1903 British Lions tour to South Africa

The 1903 British Isles tour to South Africa was the fifth tour by a British Isles rugby team and the third to South Africa. It is retrospectively classed as one of the British Lions tours, as the Lions naming convention was not adopted until 1950.

1903 British Lions tour to South Africa
Date	9 July – 12 September
Coach(es)	Johnny Hammond
Tour captain(s)	Mark Morrison
Test series winners	South Africa (1–0)
Top test point scorer(s)	John Gillespie (4)
← Australia 1899 Australia and New Zealand 1904 →

Led by Scotland's Mark Morrison and managed by Johnny Hammond the tour took in 22 matches. Of the games three were test matches, played against the South Africa national rugby union team. The British Isles drew the first two test matches and lost the final encounter.

Having lost only one game out of 40 matches in the previous two tours of South Africa, the British Isles team were truly tested by the South African rugby nation on this tour. Of the 22 games played, the tourist won eleven, drew three and lost eight. Unlike past teams, the British Isles three-quarter line was not seen as the team's strongest asset and more reliance was placed in the pack. Of the backs, only Reg Skrimshire, the only Welsh player selected, was judged to have shown any true flair; while the pack failed to live up to expectations, even when led by Scottish power-house David Bedell-Sivright.

The tour included Louis Leisler Greig, who later became well known as a royal equerry, friend of George VI and became a prominent member of the far right January Club.

Touring party

• Manager: Johnny Hammond

Full Backs Edward Montague Harrison (Guy's Hospital/Middlesex/Barbarian F.C.) Three-Quarters Alfred Hind (Cambridge University/Leicester/Midland Counties) Ian Davidson (North of Ireland) Gilbert Collett (Gloucestershire/Cambridge University) Reg Skrimshire (Newport/Blackheath F.C./Kent/Barbarian F.C.) Edward Forbes Walker (Lennox/Middlesex)[1] Half backs Louis Greig (Cambridge University/Glasgow Academicals/United Services and Scotland) John Imrie Gillespie (Edinburgh Academicals and Scotland) Robert Miln Neill (Edinburgh Academicals and Scotland) Patrick Hancock (Richmond/Surrey)

Forwards Mark Morrison (Royal HSFP and Scotland) (captain) David Bedell-Sivright (Cambridge University and Scotland) William Patrick Scott (West of Scotland and Scotland) William Cave (Cambridge University/Blackheath F.C./Kent) J.C. Hosack (Edinburgh Wanderers[2]) Robertson Smyth (Dublin University and Ireland)[3] Alfred Tedford (Malone RFC and Ireland) Joseph Wallace (Wanderers/Dublin University and Ireland) James Wallace (Wanderers/Dublin University) Frank Stout (Richmond/Barbarian F.C./Gloucester and England) Thomas Alexander Gibson (Cambridge University)

Results

1903 British Lions tour to South Africa
Summary	P W D L
Total	22 11 03 08
Opponent	P W D L
South Africa	3 0 2 1

  Test matches

	Date	Opponent	Location	Result	Score
1	9 July	Western Province Country	Cape Town	Lost	7–13
2	11 July	Western Province Towns	Cape Town	Lost	3–12
3	13 July	Western Province	Cape Town	Lost	4–8
4	18 July	Port Elizabeth	Port Elizabeth	Won	13–0
5	20 July	Eastern Province	Port Elizabeth	Won	12–0
6	22 July	Grahamstown	Grahamstown	Won	28–7
7	25 July	King William's Town	King William's Town	Won	37–3
8	27 July	East London	East London, Eastern Cape	Won	7–5
9	1 August	Griqualand West	Kimberley	Lost	0–11
10	4 August	Griqualand West	Kimberley	Lost	6–8
11	8 August	Transvaal	Johannesburg	Lost	3–12
12	11 August	Pretoria	Pretoria	Won	15–3
13	13 August	Pietermaritzburg	Pietermaritzburg	Won	15–0
14	15 August	Durban	Durban	Won	22–0
15	19 August	Witwatersrand	Johannesburg	Won	12–0
16	22 August	Transvaal	Johannesburg	Lost	4–14
17	26 August	South Africa	Johannesburg	Draw	10–10
18	29 August	Orange River County	Bloemfontein	Won	17–16
19	2 September	Griqualand West	Kimberley	Won	11–5
20	5 September	South Africa	Kimberley	Drew	0–0
21	10 September	Western Province	Cape Town	Drew	3–3
22	12 September	South Africa	Cape Town	Lost	0–8

The matches

After playing the first two Tests in white shirts, South Africa wore a green jersey (supplied by Old Diocesan's Club) for the first time in their final Test at Newlands.^[4]

First Test

26 August

South Africa	10–10	British Isles
Try: Dobbin Frew Con: Heatlie (2)		Try: Cave Skrimshire Con: Gillespie (2)

Wanderers Ground, Johannesburg Attendance: 5,000 Referee: Bill Davidson (Scotland)

Team details

South Africa British Isles South Africa: CH Jones, DJA Morkel, WA van Renen, JD Krige, J Barry, JM Powell, FJ Dobbin, Alex Frew capt., WMC McEwan, JH Sinclair, JWE Raaff, PARO Nel, BH Heatlie, Joseph Partridge, CB Brown British Isles: EM Harrison, IG Davidson, RT Skrimshire, LL Greig, GF Collett, JI Gillespie, PS Hancock, FM Stout, Jos. Wallace, TA Gibson, RS Smyth, A Tedford, MC Morrison capt., WP Scott, WTC Cave

Second Test

5 September

South Africa	0–0	British Isles

Athletic Ground, Kimberley Attendance: 5,000 Referee: PW Day (South Africa)

Team details

South Africa British Isles South Africa: CH Jones, EAH Gibbs, S Ashley, SC de Melker, J Barry, JM Powell capt., FJ Dobbin, C Currie, HD Metcalf, JS Jackson, JWE Raaff, PARO Nel, GFT Crampton, WC Martheze, CB Brown British Isles: RM Neill, EF Walker, RT Skrimshire, LL Greig, GF Collett, JI Gillespie, PS Hancock, FM Stout, Jos. Wallace, TA Gibson, RS Smyth, A Tedford, MC Morrison capt., WP Scott, WTC Cave

Third Test

12 September

South Africa	8–0	British Isles
Try: Barry Reid Con: Heatlie

Newlands Stadium, Cape Town Attendance: 6,000 Referee: JH Anderson (South Africa)

Team details

South Africa British Isles South Africa: WA van Renen, JA Loubser, HW Carolin, JD Krige, J Barry, HH Ferris, TEC Hobson, A Reid, MWC McEwan, P Roos, JW Anderson, PARO Nel, JA Botha, BH Heatlie capt., CB Brown British Isles: RM Neill, EF Walker, RT Skrimshire, LL Greig, GF Collett, JI Gillespie, PS Hancock, FM Stout, Jos. Wallace, TA Gibson, RS Smyth, A Tedford, MC Morrison capt., WP Scott, WTC Cave

References

1. FOOTBALL. NOTES BY FULL BACK. Otago Witness , Putanga 2590, 4 Whiringa-ā-rangi 1903, Page 58 – containing a profile of the 1903 British touring side
2. Never capped for Scotland.
3. Sewell 1919, pp. 179–180.
4. The great history of green and gold by Harry Jones on The Roar website, 7 Sep 2016

• Sewell, Edward Humphrey Dalrymple (1919). The Rugby Football Internationals Roll of Honour. London, Edinburgh: T. C. & E. C. Jack.