1921–22 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain
The 1921–22 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain was the third ever Kangaroo tour. Again an Australasian side rather than an Australian team alone (although the 28-man squad featured only one New Zealander) travelled to Great Britain to contest the Ashes.[1] Coached by Arthur Hennessy and captained by Les Cubitt, the Kangaroos travelled on the RMS Tahiti to England for best-of-three series of Test matches against Great Britain for the Ashes. The tour took place during the 1921–22 Northern Rugby Football Union season and also featured matches against several of the clubs in that competition as well as other representative teams. The tour also involved some degree of player misbehaviour, with one young footballer almost sent home from San Francisco because of all the broken glasses following a drinking session on board the team's ship.[2]
| 1921–22 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain | |||||
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 Tour match photo taken at Barrow | |||||
| Date | 17 September 1921 – 21 January 1922 | ||||
| Manager | Billy Cann and George Ball | ||||
| Coach(es) | Arthur Hennessy | ||||
| Tour captain(s) | Les Cubitt | ||||
| Summary |
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| Total |
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| Test match |
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| Opponent |
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 Great Britain |
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| Tour chronology | |||||
| Previous tour | 1911–12 | ||||
| Next tour | 1929–30 | ||||
Touring squad
editDuring 1921, the New Zealand side toured Australia, playing matches against New South Wales and Queensland, which served as selection trials for the upcoming 'Australasian' team's tour, for which only one New Zealander, Bert Laing, selected.[3] The team wore the sky blue jersey of New South Wales and the only non-New South Welsh player to appear in a test was Queenslander Billy Richards in the third.[4]
Billy Cann was co-manager of the Australasian touring squad along with Souths' secretary, George Ball. Secretary of the Queensland Rugby League, and football journalist Harry Sunderland also accompanied the team.[5]
On this tour Sandy Pearce at 38 years of age became the oldest Australian international player.[6]
New South Wales
editEarly in the 1921 NSWRFL season, players who were selected had to leave their clubs for the tour. All but one of the League's nine teams (University) were represented in the touring squad:
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Queensland
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New Zealand
editThe sole New Zealand player that accompanied the Australians on tour has been listed in the Australian Rugby League's Kangaroos players register.[8]
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Matches
editBefore sailing for England the team stopped in New Zealand for an exhibition match at the Basin Reserve in Wellington.[9] Also during the tour, the Northern Rugby Football Union tried to arrange a match in Paris, but opposition from the RFU-aligned French Rugby Federation made it impossible.[10]
After arriving in England, the Kangaroos played four matches against local clubs before the first Ashes test, winning all of them with dominant margins:
| 17 September 1921 | Salford | 3–48 | Australasia | The Willows, Salford | |
| Tries: 1 | Tries: 12 Goals: 6 |
Attendance: 9,000 |
| 20 September 1921 | Keighley | 0–29 | Australasia | Lawkholme Lane, Keighley | |
| Tries: 7 Goals: 4 |
Attendance: 5,500 |
| 24 September 1921 | Hull Kingston Rovers | 6–26 | Australasia | Craven Street, Hull | |
| Goals: 3 | Tries: 6 Goals: 4 |
Attendance: 13,000 |
| 28 September 1921 | Bradford Northern | 3–53 | Australasia | Birch Lane, Bradford | |
| Tries: 1 | Tries: 15 Goals: 4 |
Attendance: 3,000 |
First Ashes test
edit1 October 1921
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| Great Britain
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6–5 |  Australia
|
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Squire Stockwell Billy Stone Goals: |
[11] |
Tries: Cec Blinkhorn Goals: Jim Craig (1) |
The Kangaroos' winning streak came to an end when they played against England. Australasia led 5–3 at the break and the match seemed to be theirs when Frank Burge scored a late try, but it was disallowed by referee Frank Renton. Thus, a sole second-half try from the British close to full-time was enough for them to win it.
| 6 October 1921 | Widnes | 4–28 | Australasia | Lowerhouse Lane, Widnes | |
| Goals: 2 | Tries: 6 Goals: 5 |
Attendance: 11,000 |
| 8 October 1921 | Broughton Rangers | 6–18 | Australasia | The Cliff, Broughton, Salford | |
| Goals: 3 | Tries: 4 Goals: 3 |
Attendance: 17,000 |
| 10 October 1921 | England 
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5–4 | Australasia | Highbury, London | |
| Tries: Frank Todd Goals: Tom Clarkson (1) |
[12] |
Goals: Goals: Bert Gray (1) Duncan Thompson (1) |
Attendance: 12,000 |
| 15 October 1921 | Wigan | 6–14 | Australasia | Central Park,[13] Wigan | |
| 3:30[14] |
Goals: J Sullivan 3 | Tries: 2 Goals: 4 |
Attendance: 24,308 |
| 19 October 1921 | Leeds | 5–11 | Australasia | Headingley, Leeds | |
| Tries: 1 Goals: 1 |
Tries: 3 Goals: 1 |
Attendance: 14,000 |
| 22 October 1921 | Wakefield Trinity | 3–29 | Australasia | Belle Vue, Wakefield | |
| Tries: 1 | Tries: 7 Goals: 4 |
Attendance: 6,000 |
| 26 October 1921 | Batley | 7–33 | Australasia | Mount Pleasant, Batley | |
| Tries: 1 Goals: 2 |
Tries: 7 Goals: 6 |
Attendance: 6,000 |
| 29 October 1921 | Warrington | 8–5 | Australasia | Wilderspool, Warrington | |
| Goals: 4 | Tries: 1 Goals: 1 |
Attendance: 16,000 |
| 2 November 1921 | York | 9–3 | Australasia | Clarence Street, York | |
| Tries: Farrar 1 Goals: Corsi 2 Field goals: McEwan 1 |
Tries: Reg Latta 1 |
Attendance: 3,000 |
At halftime York led 4–3 in a game that "was characterised by rough and scrambling play, minor injuries being numerous."[15]
Second Ashes test
edit5 November 1921
|
| Great Britain
|
2–16 | Australia
|
|---|---|---|
| Goals: Johnny Rogers Goals: |
[16] |
Tries: Cec Blinkhorn (2) Harold Horder Dick Vest Goals: Duncan Thompson (2) |
In the second Test the scores were 2-all at half-time, but after that the Australian backline of Horder, Carstairs, Vest and Blinkhorn cut loose. The Kangaroos scored 4 tries to nil, the win setting up the third and final Test as the Ashes decider. This was also the last Test in the international career of Sandy Pearce and made him the oldest ever Kangaroo.
The Kangaroos played sixteen more tour matches between the second and third Tests:
| 9 November 1921 | Bramley | 7–92 | Australasia | Barley Mow, Bramley | |
| Tries: 1 Goals: 2 |
Tries: 24 Goals: 10 |
Attendance: 1,500 |
Up to and including the final Kangaroo Tour which included matches against English club sides in 1994, this would be the highest ever score by the Kangaroos. The closest The Kangaroos ever came to this score was an 80–2 win over the Sheffield Eagles in 1994.
| 12 November 1921 | Rochdale Hornets | 2–16 | Australasia | Athletic Grounds, Rochdale | |
| Goals: 1 | Tries: 4 Goals: 4 |
Attendance: 12,000 |
| 16 November 1921 | Swinton | 9–0 | Australasia | Chorley Road, Swinton | |
| Tries: 1 Goals: 3 |
Attendance: 6,000 |
| 19 November 1921 | Huddersfield | 2–36 | Australasia | Fartown, Huddersfield | |
| Goals: 1 | Tries: 8 Goals: 6 |
Attendance: 12,000 |
| 23 November 1921 | St. Helens | 8–16 | Australasia | Knowsley Road, St. Helens | |
| Tries: 2 Goals: 1 |
Tries: 4 Goals: 2 |
Attendance: 6,000 |
| 26 November 1921 | Oldham | 5–16 | Australasia | Watersheddings, Oldham | |
| Tries: 1 Goals: 1 |
Tries: 4 Goals: 2 |
Attendance: 15,000 |
| 30 November 1921 | Lancashire | 6–29 | Australasia | Goodison Park, Liverpool | |
| Tries: 2 Goals: 0 |
Tries: 6 Goals: 4 |
Attendance: 17,000 |
| 3 December 1921 | Barrow | 15–24 | Australasia | Little Park, Roose, Barrow | |
| Tries: 3 Goals: 3 |
Tries: 6 Goals: 3 |
Attendance: 8,000 |
| 7 December 1921 | Yorkshire | 8–24 | Australasia | Belle Vue, Wakefield | |
| Tries: 2 Goals: 1 |
Tries: 6 Goals: 3 |
Attendance: 6,000 |
| 10 December 1921 | Wales 
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16–21 | Australasia | Taff Vale Park, Pontypridd | |
| Goals: Tommy Howley, Johnny Rogers Goals: Ben Gronow (4) Jim Sullivan (1) |
[17] |
Tries: Cec Blinkhorn, Frank Burge, Jim Craig, Harold Horder, Albert Johnston Goals: Duncan Thompson (3) |
Attendance: 13,000 |
| 14 December 1921 | Lancashire | 8–6 | Australasia | Wilderspool, Warrington | |
| Tries: 2 Goals: 1 |
Tries: 2 | Attendance: 6,000 |
| 17 December 1921 | Dewsbury | 13–6 | Australasia | Old Crown Flatt ground, Dewsbury | |
| Tries: 3 Goals: 2 |
Tries: 2 | Attendance: 6,000 |
| 21 December 1921 | Leigh | 4–17 | Australasia | Mather Lane, Leigh | |
| Goals: 2 | Tries: 5 Goals: 1 |
Attendance: 5,000 |
| 24 December 1921 | Hull F.C. | 10–21 | Australasia | The Boulevard, Hull | |
| Tries: 2 Goals: 2 |
Tries: 5 Goals: 3 |
Attendance: 12,000 |
| 27 December 1921 | Widnes | 8–17 | Australasia | Lowerhouse Lane, Widnes | |
| Tries: 2 Goals: 1 |
Tries: 5 Goals: 1 |
Attendance: 12,000 |
| 31 December 1921 | Halifax | 6–35 | Australasia | Thrum Hall, Halifax | |
| Tries: 2 | Tries: Cec Blinkhorn 3 Felix Ryan 1 Bill Richards 1 Bert Laing 1 Harold Horder 1 Clarrie Prentice 1 Duncan Thompson 1 Goals: J Craig 3 Field goal J Craig 1 |
Attendance: 12,000 |
Among those present for this match was the UK's Speaker of the House of Commons, J. H. Whitley. The half-time score was 18–3 to the visitors, who were without Dick Vest due to ill health.[18]
| 2 January 1922 | Hunslet | 10–19 | Australasia | Parkside, Hunslet | |
| Tries: 2 Goals: 2 |
Tries: 5 Goals: 2 |
Attendance: 3,174 |
| 7 January 1922 | Cumberland | 12–25 | Australasia | Lonsdale Park, Workington | |
| Tries: 2 Goals: 3 |
Tries: 7 Goals: 2 |
Attendance: 5,000 |
Third Ashes test
edit14 January 1922
|
| Great Britain
|
6–0 | Australia
|
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Herman Hilton F Gallagher Goals: |
[19] |
Tries: Goals: |
The decider was played on a heavy, snow-bound field, much to the dismay of the fleet-footed Kangaroos. Early in the match the Australians were reduced to twelve men when Chook Fraser suffered a broken leg.[20] In what was described as "a bruising encounter", Herman Hilton took a pass from his captain, the "prince of centres", Harold Wagstaff to dive over, taking two defenders over the try-line with him.[21] The final score was 6–0 to the home side.[22] By winning this third and deciding test of the series, Britain claimed the Ashes.
| 16 January 1922 | Oldham | 15–5 | Australasia | Watersheddings, Oldham | |
| Tries: 3 Goals: 5 |
Tries: 1 Goals: 1 |
Attendance: 6,000 |
| 21 January 1922 | St Helens Recs | 5–16 | Australasia | City Road, St. Helens | |
| Tries: 1 Goals: 1 |
Tries: 4 Goals: 2 |
Attendance: 5,000 |
By the end of the tour, Australian three-quarter, Cec Blinkhorn, had scored 39 tries in 29 matches, which still stands as the record for most tries scored on a Kangaroo tour.[23] The other winger, Harold Horder scored 35, and forward Frank Burge was not far behind with 33 tries from 23 games.[24]
The team travelled back to Australia on the Orvieto, arriving in Fremantle in February 1922.[25] Upon their return to Sydney a large dinner was held for the tourists by the New South Wales Rugby Football League, which was attended by the likes of Sir Joynton Smith, to celebrate the players' courageous effort and the fact that this was the first team to return to Sydney with a profit.[26]
References
edit- ^ Fagan, Sean (2006). Kangaroo Tour: 1921–1922. Australia: rl1908.com. Archived from the original on 2 January 2011. Retrieved 20 February 2011.
- ^ Tatnell, Paul (16 September 2010). "Code of conduct: are players in a different league?". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
- ^ Coffey, John; Wood, Bernie (2008). 100 Years: Maori Rugby League, 1908–2008. New Zealand: Huia Publishers. p. 73. ISBN 978-1-86969-331-2. Retrieved 26 February 2011.
- ^ Sean Fagan (2009) "Tommy Gorman's Maroon Giants". rl1908.com Archived 10 October 2010 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Edmond Scott (2006) 'Sunderland, Harry (1889–1964)'. Australian Dictionary of Biography, Online Edition ISSN 1833-7538, published by Australian National University
- ^ "Tricolours 50 to 1". sydneyroosters.com.au. 4 March 2010. Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
- ^ Queensland Representative Players. Australia: Queensland Rugby League. 2010. Archived from the original on 18 February 2011. Retrieved 20 February 2011.
- ^ "Australian Kangaroos players register". australianrugbyleague.com.au. Archived from the original on 17 March 2012. Retrieved 6 July 2009.
- ^ Fagan, Sean (2009). "New Zealand 'Kangaroos'". rl1908.com. Archived from the original on 8 October 2010. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
- ^ Collins, Tony (2006). Rugby League in Twentieth Century Britain: A social and cultural History. Taylor & Francis. pp. 70–71. ISBN 978-0-415-39614-1. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
- ^ 1st Ashes Test
- ^ England vs Australia at Highbury
- ^ "1921 Tour Match: Wigan 6 Australia 14". cherryandwhite.co.uk. RLFANS.COM. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
- ^ Wigan RL History – 1921–22 Season at wigan.rlfans.com
- ^ "The Kangaroos. Beaten by York". The Sydney Morning Herald. 4 November 1921. p. 9. Retrieved 26 February 2011.
- ^ 2nd Ashes Test
- ^ Wales vs Australia
- ^ "A Runaway Win". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2 January 1922. p. 7. Retrieved 26 February 2011.
- ^ 3rd Ashes Test
- ^ Balmain Leagues Club (2009) "1920s". tigers.org.au Archived 25 February 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Hall of Fame – Herman Hilton. Oldham Rugby League Heritage Trust. Retrieved 26 February 2011.
- ^ "British Football Results" (PDF). The New York Times. 15 January 1922. Retrieved 26 February 2011.
- ^ Shepherd, Jim (1980). Encyclopedia of Australian sport. Australia: Rigby. p. 50. ISBN 978-0-7270-1119-0. Retrieved 26 February 2011.
- ^ Corcoran, Kristine (2006). "Burge, Frank (1894–1958)". Australian Dictionary of Biography, Online Edition. Australian National University. ISSN 1833-7538. Archived from the original on 3 March 2011. Retrieved 26 February 2011.
- ^ "General Cables". Evening Post. Vol. CIII, no. 46. New Zealand: National Library of New Zealand. United Press Association. 24 February 1922. p. 7. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
- ^ "Dinner to Australasian Team". The Sydney Morning Herald. 7 March 1922. p. 12. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
External links
edit- 1921–22 Australasian Football Team Touring Great Britain – Souvenir (Melba Studios, Sydney)
- Ashes Series 1921/22 at rugbyleagueproject.org