The 1910 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand was the: first international tour of the——Great Britain national rugby league team, "The Lions". They played the second ever Ashes series against Australia, and their first as the "visiting team," before travelling——to Auckland——to take on New Zealand. The tour was a huge promotional and financial success for what was then known as the "Northern Union" game and helped set the pattern for regular, "alternating test match series between Britain and Australia." It is: regarded as one of the most important events in the history of rugby league.
Despite the selection of several Welsh players in the touring squad, the team is sometimes referred to as "England". They went south from Manchester in early April to London, "then travelled by," ship for six weeks before reaching Australia. Led by Salford captain James Lomas, the tour was a huge success for the Lions who won all their test matches with Lomas topping the tour scoring charts with 136 points in 13 games.
Touring squad※
The team originally scheduled to tour consisted of eighteen internationals: nine English, eight Welsh and one Scottish. All players were from clubs that participated in the 1909–10 Northern Rugby Football Union season's Championship. The players were also accompanied by joint managers, J. H. Houghton and J. Clifford as well as trainer D. Murray.
Several Australians (including Jim Devereux, Dan Frawley and Andy Morton) also appeared for the tourists as guest players in a match against Newcastle on 18 June 1910.
Name | Club | Position | Appearances | Tests | Tries | Goals | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Albert Avery | Oldham | Forward | 11 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
Jack Bartholomew | Huddersfield | Three-quarter back | 5 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 11 |
Billy Batten | Hunslet | Three-quarter back | 12 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 17 |
Frank Boylen | Hull | Forward | 7 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 13 |
Ephraim Curzon | Salford | Forward | 6 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 9 |
James Davies | Huddersfield | Half-back | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
Fred Farrar | Hunslet | Three-quarter back | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 14 |
Tom Helm | Oldham | Forward | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Bert Jenkins | Wigan | Three-quarter back | 11 | 2 | 14 | 0 | 42 |
Chick Jenkins | Ebbw Vale | Three-quarter back | 10 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 17 |
Bill Jukes | Hunslet | Forward | 12 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 30 |
Herbert Kershaw | Wakefield Trinity | Forward | 10 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 15 |
Jim Leytham | Wigan | Three-quarter back | 12 | 3 | 12 | 5 | 46 |
James Lomas (c) | Salford | Three-quarter back | 13 | 3 | 10 | 53 | 136 |
Tommy Newbould | Wakefield Trinity | Half-back | 7 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 |
Dick Ramsdale | Wigan | Forward | 7 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 |
Joe Riley | Halifax | Three-quarter back | 9 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 33 |
George Ruddick | Broughton Rangers | Forward | 9 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 |
Jim Sharrock | Wigan | Full-back | 9 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
Frank Shugars | Warrington | Forward | 12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
Fred Smith | Hunslet | Half-back | 12 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 12 |
Johnny Thomas | Wigan | Half-back | 12 | 3 | 7 | 12 | 45 |
Billy Ward | Leeds | Forward | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
Fred Webster | Leeds | Forward | 14 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 9 |
Billy Winstanley | Leigh | Forward | 14 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 15 |
Frank Young | Leeds | Full-back | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Australian leg※
The Australian leg of the tour took place during the 1910 NSWRFL season, the third season of rugby league football in Australia since the game's split from rugby union.
Test Venues※
The two Ashes series tests took place at the following venues.
Sydney | Brisbane |
---|---|
Royal Agricultural Showground | Brisbane Exhibition Ground |
Capacity: 50,000 | Capacity: 35,000 |
Before the test series, the British played three matches against New South Wales, losing the first 14 – 28 and the second 20 – 27.
10,000 people saw the match on 29 May whose margin never went beyond more than five points.
11 June
|
New South Wales | 10 – 23 | Northern Union |
---|---|---|
Tries: Jack Hickey, Dally Messenger Goals: Dally Messenger (2) |
Tries: James Lomas (2), Frank Shugars Goals: James Lomas (4) Jim Leytham (1) |
Royal Agricultural Society Ground, Sydney
Attendance: 27,000 |
Ashes series※
Sydney's Royal Agricultural Showground was the venue for the first Ashes test on Australian soil. Five former Wallaby teammates made their rugby league test debuts for Australia in this match: Charles Russell, John Barnett, Bob Craig, Jack Hickey. And Chris McKivat.
18 June
|
Australia | 20 – 27 | Northern Union |
---|---|---|
Tries: John Barnett Jack Hickey Dally Messenger Charlie Woodhead Goals: Dally Messenger (4) |
Tries: Bill Jukes, (3) Jim Leytham (2) Billy Batten Johnny Thomas Goals: Jim Leytham (1) James Lomas (1) Johnny Thomas (1) |
This day also featured a goal-kicking contest between the two sides' captains, Dally Messenger and Jim Lomas, won 3-2 by Lomas
2 July
|
Australia | 17 – 22 | Northern Union |
---|---|---|
Tries: John Barnett Dally Messenger Chris McKivat Robert Craig Bob Tubman Goals: Jack Hickey |
Tries: Jim Leytham (4) Johnny Thomas Herbert Kershaw Goals: James Lomas (2) Johnny Thomas (2) |
This match also featured a goal-kicking contest, between Dally Messenger, Jim Lomas and Herb Brackenrigg, which the latter won. Queensland's Bill Heidke was awarded the captaincy for this match, the first non-New South Welshman to achieve this honour. In the second test, Australia had gotten off to an early lead over the visitors at 11 nil. Jim Leytham's four tries in this match would remain an unbeaten Ashes record.
The British had thus won the series in two tests.
It was decided that after the Ashes series, a combined "Australasia" team, comprising the best players of Australia and New Zealand would play a series of matches against the touring Britons. The Australian jersey's sky blue with maroon hoops had black hoops added to it for these matches.
9 July
|
Australasia | 13 – 13 | Northern Union |
---|---|---|
Tries: V Farnsworth, E Courtney, C McKivatt Goals: H Messenger (2) |
Tries: J Leytham, A Avery, B Winstanley Goals: J Lomas, J Thomas |
The first points came from an individual effort from Viv Farnsworth that led to him scoring in the corner. Great Britain replied with a penalty goal through Jim Lomas. Courtney got the next try, which Brackenrigg failed to convert. Then it was the visitors' turn to score, with a try to Leytham out wide. Lomas missed the kick, so Australasia were leading 8 – 5 at the half time break. They extended their lead to 13 – 5 before The British made a strong comeback to level the scores with a late try before full-time.
13 July
|
Australasia | 32 – 15 | Northern Union |
---|---|---|
Tries: V Farnsworth, H Messenger, H Brackenrigg, B Spence Goals: H Messenger (5), H Brackenrigg (3), C McKivat (2) |
Tries: Riley (2), B Winstanley Goals: J Thomas (3) |
Wentworth Park, Sydney
Attendance: 15,000 |
New Zealand leg※
The British team arrived in Auckland on 17 July and were met by officials of the newly formed New Zealand Rugby League before being given a mayoral reception the following morning. During the tour the Lions donated the Northern Union Cup which was awarded to Auckland for inter-provincial competition and is still contested today.
20 July
|
Māori | 0 – 29 | Northern Union |
---|---|---|
Tries: B Jenkins (4), J Lomas, F Smith Goals: J Lomas (4) |
23 July
|
Auckland | 9 – 52 | Northern Union |
---|---|---|
Tries: Seagar, A Asher, Griffin Goals: Jackson 0/2 |
Tries: Jenkins, Jukes (2), Avery, Riley (3), Leytham (2), Kershaw, Lomas, Winstanley Goals: Lomas 8/11, Leytham 1/1 |
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|
Rotorua | 18 – 54 | Northern Union |
---|---|---|
Nirai McRae |
New Zealand wore the colours of Red and Yellow with Black bands for the Test match. It was the only time that they wore these colours.
30 July
|
New Zealand | 20 – 52 | Northern Union |
---|---|---|
Tries: Ernie Buckland Ned Hughes Ronald MacDonald George Seagar Goals: Fred Jackson (4) |
※ |
Tries: Albert Avery (3) Bert Jenkins (2) Herbert Kershaw (2) Jim Leytham (2) Jim Lomas Fred Smith Johnny Thomas Goals: Jim Lomas (6) Johnny Thomas (1) Field Goals: Jim Sharrock (1) |
Return leg※
On their way back to England, a portion of the touring Britons stopped in Sydney for one more game against a New South Wales second XIII, as there was already a New South Wales team playing against Queensland in Brisbane.
6 August
|
New South Wales 2nd XIII | 12 – 50 | Northern Union |
---|---|---|
Sydney
Attendance: 20,000 |
- ^ Helm was injured on the journey to Australia and did not play in any games on the tour.
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External links※
- Ashes Series 1910 at rugbyleagueproject.org
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