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The 1914 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand was the second ever 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 repeated the promotional and financial success of the 1910 Great Britain Lions tour of Australasia and became famous for the third and deciding Ashes test, known as the "Rorke's Drift Test" due to a backs-to-the wall British victory against all odds.[2]
| 1914 Great Britain Lions tour | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manager | J. Clifford and J. H. Houghton | ||||
| Tour captain(s) | Harold Wagstaff | ||||
| Top point scorer(s) | Alf Wood (97)[1] | ||||
| Top try scorer(s) | Stan Moorhouse (19)[1] | ||||
| Summary |
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| Total |
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| Test match |
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| Opponent |
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 Australia |
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 New Zealand |
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| Tour chronology | |||||
| Previous tour | 1910 | ||||
| Next tour | 1920 | ||||
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At the 1913–14 Northern Rugby Football Union season's conclusion, the following Great Britain squad was assembled by the Northern Rugby Football Union to represent it on the tour of Australasia. The Union's tour manager was John Clifford.[3][4][5][6]
| Name | Club | Position | Appearances | Tests | Tries | Goals | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Chilcott | Huddersfield | Forward | 11 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| James Clampitt | Broughton Rangers | Forward | 11 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| Douglas Clark | Huddersfield | Forward | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Percy Coldrick | Wigan | Forward | 10 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 18 |
| William Davies | Leeds | Three-quarter back | 13 | 2 | 13 | 2 | 43 |
| Alfred Francis | Hull | Three-quarter back | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 18 |
| Walter Guerin | Hunslet | Forward | 8 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 31 |
| Billy Hall | Oldham | Three-quarter back | 12 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 18 |
| Dave Holland | Oldham | Forward | 12 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
| Billy Jarman | Leeds | Forward | 9 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 11 |
| Bert Jenkins | Wigan | Three-quarter back | 10 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 24 |
| Arthur Johnson | Widnes | Forward | 12 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 25 |
| Fred Longstaff | Huddersfield | Forward | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 14 |
| Stan Moorhouse | Huddersfield | Three-quarter back | 10 | 2 | 19 | 0 | 57 |
| Jack O'Garra | Widnes | Half-back | 8 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 15 |
| Stuart Prosser | Halifax | Half-back | 8 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 9 |
| Dick Ramsdale | Wigan | Forward | 9 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Jack Robinson | Rochdale Hornets | Three-quarter back | 5 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 18 |
| Johnny Rogers | Huddersfield | Half-back | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 12 |
| Walter Roman | Rochdale Hornets | Forward | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| John Smales | Hunslet | Forward | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| Fred Smith | Hunslet | Half-back | 12 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| Gwyn Thomas | Wigan | Full-back | 6 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 9 |
| Harold Wagstaff (c) | Huddersfield | Three-quarter back | 13 | 4 | 11 | 4 | 41 |
| Frank Williams | Halifax | Three-quarter back | 7 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
| Alf Wood | Oldham | Full-back | 9 | 2 | 1 | 47 | 97 |
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The first leg of the tour was Australia, where the game of rugby league football was in its seventh year since splitting away from rugby union in 1908. the tourists ventured to Adelaide, Melbourne, Ipswich and Bathurst, as well as Sydney, Brisbane and Newcastle.[7]
The Australian team was captained in all three Ashes Tests by North Sydney skipper Sid Deane.[8]
Test venues
The three Ashes series tests took place at the following venues. All three tests took place in Sydney.
| Sydney | Sydney |
|---|---|
| Royal Agricultural Showground | Sydney Cricket Ground |
| Capacity: 50,000 | Capacity: 60,000 |
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| Sunday 24 May | South Australia  |
0 – 101 |  Northern Union |
Hawthorn Oval, Adelaide | |
| Tries: Goals: |
[9] |
Tries: William Davies (4), Bert Jenkins (4), Frank Williams (4), Percy Coldrick (2), Billy Jarman (2), Jack Robinson (2), James Clampitt, Dave Holland, Arthur Johnson, John Smales, Alf Wood Goals: Alf Wood (15) Jack Robinson (1) |
Attendance: 2,500 |
South Australia: J. Lawson, R. Cooksley, O. Howard, E. Dutton, P. Knowles, W. Oldfield, M. Moran, C. Fincham, J. Sorensen, F. Stewart, J. Carr, A. Shuttleworth, P. Jackson. Res – L. Scott
Northern Union: Alf Wood (c), Jack Robinson, William Davies, Bert Jenkins, Frank Williams, Fred Smith, Jack O'Garra, James Clampitt, Billy Jarman, Arthur Johnson, Dave Holland, Percy Coldrick, John Smales
| Saturday 6 June | Metropolis  |
38 – 10 | Northern Union |
Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney | |
| Tries: Harold Horder (2), Sid Deane, Arthur Halloway, Bill Kelly, Ray Norman Goals: Wally Messenger (9) Field Goals: Howard Hallett (1) |
[10] |
Tries: Dave Holland, Stuart Prosser Goals: Joseph Guerin (1) Johnny Rogers (1) |
Attendance: 50,257 Referee: Tom McMahon Sr. |
Metropolis: Howard Hallett, Harold Horder, Sid Deane (c), Bill Kelly, Wally Messenger, Ray Norman, Arthur Halloway, Jack Watkins, Sid Pearce, Con Sullivan, Paddy McCue, Ed Courtney, Frank Burge
Northern Union: Alf Wood, Frank Williams, William Davies (c), Bert Jenkins, Jack Robinson, Stuart Prosser, Johnny Rogers, Joseph Guerin, James Clampitt, Walter Roman, Billy Jarman, Dave Holland, John Smales
| Monday 8 June | New South Wales  |
11 – 3 | Northern Union |
Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney | |
| Tries: Bill Kelly, Ray Norman Goals: Harold Horder (3) Wally Messenger (1) |
[11] |
Tries: Harold Wagstaff Goals: |
Attendance: 49,000 Referee: Tom McMahon Sr. |
NSW: Howard Hallett, Harold Horder, Sid Deane (c), Bill Kelly, Wally Messenger, Ray Norman, Arthur Halloway, Jack Watkins, Sid Pearce, Con Sullivan, Paddy McCue, Ed Courtney, Frank Burge. Res – Charles Fraser
Northern Union: Gwyn Thomas, William Davies, Harold Wagstaff (c), Bert Jenkins, Stan Moorhouse, Billy Hall, Johnny Rogers, Percy Coldrick, Douglas Clark, Arthur Johnson, Billy Jarman, Dave Holland, Jack Chilcott
| Saturday 13 June | Queensland  |
10 – 18 | Northern Union |
Brisbane Exhibition Ground, Brisbane | |
| Tries: Herbert McCabe, Charles Scott Goals: Henry Bolewski (2) |
[12] |
Tries: Alfred Francis (2), Frank Williams (2) Goals: Gwyn Thomas (1) Joseph Guerin (1) |
Attendance: 12,000 Referee: C. Turner |
Queensland: Mick Bolewski (c), Herbert McCabe, Walter Bolewski, Henry Bolewski, William Beavis, Daniel Rowley, Evan Lewis, Jack Egan, Thomas Dean, Harold Bawden, Charles Scott, William Pritchard, James Adams
Northern Union: Gwyn Thomas, Frank Williams, Harold Wagstaff (c), William Davies, Alfred Francis, Fred Smith, Jack O'Garra, Joseph Guerin, Douglas Clark, Fred Longstaff, Dick Ramsdale, John Smales, Jack Chilcott
| Wednesday 17 June | Ipswich  |
8 – 45 | Northern Union |
North Ipswich Reserve, Ipswich | |
| Tries: Goals: |
[13] |
Tries: Alfred Francis (5), Stan Moorhouse (3), Harold Wagstaff (2), Arthur Johnson Goals: Harold Wagstaff (4) Billy Jarman (1) Arthur Johnson (1) |
Attendance: 2,000 |
Northern Union: Billy Jarman, Stan Moorhouse, Harold Wagstaff (c), Billy Hall, Alfred Francis, Stuart Prosser, Fred Smith, Arthur Johnson, Joseph Guerin, James Clampitt, Walter Roman, Percy Coldrick, Fred Longstaff
| Saturday 20 June | Queensland |
8 – 22 | Northern Union |
Brisbane Exhibition Ground, Brisbane | |
| Tries: Goals: Henry Bolewski (4) |
[14] |
Tries: Stan Moorhouse (2), Percy Coldrick, Billy Hall, Johnny Rogers, Harold Wagstaff Goals: Fred Longstaff (1) Gwyn Thomas (1) |
Attendance: 12,000 Referee: Jack Roche |
Queensland: Mick Bolewski (c), Herbert McCabe, John Birkett, Henry Bolewski, William Beavis, Thomas Hennessy, Evan Lewis, Jack Egan, Thomas Dean, Peter Olsen, Charles Scott, William Pritchard, Don Jeffrey
Northern Union: Gwyn Thomas, Frank Williams, Harold Wagstaff (c), Bert Jenkins, Stan Moorhouse, Billy Hall, Johnny Rogers, Percy Coldrick, Douglas Clark, Fred Longstaff, Dick Ramsdale, Billy Jarman, Jack Chilcott
| Wednesday 24 June | Newcastle  |
18 – 35 | Northern Union |
Newcastle Sports Ground, Newcastle | |
| Tries: Arthur Baber, J. Coleman, W. Coleman, P. Scully Goals: W. Coleman (1) J. Maloney (1) P. Scully (1) |
[15] |
Tries: Harold Wagstaff (2), William Davies, Dave Holland, Arthur Johnson, Jack O'Garra, Jack Robinson, John Smales, Fred Smith Goals: Alf Wood (4) |
Attendance: 5,000 Referee: E. Rees |
Newcastle: J. Maloney (c), P. Scully, W. Coleman, E. Brien, G. Johns, J. Coleman, F. Bell, F. Grahame, H. Williams, Stan Carpenter, J. Quinn, Arthur Baber, C. Perkins
Northern Union: Alf Wood, Alfred Francis, Harold Wagstaff (c), William Davies, Jack Robinson, Fred Smith, Jack O'Garra, Walter Roman, James Clampitt, Joseph Guerin, Dave Holland, John Smales, Arthur Johnson
First test
Future Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame inductee Harold Horder was selected to make his Test debut for this match.[16] On the other wing was the only Queenslander selected in the home side, Henry Bolewski.[17] Also selected to debut for his adopted country was New Zealander, Bill Kelly,[18] after whom the trophy contested in the ANZAC Test would be named.
| Australia |
5 – 23 |  Northern Union |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Ray Norman Goals: Henry Bolewski (1) |
[19] |
Tries: Stan Moorhouse (2) Doug Clark Dave Holland Jack Robinson Goals: Fred Longstaff (2) Jack Robinson (2) |
Saturday 27 June |
         Australia
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    Northern Union
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The first test of the 1914 Ashes series was played in Sydney before a crowd of around 40,000. Leeds forward Billy Jarman, making his debut for Great Britain missed a conversion attempt from in front of the posts.[20] Henry Bolewski was the only Queensland player selected in the Australian side.
Second test
| Australia |
12 – 7 | Northern Union |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Frank Burge Charles Fraser Wally Messenger Goals: Wally Messenger (3) |
[21] |
Tries: Percy Coldrick Goals: Johnny Rogers (2) |
Monday 29 June |
Australia
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Northern Union
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After being humiliated in the first Test, the Australians bounced back to narrowly win the second 12–7 at the Sydney Cricket Ground with Charles Fraser and Frank Burge scoring and Wally Messenger kicking 3 goals.[22]
| Thursday 2 July | Western Districts  |
3 – 42 | Northern Union |
Bathurst Showgrounds, Bathurst | |
| Tries: A. Dawson Goals: |
[23] |
Tries: Billy Hall (3), William Davies (2), Arthur Johnson (2), Jack O'Garra (2) Goals: Joseph Guerin (2) Alf Wood (2) |
Attendance: 5,000 Referee: E. Rees |
Western Districts: E. Hawke, A. Bassett, A. Dawson, H. Gunn, E. Lockhard, R. Trefrey, Edward Coyne, D. Gander, Arch Moncreiff (c), D. Reece, P. Smith, R. Murphy, D. Haynes
Northern Union: Alf Wood (c), Frank Williams, Billy Hall, William Davies, Jack O'Garra, Stuart Prosser, Johnny Rogers, Walter Roman, James Clampitt, Joseph Guerin, John Smales, Billy Jarman, Arthur Johnson
Third test
The third and deciding Ashes test had originally been scheduled for Melbourne in August, but the New South Wales Rugby Football League unilaterally rescheduled it for Sydney on 4 July to maximise profits. Melbourne had to wait another 78 years until they hosted their first test, in the Ashes Series of 1992. The British protested that it would be their third test match in seven days and several of their first team were out with injuries, but the NSWRFL got its way.[24] The tourists were instructed by the Northern Union officials to play and do their duty for England.[25]
| Australia |
6 – 14 | Northern Union |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Wally Messenger[26] Sid Deane Goals: |
[27] |
Tries: William Davies Arthur Johnson Goals: Alf Wood (4) |
Saturday 4 July |
Australia
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Northern Union
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Within the first minutes of the match, Great Britain were down a man due to an injury to Frank Williams. Forward Arthur 'Chick' Johnson, the Widnes club's first international representative, was shifted to the wing to take Williams' place.[28] At half time the British were leading 9–3. Ten minutes into the second half, they had lost Douglas Clark and Billy Hall to injuries so were reduced to ten men.[29] 'Chick' Johnson, playing out of position on the wing, then used the unorthodox method of dribbling the ball ahead with his feet to score a try.[30] This lifted his teammates in defence and the British managed to win 14–6.
| Saturday 15 August | New South Wales |
15 – 21 | Northern Union |
Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne | |
| Tries: Arthur Halloway, Sid Pearce, Bob Tidyman Goals: Albert Burge (3) |
[31] |
Tries: Percy Coldrick, Bert Jenkins, Stan Moorhouse Goals: Alf Wood (6) |
Attendance: 13,000 Referee: Tom McMahon Sr. |
NSW: George Challis, Tom Leggo, Bob Tidyman, Charles Fraser, George Bain, Les Cubitt, Arthur Halloway (c), Bob Williams, Sid Pearce, Ed Courtney, Bob Craig, Albert Burge, Frank Burge. Res –
Northern Union: Alf Wood, Stan Moorhouse, Harold Wagstaff (c), Bert Jenkins, William Davies, Billy Hall, Johnny Rogers, Percy Coldrick, James Clampitt, Dick Ramsdale, Fred Longstaff, Jack Chilcott, Arthur Johnson
This game was played on the return leg from New Zealand
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Originally scheduled to take place during the Ashes series, the New Zealand leg was postponed until afterwards.
| Saturday 11 July | Wellington  |
7 – 14 | Northern Union |
Newtown Park, Wellington | |
| Tries: Goals: |
[32] |
Tries: Jack Chilcott, Billy Hall, Joseph Houghton, Gwyn Thomas Goals: Joseph Guerin (1) |
Attendance: 5,000 |
Northern Union: Gwyn Thomas, Joseph Houghton, Billy Hall, William Davies, Jack O'Garra, Stuart Prosser, Fred Smith, Joseph Guerin, Billy Jarman, Jack Chilcott, John Smales, Walter Roman, James Clampitt
| Saturday 18 July | Hawke's Bay  |
7 – 30 | Northern Union |
Nelson Park, Napier | |
| Tries: Goals: |
[33] |
Tries: Goals: |
Attendance: 4,000 |
| Thursday 23 July | Taranaki  |
11 – 43 | Northern Union |
Taumata Park, Eltham | |
| Tries: Goals: |
[34] |
Tries: Goals: |
Attendance: 2,000 |
| Saturday 25 July | Auckland  |
12 – 34 | Northern Union |
Auckland Domain, Auckland | |
| Tries: Goals: |
[35] |
Tries: Dave Holland (2), Stan Moorhouse (2), Percy Coldrick, Billy Hall, Dick Ramsdale, Johnny Rogers Goals: Alf Wood (5) |
Attendance: 13,000 |
Auckland: Tom Cross, Charles Woolley, Karl Ifwersen, Edward Fox, Thomas McClymont, Arthur Hardgrave, Charles Webb, Charlie Savory, Joe Bennett, Stan Walters, Bob Mitchell, Harold Hayward, Jim Clark
Northern Union: Alf Wood, Stan Moorhouse, Billy Hall, Bert Jenkins, William Davies, Johnny Rogers, Fred Smith, Dick Ramsdale, Arthur Johnson, Jack Chilcott, Fred Longstaff, Percy Coldrick, Dave Holland
Northern Union defeated Auckland 34–12 in front of 13,000 fans. The gate earned the Auckland Rugby League NZ£650.[36]
| Thursday 30 July | Wanganui  |
12 – 57 | Northern Union |
Cooks Gardens, Whanganui | |
| Tries: Goals: |
[37] |
Tries: Bert Jenkins (3), Fred Longstaff (2), Stan Moorhouse (2), Stuart Prosser (2), Harold Wagstaff (2), James Clampitt, Joseph Guerin Goals: Alf Wood (9) |
Attendance: 3,000 |
Northern Union: Alf Wood, Stan Moorhouse, Harold Wagstaff (c), Bert Jenkins, William Davies, Jack O'Garra, Stuart Prosser, Dick Ramsdale, Joseph Guerin, James Clampitt, Fred Longstaff, Percy Coldrick, Walter Roman
| New Zealand |
13 – 16 | Northern Union |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Billy Wilson (2) Vic Banks Goals: Karl Ifwersen (2) |
[38] |
Tries: Stan Moorhouse (2) Arthur Johnson William Davies Goals: Alf Wood (2) |
Saturday 1 August |
  New Zealand
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Northern Union
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New Zealand lost the sole Test match 13–16. Billy Wilson scored two tries, Vic Banks scored one and Karl Ifwersen kicked two goals.[39]
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