby tour from Britain, and is retrospectively classed as the first British Lions tour. Seddon was given the captaincy of the team, but after 20 games of a 35 match series, Seddon drowned in an accident while
sculling on the
Hunter River in
West Maitland,
New South Wales. He had ventured up river alone, and his teammates
Jack Anderton and
Andrew Stoddart found him dead some time later. He was buried in Church of England cemetery in West Maitland. A movement to raise funds for a monument to honour him was initiated by the Newcastle and Sydney Rugby Unions. The memorial plaque was unveiled in 1889. It reads: THIS TABLET is erected by sympathising friends and comrades in memory of ROBERT L. SEDDON, (Captain of the English Footballers), drowned in the River Hunter at West Maitland 15 August 1888, AGED 28 YEARS. The captaincy of the team, following Seddon's death, passed onto
Andrew Stoddart. ==Bibliography==