1930 British Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia
Date21 May – 1 October
Coach(es)James Baxter
Tour captain(s)England Doug Prentice
Test series winners New Zealand (1–3)
 Australia (1–0)
Top test point scorer(s)England 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

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]

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

Doc on One

RTÉ radio has broadcast a documentary about Mike Dunne who corresponded with a Maori princess, Rau Ellison, and sent her his Lions jersey. But their potential romance didn't happen as her family arranged a marriage for her with a neighbouring farmer.[3][4]

There also was an article in the Irish Independent c 2005 based on Mike Dunne's diaries of the tour.

Match summary

Complete list of matches played by the British Isles in New Zealand and Australia:[5][6]

  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 WanganuiNew Zealand Won 19–3
2 24 May Taranaki New PlymouthNew Zealand Won 23–7
3 28 May Manawhenua Palmerston NorthNew Zealand Won 34–8
4 31 May Wairarapa MastertonNew Zealand Won 19–6
5 3 June Wellington WellingtonNew Zealand Lost 8–12
6 7 June Canterbury ChristchurchNew Zealand Lost 8–14
7 11 June West Coast-Buller GreymouthNew Zealand Won 34–11
8 14 June Otago 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		 TimaruNew Zealand Won 16–9
12 5 July  New Zealand ChristchurchNew ZealandLost 10–13
13 9 July New Zealand New Zealand MāoriWellingtonNew ZealandWon 19–13
14 12 July Hawke's Bay NapierNew Zealand Won 14–3
15 16 July East Coast /
Poverty Bay /
Bay of Plenty		 GisborneNew Zealand Won 25–11
16 19 July Auckland AucklandNew Zealand Lost 6–19
17 26 July  New Zealand AucklandNew ZealandLost 10–15
18 30 July North Auckland WhangareiNew Zealand Won 38–5
19 2 Aug Waikato /
Thames Valley /
King Country		 HamiltonNew Zealand Won 40–16
20 9 Aug  New Zealand WellingtonNew ZealandLost 8–22
21 12 Aug Nelson /
Marlborough /
Golden Bay-Motueka		 BlenheimNew Zealand Won 41–3
22 23 Aug New South Wales NSW WaratahsSydneyAustraliaWon 29–10
23 30 Aug  Australia SydneyAustraliaLost 5–6
24 3 Sep Queensland Queensland RedsBrisbaneAustralia Won 26–16
25 6 Sep Australia Australian XVBrisbaneAustralia Won 29–14
26 10 Sep New South Wales NSW Waratahs SydneyAustraliaLost 3–28
27 13 Sep Victoria (state) VictoriaMelbourneAustralia Won 41–36
28 22 Sep Western Australia Western AustraliaPerthAustralia Won 71–3
29 1 Oct Dominion of Ceylon 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
Ceylon1100450
Total292108669318

Match details

New Zealand (First test)

21 June 1930
New Zealand 3–6United Kingdom British Isles
Try: G.F. HartReportTry: 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. ↑ "Lions on Tour - The Jersey Returns!". RTE Radio. 22 November 2013. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  4. ↑ "When the All Blacks had to wear white". The Irish Times. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  5. ↑ British & Irish Lions results on Rugby Football History
  6. ↑ Early Lions: Squads and results (1888–1938) on BBC Sport, 18 May 2005
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