1920 Great Britain Lions tour

The 1920 Great Britain Lions tour was the third British national rugby league team or 'Lions' tour of Australasia, where it was winter and matches were played against the Australian and New Zealand national sides, as well as several local teams. The tour was a success and brought in a handsome profit.[1]

Touring squad

At the 1919–20 Northern Rugby Football Union season's conclusion, the following Great Britain squad was assembled by the NRFU to represent it on the tour of Australasia. Mr S Foster and Mr J Wilson were the team managers. Although it was a Great Britain tour, the team played as England during the games.

England

Wales

Australia

The first leg of the tour was Australia, where the game of rugby league football was in its twelfth year since splitting away from rugby union in 1908. The tour took in places such as Orange, Bundaberg, Rockhampton, Toowoomba and Tamworth as well as the standard main venues of Brisbane, Newcastle, Sydney and Ipswich.[2]

The opening match of the tour on 5 June saw a match between Metropolis (Sydney) and the tourists at the Sydney Cricket Ground. In front of an overflow crowd of 65,000 the visitors ran out 27-20 winners.

As the preliminary match to the New South Wales versus Britain game on 12 June Sydney University's first intervarsity match against Queensland University under rugby league rules was played before a crowd of 60,000.[3] Sydney won 26-14. Albert Johnston captained New South Wales in two matches against the visiting Lions.[4]

On Saturday, 19 June, the tourists played a match against Queensland before a crowd of around 20,000 at the Brisbane Exhibition Ground.[5] The Queensland side featured Mick Bennett, Neville Broadfoot, Jeff Daly, Harry Fewin, Thomas Johnson, Jack Maguire, Patrick Moran, Claude O’Donnell, Walter Paten, Norm Potter, Bill Richards, Stan Ryan, E. Sabine, Colin Thompson, and J. Thompson.[6] The British team was F G Thomas, J A Bacon, J Doyle, H Wagstaff, F Stockwell, R Lloyd, J Rogers, H Hilton, W Reid, G Rees, R Gronow, E Milnes and E Johnston. Refereed by L H Kearney, the visitors, after leading 13-10 at half-time, won the game 25-15.[7]

First test

The first test of the 1920 Ashes series was played on the 26th of June at the Brisbane Exhibition Ground before a crowd of 32,000. It was refereed by local whistleblower Laurie Kearney.[8] Albert Johnston was selected to captain Australia in the opening Test of the series in the absence of champion centre Herb Gilbert. Despite a last minute reshuffling of the team which saw Johnston move to halfback,[4] Australia won the match 8-4.[9]

Saturday, 26 June
Australia  8 – 4  England
Tries:
Frank Burge
Charles Fraser
Goals:
Harold Horder (1)		 [10] Tries:


Goals:
Ben Gronow (2)
Brisbane Exhibition Ground, Brisbane
Attendance: 32,000
Referee/s: Laurie Kearney Australia
Australia Posit. England
Harry FewinFBGwyn Thomas
Dick VestWGBilly Stone
Viv FarnsworthCEDanny Hurcombe
Neville BroadfootCEHarold Wagstaff (c)
Harold HorderWGJim Bacon
Charles FraserSOJohnny Rogers
Albert Johnston (c)SHJonty Parkin
Norm PotterPRArthur Johnson
Sandy PearceHKAlf Milnes
Bill SchultzPRBen Gronow
Bill RichardsSRFrank Gallagher
Frank BurgeSRHerman Hilton
Bert GrayLFDouglas Clark

Second test

The second Ashes Test was played on the 3rd of July at the Sydney Cricket Ground and attracted 67,739 spectators, then a record attendance for any sport at the SCG.[11] Albert Johnston lost the captaincy on Herb Gilbert's return and played at five-eighth.[4] Australia won the match 21-8,[9] with halfback Duncan Thompson starring,[12] and secured the Ashes for the first time on home soil.

Saturday, 3 July
Australia  21 – 8  England
Tries:
Viv Farnsworth
Herb Gilbert
Harold Horder
Norm Potter
Dick Vest
Goals:
Frank Burge (1)
Harold Horder (1)
Field Goals:
Charles Fraser		 [13] Tries:
Frank Gallagher
Arthur Johnson



Goals:
Ben Gronow (1)
Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
Attendance: 40,000
Referee/s: Tom McMahon, Sr. Australia
Australia Posit. England
Charles FraserFBGwyn Thomas
Dick VestWGJim Bacon
Viv FarnsworthCEHarold Wagstaff (c)
Herb Gilbert (c)CEDanny Hurcombe
Harold HorderWGBilly Stone
Albert JohnstonSOJohnny Rogers
Duncan ThompsonSHBobby Lloyd
Bill SchultzPRBen Gronow
Sandy PearceHKAlf Milnes
Norm PotterPRArthur Johnson
Frank BurgeSRHerman Hilton
Bert GraySRDouglas Clark
Bill RichardsLFFrank Gallagher

Third test

The third Test was played on the 10th of July in Sydney, with Great Britain winning 23-13.[9]

Saturday, 10 July
Australia  13 – 23  England
Tries:
Frank Burge
Bert Gray
Duncan Thompson
Goals:
Frank Burge (2)		 [14] Tries:
Herman Hilton (2)
Billy Stone (2)
Jim Bacon
Goals:
Johnny Rogers (3)
Squire Stockwell (1)
RAS Showground, Sydney
Attendance: 32,000
Referee/s: Tom McMahon, Sr. Australia
Australia Posit. England
Charles FraserFBGwyn Thomas (c)
Dick VestWGJohnny Rogers
Viv FarnsworthCEBilly Stone
Herb Gilbert (c)CEJim Bacon
Harold HorderWGSquire Stockwell
Albert JohnstonSOErnest Jones
Duncan ThompsonSHJonty Parkin
Norm PotterPRArthur Skelhorne
Sandy PearceHKJoe Cartwright
Bill SchultzPRBilly Cunliffe
Frank BurgeSRHerman Hilton
Bert GraySRDouglas Clark
Bill RichardsLFFrank Gallagher

The British also played two matches against a Newcastle rugby league team that featured Dan "Laddo" Davies.[15] The first game was on the 25th of August and the tourists won 17-10. The second was on the 28th which they also won 24-3.[16]

New Zealand

The British team played a three-Test series against New Zealand just as it did against Australia. Karl Ifwerson captained the Kiwis against the tourists.[17]

After losing their first game to Auckland, the tourists won all three Tests.[18]

In the Test at Wellington, the British were behind on the scoreboard 10-0, but made it 10-6 before Douglas Clark forced his way over the line for the match-winning try which Ben Gronow converted, giving the visitors an 11-10 victory.[19]

The second Test was played in Christchurch on Saturday, 7 August, and was won by the tourists 19 points to 3.[20]

References

  1. ↑ Tony Collins (2006). Rugby League in Twentieth Century Britain: A Social and Cultural History. UK: Routledge. p. 23. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  2. ↑ "Cheapening the Jumper". stevericketts.com.au. Stve Ricketts. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  3. ↑ Geoffrey Sherington & Steve Georgakis (2008). Sydney University Sport 1852-2007: More Than a Club. Australia: Sydney University Press. p. 172. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 Whiticker, Alan. "Albert Johnston". rugbyleagueproject.org. Shawn Dollin, Andrew Ferguson and Bill Bates. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
  5. ↑ "League Football: England team at Brisbane". Dominion (228). Press Association. 21 June 1920. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
  6. ↑ "Queensland Representative Players". qrl.com.au. Queensland Rugby League. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
  7. ↑ "British Team: League footballers defeat Queensland". The Sydney Morning Herald. 21 June 1920. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
  8. ↑ "Representative Referees". brlrefs.com. Brisbane Rugby League Referees Association. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
  9. 1 2 3 "Australia v Great Britain: the history". news.bbc.co.uk. BBC. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  10. ↑ 1st Ashes Test
  11. ↑ "SCG Timelines". sydneycricketground.com.au. Sydney Cricket Ground. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
  12. ↑ Whiticker, Alan. "Duncan Thompson". rugbyleagueproject.org. Shawn Dollin, Andrew Ferguson and Bill Bates. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
  13. ↑ 2nd Ashes Test
  14. ↑ 3rd Ashes Test
  15. ↑ "Team of the Century". westrosellas.com.au. Western Suburbs Rosellas. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  16. ↑ "1920 – 1929". newcastlerugbyleague.com.au. Newcastle Rugby League. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  17. ↑ Tony Collins (2009). A Social History of English Rugby Union. UK: Routledge. p. 170. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  18. ↑ John Coffey & Bernie Wood (2008). 100 Years: Māori Rugby League, 1908-2008. New Zealand: Huia Publishers. p. 73. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  19. ↑ "Douglas Clark". huddersfieldrlheritage.co.uk. Huddersfield Rugby League Heritage Project. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  20. ↑ "Rugby League: England defeats New Zealand". The Sydney Morning Herald. 10 August 1920. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
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