1930 British Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia

The 1930 British Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia was the twelfth tour by a British Isles team and the fifth to New Zealand and Australia. This tour is recognised as the first to represent a bona fide British team[1] and the first to be widely dubbed the 'Lions', after the nickname was used by journalists during the 1924 tour of South Africa.[2]

1930 British Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia
Date21 May – 1 October
Coach(es)James Baxter
Tour captain(s) Doug Prentice
Test series winners New Zealand (1–3)
 Australia (1–0)
Top test point scorer(s) Carl Aarvold (9)
1930 British Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia
Summary
P W D L
Total
29 21 00 08
Test match
05 01 00 04
Opponent
P W D L
 New Zealand
4 1 0 3
 Australia
1 0 0 1

Led by England's Doug Prentice and managed by James Baxter the tour took in 28 matches, seven in Australia and 21 in New Zealand. Of the 28 games, 24 were against club or invitational teams, four were test matches against New Zealand and one was a test match against Australia. The test match results saw the Lions lose to Australia, and win only one of the four New Zealand tests.

As with earlier trips, the selectors had a difficult time putting together the final team that made up the British Isles tour. Roughly a hundred players were approached before the 29 who eventually sailed could be chosen. Of the Lions, the players who stood out on the tour included Roger Spong, Harry Bowcott and Jack Bassett, while Ivor Jones impressed in the pack and set up a memorable try in the first game against New Zealand which gave the Lions their only test win.

Touring party

Match summary

Complete list of matches played by the British Isles in New Zealand and Australia:[3][4]

  Test matches

The All Blacks (wearing white shirts) that played the second test v the Lions on 5 July
# Date Rival City Country Result Score
1 21 May Wanganui RU WanganuiNew Zealand Won 19–3
2 24 May Taranaki RU New PlymouthNew Zealand Won 23–7
3 28 May Manawhenua RU Palmerston NorthNew Zealand Won 34–8
4 31 May Wairarapa–Bush RU MastertonNew Zealand Won 19–6
5 3 June Wellington RU WellingtonNew Zealand Lost 8–12
6 7 June Canterbury RU ChristchurchNew Zealand Lost 8–14
7 11 June West Coast/Buller RU GreymouthNew Zealand Won 34–11
8 14 June Otago RU DunedinNew Zealand Won 33–9
9 21 June  New Zealand DunedinNew ZealandWon 6–3
10 25 June Southland InvercargillNew Zealand Won 9–3
11 28 June Ashburton/South Canterbury/North Otago RU TimaruNew Zealand Won 16–9
12 5 July  New Zealand ChristchurchNew ZealandLost 10–13
13 9 July New Zealand MāoriWellingtonNew ZealandWon 19–13
14 12 July Hawke's Bay RU NapierNew Zealand Won 14–3
15 16 July East Coast/Poverty Bay/Bay of Plenty RU GisborneNew Zealand Won 25–11
16 19 July Auckland RU AucklandNew Zealand Lost 6–19
17 26 July  New Zealand AucklandNew ZealandLost 10–15
18 30 July North Auckland RU WhangareiNew Zealand Won 38–5
19 2 Aug Waikato/Thames Valley/King Country RU HamiltonNew Zealand Won 40–16
20 9 Aug  New Zealand WellingtonNew ZealandLost 8–22
21 12 Aug Nelson, Marlborough, Golden Bay and Motueka BlenheimNew Zealand Won 41–3
22 23 Aug NSW WaratahsSydneyAustraliaWon 29–10
23 30 Aug  Australia SydneyAustraliaLost 5–6
24 3 Sep Queensland RedsBrisbaneAustralia Won 26–16
25 6 Sep Australian XVBrisbaneAustralia Won 29–14
26 10 Sep NSW Waratahs SydneyAustraliaLost 3–28
27 13 Sep VictoriaMelbourneAustralia Won 41–36
28 22 Sep Western AustraliaPerthAustralia Won 71–3
29 1 Oct Ceylon [note 1] ColomboSri Lanka Won 45–0
Notes
  1. Not listed in traditional Lions tests. As a British crown colony, the island was known as Ceylon; it achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1948.
Balance
Played in Pl W D L Ps Pc
New Zealand211506420205
Australia7502204113
Sri Lanka1100450
Total292108669318

Match details

New Zealand (First test)
21 June 1930
New Zealand  3–6 British Isles
Try: G.F. Hart
 Report Try: J.C. Morley, J.S.R. Reeve
Carisbrook, Dunedin
Attendance: 27,000
Referee: S. Hollander (Canterbury, New Zealand)

Bibliography
  • Godwin, Terry; Rhys, Chris (1987). The Guinness Book of Rugby Facts & Feats. Enfield: Guinness Superlatives Limited. ISBN 0-85112-214-0.
  • Griffiths, John (1987). The Phoenix Book of International Rugby Records. London: Phoenix House. ISBN 0-460-07003-7.
  • Perera, SS (1981). 100 Years of Rugby Football in Sri Lanka 1879–1978. Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union.

References
  1. Godwin (1981), pg 231.
  2. Griffiths (1987), pg 9:7.
  3. British & Irish Lions results on Rugby Football History
  4. Early Lions: Squads and results (1888–1938) on BBC Sport, 18 May 2005
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