From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base
1908 British Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| image | 1908 Anglo-Welsh rugby team - cropped.jpg |
| imagesize | 250px |
| caption | The Anglo-Welsh touring party after arriving in Wellington in 1908. Manager George Harnett is seated in the centre, with captain Arthur Harding holding a rugby ball to Harnett's right |
| date | 23 May – 2 September |
| coach | George Harnett |
| captain | WAL Arthur 'Boxer' Harding |
| test series winners | |
| result | 2–0 |
| top test point scorer | |
| preceded by | Australia and New Zealand 1904 |
| succeeded by | Argentina 1910 |
| team | British Lions |
| yearstart | 1908 |
| matchplayed | 26 |
| matchwon | 19 |
| matchdraw | 1 |
| matchlost | 6 |
| testplayed | 3 |
| testwon | 0 |
| testdraw | 1 |
| testlost | 2 |
| opponent1 | |
| played1 | 3 |
| won1 | 0 |
| draw1 | 1 |
| lost1 | 2 |
|top test point scorer = |top test try scorer =
The 1908 British Isles tour to New Zealand and Australia was the seventh tour by a British Isles team and the fourth to New Zealand and Australia. The tour is often referred to as the Anglo-Welsh Tour as only English and Welsh players were selected due to the Irish and Scottish Rugby Unions not participating. It is retrospectively classed as one of the British Lions tours, as the Lions naming convention was not adopted until 1950.
Led by Arthur 'Boxer' Harding and managed by George Harnett the tour took in 26 matches, 9 in Australia and 17 in New Zealand. Of the 26 games, 23 were against club or invitational teams and three were test matches against the All Blacks. The Lions lost two and drew one match against the All Blacks.
The tour was not received well in Wales, as the Welsh players selected were chosen exclusively from those players from a well-educated and professional-class background. The selection was in fact addressed by the Welsh Rugby Union who stated that when a British Isles team was mooted for a South Africa tour in 1910, that the players should be chosen '...irrespective of the social position of the players.'
Regarding the Lions uniform, 1908 brought a change of format and a change of colours. With the Scottish and Irish unions declining to be involved, red jerseys with a thick white band reflected the combination of England and Wales. Shorts were dark blue with red socks.
Touring party
- Manager: George Harnett
Full-backs
- John Dyke (Penarth)
- E. J. "John" Jackett (Falmouth/Leicester)
Three-Quarters
- Fred Chapman (Westoe)
- Reggie Gibbs (Cardiff)
- Johnnie Williams (Cardiff)
- Rowland Griffiths (Newport)
- Jack Jones (Pontypool)
- James Phillips Jones (Guy's Hospital)
- Pat McEvedy (Guy's Hospital)
- Henry Vassall (Blackheath)
Half backs
- James "Maffer" Davey (Redruth)
- Herbert Laxon (Cambridge University)
- William Llewellyn Morgan (Cardiff)
- G. L. Williams (Liverpool)
Forwards
- Herbert Archer (Guy's Hospital)
- Robert Dibble (Bridgwater)
- Percy Down (Bristol)
- Gerald Kyrke (Marlborough Nomads)
- R. K. Green (Neath)
- Edgar Morgan (Swansea)
- L. S. Thomas (Penarth)
- Arthur Harding (Cardiff) (captain)
- Jack Williams (London Welsh)
- Guy Hind (Guy's Hospital)
- F.S. Jackson (Leicester)
- William Oldham (Coventry)
- John Anthony Sydney Ritson (Northern)
- Thomas William Smith (Leicester)
Results
Complete list of matches played by the British Isles in New Zealand and Australia:
Test matches
| # | Date | Rival | City | Country | Result | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23 May | Wairarapa | Masterton | New Zealand | Won | 17–3 |
| 2 | 27 May | Wellington | Wellington | New Zealand | Lost | 13–19 |
| 3 | 30 May | Otago | Dunedin | New Zealand | Lost | 6–9 |
| 4 | 3 June | Southland | Invercargill | New Zealand | Won | 14–8 |
| 5 | 6 June | Dunedin | New Zealand | Lost | 5–32 | |
| 6 | 10 June | South Canterbury | Timaru | New Zealand | Won | 12–6 |
| 7 | 13 June | Canterbury | Christchurch | New Zealand | Lost | 8–13 |
| 8 | 17 June | West Coast/Buller | Greymouth | New Zealand | Won | 22–3 |
| 9 | 20 June | Nelson Bays/Marlborough | Nelson | New Zealand | Won | 12–0 |
| 10 | 27 June | Wellington | New Zealand | Drew | 3–3 | |
| 11 | 1 July | Hawke's Bay | Napier | New Zealand | Won | 25–3 |
| 12 | 4 July | Poverty Bay | Gisborne | New Zealand | Won | 26–0 |
| 13 | 8 July | Manawatu/Horowhenua | Palmerston North | New Zealand | Won | 12–3 |
| 14 | 11 July | Wanganui | Wanganui | New Zealand | Won | 9–6 |
| 15 | 15 July | Taranaki | New Plymouth | New Zealand | Lost | 0–5 |
| 16 | 18 July | Auckland | Auckland | New Zealand | Lost | 0–11 |
| 17 | 25 July | Auckland | New Zealand | Lost | 0–29 | |
| 18 | 5 August | NSW Waratahs | Sydney | Australia | Won | 3–0 |
| 19 | 8 August | NSW Waratahs | Sydney | Australia | Won | 8–0 |
| 20 | 12 August | Western Districts | Orange | Australia | Lost | 10–15 |
| 21 | 15 August | Metropolitan | Sydney | Australia | Won | 16–13 |
| 22 | 19 August | Newcastle | Newcastle | Australia | Won | 42–0 |
| 23 | 22 August | NSW Waratahs | Sydney | Australia | Lost | 3–6 |
| 24 | 26 August | Queensland Reds | Brisbane | Australia | Won | 20–3 |
| 25 | 29 August | Queensland Reds | Brisbane | Australia | Won | 11–8 |
| 26 | 2 September | Brisbane | Brisbane | Australia | Won | 26–3 |
| Played in | Pl | W | D | L | Ps | Pc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | 17 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 184 | 153 |
| Australia | 9 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 139 | 48 |
| Total | 26 | 16 | 1 | 9 | 323 | 201 |
Test details
First Test
| {{Football kit | pattern_la = | pattern_b = _Kiwis1908 | pattern_ra = | pattern_sh = | pattern_so = _whitestripe | leftarm = 000000 | body = 000000 | rightarm = 000000 | shorts = 000000 | socks = 000000 | title = New Zealand | pattern_la = | pattern_b = _whitehorizontal | pattern_ra = | pattern_sh = | pattern_so = _white_band_color | leftarm = ff0000 | body = ff0000 | rightarm =ff0000 | shorts = 000066 | socks = ff0000 | title = British Isles |
|---|
New Zealand: 15.J.T.H.Colman; 14.H.D.Thomson, 13.F.E.Mitchinson, 12.J.Hunter, 11.D. Cameron; 10.J.W.Stead (capt), 9.F.Roberts; 8.G.A.Gillett, 7.A.McDonald, 6.E.Seeling; 5.N.A.Wilson, 4.W.Cinningham, 3.A.R.H.Francis, 2.S.T.Casey, 1.E.Hughes British Isles: 15.E.J.Jacket; 14.J.L.Williams, 13.J.P.Jones, 12.H.H.Vassall, 11.R. A. Gibbs; 10.J.Davey, 9.H.Laxon; 8.J.A.S.Ritson, 7.H.A.Archer, 6.G.V.Kyrie; 5.J.Down, 4.A.F.Harding (capt); 3.F.S.Jackson, 2.R.Dibble, 1.R.M.Owen |}
Second Test
| {{Football kit | pattern_la = | pattern_b = _Kiwis1908 | pattern_ra = | pattern_sh = | pattern_so = _whitestripe | leftarm = 000000 | body = 000000 | rightarm = 000000 | shorts = 000000 | socks = 000000 | title = New Zealand | pattern_la = | pattern_b = _whitehorizontal | pattern_ra = | pattern_sh = | pattern_so = _white_band_color | leftarm = ff0000 | body = ff0000 | rightarm =ff0000 | shorts = 000066 | socks = ff0000 | title = British Isles |
|---|
New Zealand: 15.W.J.Wallace; 14.F.C.Fryer, 13.F.E.Mitchinson, 12.J.Hunter (capt), 11.D. Cameron; 10.D.Gray, 9.P.J.Burns; 7.A.McDonald, 8.D.C.Hamilton, 7. A.M.Paterson, 6.C.E.Seeling; 5.N.A.Wilson, 4.W.Cunningham, 3.A.R.H.Francis, 2.W.J.Reedy, 1.P.C.Murray British Isles: 15.E.J.Jacket; 14.J.L.Williams, 13.H.H.Vassall, 12.J.P.Jones, 11.P.F.McEvedy; 10.J.P.Jones, 9.W.L.Morgan; 8.R.A.Gibbs, 7.R.Dibble, 6.A.F.Farding (capt); 5.H.A.Archer, 4.E.Morgan; 3.T.W.Smith, 2.P.J.Down, 1.G.R.Hind |}
Third Test
| {{Football kit | pattern_la = | pattern_b = _Kiwis1908 | pattern_ra = | pattern_sh = | pattern_so = _whitestripe | leftarm = 000000 | body = 000000 | rightarm = 000000 | shorts = 000000 | socks = 000000 | title = New Zealand | pattern_la = | pattern_b = _whitehorizontal | pattern_ra = | pattern_sh = | pattern_so = _white_band_color | leftarm = ff0000 | body = ff0000 | rightarm =ff0000 | shorts = 000066 | socks = ff0000 | title = British Isles |
|---|
New Zealand: 15.J.T.H.Colman; 14.F.E.Mitchinson, R.G.Deans, 12.J.Hunter, 11.D. Cameron; 10.J.W.Stead (capt), 9.F.Roberts; 8.G.A.Gillett, 7. A.M.Paterson, 6.H.O.Hayward; 5.C.E.Seeling, 4.W.Cunningham, 3.A.R.H.Francis, 2.W.J.Reedy, 1.F.T.Glasgow British Isles: 15.E.J.Jacket; 14.F.E.Chapman, 13.H.H.Vassall, 12.J.P.Jones, 11.P.F.McEvedy; 10.J.P.Jones, 9.W.L.Morgan; 8.A.F.Harding (capt), 7.G.R.Hind, 6.H.A.Archer; 5.P.J.Down, 4.T.Sloan; 3.E.Morgan, 2.R.Dibble, 1.J.F.Williams |}
References
References
- [http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=HNS19081201.2.10&cl=&srpos=0&st=1&e=-------en--1----0-all Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LVI, Issue LVI, 1 December 1908, Page 4] Papers Past website
- ''Fields of Praise, The Official History of the Welsh Rugby Union 1881–1981'', David Smith, Gareth Williams; University of Wales Press (1980), p. 175 {{ISBN. 0-7083-0766-3
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20080607011421/http://www.lionsrugby.com/history/412.php Lions change their stripes] on Lions website, 17 April 2005
- [http://www.rugbyfootballhistory.com/lions_results.html British & Irish Lions results] on Rugby Football History
- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/international/4428407.stm Early Lions: Squads and results (1888–1938)] on BBC Sport, 18 May 2005
This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.
Ask Mako anything about 1908 British Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.
Research with MakoFree with your Surf account
Create a free account to save articles, ask Mako questions, and organize your research.
Sign up freeThis content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.
Report