1929–30 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain

The Australian rugby league team performing their pre-match war cry.

The 1929–30 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain was the fourth Kangaroo tour, and took the Australia national rugby league team all around England and also into Wales. The tour also featured the ninth Ashes series which comprised four Test matches and was won by Great Britain. The team sailed on the SS Orsova via the Panama Canal and played an exhibition game in New York before arriving in England.

Touring squad

The Australian tourists with their tour bus in England.

A total of 28 footballers were selected to go on the tour: 13 from clubs of Sydney's NSWRFL Premiership, 4 from clubs of the Toowoomba Rugby League, 3 from clubs of the Brisbane Rugby League premiership, 3 from clubs of the Ipswich Rugby League and 5 from elsewhere in country New South Wales and Queensland. In Sydney on 24 July 1929, the day before the Kangaroos were to sail to England, Queensland's Tom Gorman was named captain of the squad.[1] He was the first Queenslander to captain a touring Kangaroos side.[2] South Sydney's Arthur Hennessey joined the tour as non-playing coach,[3] the first such appointment till Clive Churchill in 1959.[4] The tour manager was Harry Sunderland.[5]

The players were paid £4 10s per week from the time they left Sydney till they returned. The English and Australian Leagues agreed on strict rules prohibiting English clubs from signing the Australian players during the tour.[6]

Name Posit. Club Tests
Vic Armbruster Forward Fortitude Valley 3
George Bishop Hooker Balmain 2
Bill Brogan Forward Western Suburbs (Sydney) 3
Joe Busch Half Eastern Suburbs (Sydney) 4
Dan Dempsey Hooker Tivoli 1
Arthur Edwards Half Fortitude Valley 0
Cec Fifield Three-quarter Western Suburbs (Sydney) 4
Harry Finch Three-quarter South Sydney 0
Tom Gorman (c) Three-quarter Brothers (Brisbane) 4
Arthur Henderson Hooker Booval 0
Jack Holmes Half Newtown (Sydney) 0
Arthur Justice Hooker St. George 2
Harry Kadwell Half South Sydney 0
Jack Kingston Forward Cootamundra 2
Fred Laws Half Newtown (Toowoomba) 1
Mick Madsen Forward Brothers (Toowoomba) 2
Paddy Maher Three-quarter South Sydney 0
Frank McMillan Fullback Western Suburbs (Sydney) 4
Wally Prigg Forward Central Newcastle 2
Alan Ridley Three-quarter Queanbeyan 0
Eddie Root Forward South Sydney 0
Les Sellars Forward Starlights (Ipswich) 0
Bill Shankland Three-quarter Eastern Suburbs (Sydney) 4
Bill Spencer Three-quarter ? (Bundaberg) 4
Herb Steinohrt Forward Valleys (Toowoomba) 3
George Treweek Forward South Sydney 4
Jack Upton Fullback Souths (Toowoomba) 0
Eric Weissel Half Temora 3

Matches

1st Test

In the tour matches leading up to the first Test, the Australian team had won 7 of their 8 games.[6] The English team was weakened by the absence of their usual captain, Jonty Parkin (who was suffering from lower back pain), as well as Brough and Ellaby

Saturday, 5 October 1929
England  8 – 31  Australia
Tries:
Jack Feetham
Alf Middleton




Goal:
Joe Thompson (1)		 Tries:
Bill Shankland (2)
George Bishop
Wally Prigg
Bill Spencer
George Treweek
Eric Weissel
Goals:
Eric Weissel (5)
Craven Park, Hull
Attendance: 20,000[7]
Referee/s: R. Robinson England
Kangaroos 1st Test 1929.
England Posit. Australia
Tom ReesFBFrank McMillan
Emlyn GwynneWGBill Spencer
Roy KinnearCECec Fifield
Billy DingsdaleCETom Gorman (c)
Alf FrodshamWGBill Shankland
Les Fairclough (c)SOEric Weissel
Billo ReesSHJoe Busch
Harold BowmanPRPeter Madsen
Nat BenthamHKGeorge Bishop
Joe ThompsonPRBill Brogan
Bill HortonSRVic Armbruster
Alf MiddletonSRGeorge Treweek
Jack FeethamLFWally Prigg

Australia had scored four tries by half time. England's first try came 14 minutes into the second half. This was England captain Les Fairclough's last match against the Australians.[8]

2nd Test

In response to their loss to the Australians in the previous Test, the British made several changes to their side for the 2nd Test.

Saturday, 9 November 1929
England  9 – 3  Australia
Tries:
Artie Atkinson
Goals:
Jim Sullivan (3)		 Tries:
Bill Shankland
Goals:
Headingley, Leeds
Attendance: 31,402
Referee/s: R. Robinson England
England Posit. Australia
Jim SullivanFBFrank McMillan
Alf EllabyWGBill Spencer
Artie AtkinsonCETom Gorman (c)
Billy DingsdaleCECec Fifield
Stanley SmithWGBill Shankland
Billo ReesSOEric Weissel
Jonty Parkin (c)SHJoe Busch
Dai JenkinsPRHerb Steinohrt
Nat BenthamHKGeorge Bishop
William BurgessPRPeter Madsen
Martin HodgsonSRGeorge Treweek
Albert FildesSRDan Dempsey
Fred ButtersLFWally Prigg

England, with the help of Parkin closed the gap between themselves and the Australians, with Sullivan's goal kicking giving the home team a winning margin of 9–3.[9]

3rd Test

England had held the Ashes for almost 20 years, and this match would decide whether they were to continue doing so.

Saturday, 4 January 1930
England  0 – 0  Australia
Tries:

Goals:		 Tries:

Goals:
Station Road, Swinton
Attendance: 33,809
Referee/s: Bob Robinson England
England Posit. Australia
Jim SullivanFBFrank McMillan
Alf EllabyWGBill Spencer
Artie AtkinsonCETom Gorman (c)
Hector HalsallCECec Fifield
Stanley SmithWGBill Shankland
Jack OsterSOEric Weissel
Jonty Parkin (c)SHJoe Busch
Arthur ThomasPRHerb Steinohrt
Nat BenthamHKArthur Justice
William BurgessPRBill Brogan
Albert FildesSRGeorge Treweek
Martin HodgsonSRVic Armbruster
Fred ButtersLFJack Kingston

It was a freezing afternoon for the deciding test, which Australia dominated yet was still unable to put points on the board.[10] With only a few minutes remaining and the scores locked at nil-all in the third and deciding test, Busch collected the ball from a scrum win 30 metres out and scooted down the sideline. He crashed over the try-line in the corner with England's loose forward Butters on his back making a last-ditch attempt to stop him. As the corner post went flying the crowd spilled onto the field in excitement. Referee Bob Robinson looked set to award Australia the try and the game (and with it the Ashes) when the touch-judge Albert Webster emerged through the crowd claiming Busch had taken out the corner post before grounding the ball. Even though the referee believed it was a fair try he had no option other than to rule 'no try'. The referee was reported to have said to the Kangaroos "fair try Australia, but I am overruled". The match finished as a 0–0 draw, leaving the series tied at one match apiece. For the remainder of his life Busch insisted he scored the try, quoted as saying "I got it down all right…it was a fair try."[11] The corner where Busch scored the disallowed try in Swinton, is still officially known as Busch's Corner.[12]

4th Test

After much deliberation the controversial decision was made to play a fourth Test a week later. This was the first and only time that a fourth test has been played on any Kangaroo tour.[13]

Wednesday, 15 January 1930
England  3 – 0  Australia
Tries:
Stanley Smith
Goals:		 Tries:

Goals:
Athletic Grounds, Rochdale
Attendance: 16,743
Referee/s: R. Robinson England
England Posit. Australia
Jim Sullivan (c)FBFrank McMillan
Stanley SmithWGBill Shankland
Stan BrogdenCECec Fifield
Artie AtkinsonCETom Gorman (c)
Tom BlinkhornWGWilliam Spencer
Billo ReesSOFred Laws
Bryn EvansSHJoe Busch
Arthur ThomasPRHerb Steinohrt
Nat BenthamHKArthur Justice
Billy WilliamsPRBill Brogan
Hector CrowtherSRVic Armbruster
Albert FildesSRGeorge Treweek
Harold YoungLFJack Kingston

In this match Cec Fifield broke his ankle and was unable to play the remainder of the tour. In an enthralling and especially brutal match, the deadlock was only broken by Stan Smith's solitary unconverted try so England won 3–0, to retain the Ashes.[14]

Wales

Saturday, 18 January 1930
Wales  10 – 26  Australia
Tries:
Steve Ray
Mel Rosser



Goals:
Jim Sullivan (2)		 Tries:
Jack Upton (2)
Arthur Justice
Wally Prigg
Bill Spencer
George Treweek
Goals:
Fred Laws (2/3)
Bill Spencer (2/4)
Wembley Stadium, London
Attendance: 20,000
Wales Posit. Australia
Jim SullivanFBFrank McMillan
Steve RayWGBill Spencer
Mel RosserCEJack Upton
Tommy ParkerCETom Gorman (c)
Johnny RingWGBill Shankland
Dai DaviesSOFred Laws
Billo ReesSHJoe Busch
Billy WilliamsPRHerb Steinohrt
Les WhiteHKArthur Justice
Joe Thompson (c)PRBill Brogan
Frank StephensSRJack Kingston
Arthur EvansSRWally Prigg
Jesse MeredithLFGeorge Treweek

References

  1. ↑ "Tom Gorman to captain Rugby Team for England". The Barrier Miner. 24 July 1929. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
  2. ↑ "Tom Gorman Kangaroos captain". The Courier-Mail. 8 January 2008. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
  3. ↑ Murray G. Phillips (2000). From Sidelines to Centre Field: A History of Sports Coaching in Australia. Australia: University of New South Wales Press. p. 27. ISBN 0868404101.
  4. ↑ Cunneen, Chris. "Hennessy, Arthur Stephen (1876–1959)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Australian National University. Retrieved 7 February 2014.
  5. ↑ Scott, Edmond. "Sunderland, Harry (1889–1964)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Australian National University. Retrieved 7 February 2014.
  6. 1 2 "ANGLO-AUSTRALIAN RUGBY". The Singapore Free Press. 5 October 1929. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
  7. ↑ "LEAGUE TEST: Australians win". The Sydney Morning Herald. 7 October 1929. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
  8. ↑ saints.org.uk. "Les Fairclough". Players. Saints Heritage Society. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
  9. ↑ Goodman, Tom (15 June 1946). "League Tests nearly always grim Contests". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 12 October 2013.
  10. ↑ de la Rivière, Richard. "1929/30 Ashes Series". Thirteen. richarddelariviere.co.uk. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  11. ↑ "League's Grand Old Man Departs". The Daily Telegraph. 31 May 1999.
  12. ↑ "Youth from bush jumped straight into Test league". The Daily Mirror. 11 May 1979.
  13. ↑ "The History of Rugby League". Rugby League Information. napit.co.uk. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
  14. ↑ Tony Collins (2006). Rugby League in Twentieth Century Britain: A Social and Cultural History. UK: Routledge. p. 116. ISBN 0203088352.
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