The 1904 British Isles tour to New Zealand and Australia was the sixth tour by a British Isles team and the fourth to New Zealand and Australia. It is retrospectively classed as one of the British Lions tours, as the Lions naming convention was not adopted until 1950.
Led by David Bedell-Sivright and managed by Arthur O'Brien the tour took in 19 matches, 14 in Australia and 5 in New Zealand. Of the games four were test matches, three played against Australia national rugby union team and one against the New Zealand All Blacks. The Lions won all three Australia tests but lost the All Blacks' game.
This was the first time that a British team would take in both Australia and New Zealand in the same tour and would become a Lions tradition up until 1971. The team captain, Bedell-Sivright, a veteran of the 1903 tour of South Africa, was requested to lead the team by the England Rugby Board. Bedell-Sivright broke his leg in the opening match of the New Zealand section of the tour and Teddy Morgan took over the captaincy.
Contents |
| Date | Opponent | Location | Result | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match 1 | 18 June | New South Wales | Sydney, Australia | Won | 27-0 |
| Match 2 | 22 June | Combined Western District | Bathurst, Australia | Won | 21-6 |
| Match 3 | 25 June | New South Wales | Sydney | Won | 29-6 |
| Match 4 | 29 June | Metropolitan Union | Sydney | Won | 19-6 |
| Match 5 | 2 July | Australia | Sydney | Won | 17-0 |
| Match 6 | 6 July | Northern Districts | Newcastle, Australia | Won | 17-3 |
| Match 7 | 9 July | Queensland | Brisbane, Australia | Won | 24-5 |
| Match 8 | 13 July | Metropolitan Union | Brisbane | Won | 17-3 |
| Match 9 | 16 July | Queensland | Brisbane | Won | 18-7 |
| Match 10 | 20 July | Toowoomba | Toowoomba, Australia | Won | 12-3 |
| Match 11 | 23 July | Australia | Brisbane | Won | 17-3 |
| Match 12 | 27 July | New England | Armidale, Australia | Won | 26-9 |
| Match 13 | 30 July | Australia | Sydney | Won | 16-0 |
| Match 14 | 6 August | Canterbury/West Coast Combined | Christchurch, New Zealand | Won | 5-3 |
| Match 15 | 10 August | Otago-Southland | Dunedin, New Zealand | Won | 14-8 |
| Match 16 | 13 August | New Zealand | Wellington, New Zealand | Lost | 3-9 |
| Match 17 | 17 August | Taranaki, Ranganui and Manawatu | New Plymouth, New Zealand | Drew | 0-0 |
| Match 18 | 20 August | Auckland | Auckland | Lost | 0-13 |
| Match 19 | 31 August | New South Wales | Sydney, Australia | Won | 5-0 |
| 2 July |
Australia | 0 - 17 | British Isles | Sydney Cricket Ground Attendance: 34,000 Referee: T.G. Pauling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Try: Bush Llewellyn Con: Harding O'Brien drop: Bush |
Australia: Jack Verge, Charlie White, Jack Hindmarsh, Stan Wickham, Charlie Redwood, Lew Evans, Snowy Baker, Alec Burdon, Eric Dore, Frank Nicholson (c), Billy Richards, Denis Lutge, Thomas Colton, Harold Judd, Patrick Walsh.
British Isles: Christopher Stanger-Leathes, Willie Llewellyn, AB O'Brien, Rhys Gabe, T Morgan , P Bush, Frankie Hulme, Darkie Bedell-Sivright (c), DH Trail, D Dobson, S Bevan, Stuart Saunders, SN Crowther, B Swannell, Boxer Harding.
| 23 July |
Australia | 3 - 17 | British Isles | Brisbane Exhibition Ground Attendance: 15,000 Referee: W.H Beattie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Try: Burdon | Try: Bush Llewellyn O'Brien Goal: Bush |
Australia: Jack Verge, Stan Wickham (c), Phil Carmichael , Doug McLean, Snr., Charlie Redwood, John Manning, Snowy Baker, Alec Burdon, Allen Oxlade, Voy Oxenham, Alex McKinnon, Denis Lutge, Puddin Colton, Harold Judd, Patrick Walsh.
British Isles: AB O'Brien, Willie Llewellyn, Rhys Gabe, Pat McEvedy, T Morgan(c) , P Bush, Tommy Vile, Reg Edwards DH Trail, D Dobson, S Bevan, Stuart Saunders, SN Crowther, B Swannell, Boxer Harding.
| 30 July |
Australia | 0 - 16 | British Isles | Sydney Cricket Ground Attendance: 24,000 Referee: T.G Pauling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Try: Gabe Llewellyn Morgan Swannell Con: Bush O'Brien |
Australia: Charlie Redwood, Fred Nicholson, Frank Futter, Stan Wickham (c), Doug McLean, Snr., Lew Evans, Francis Finley, Jack Meibusch, Allen Oxlade, Billy Richards, Blue Dixon, Denis Lutge, Jim White, Harold Judd, Patrick Walsh.
British Isles: AB O'Brien, Willie Llewellyn, Rhys Gabe, Pat McEvedy, T Morgan(c) , P Bush, Tommy Vile, Reg Edwards DH Trail, D Dobson, S Bevan, Burnett Massey, SN Crowther, Blair Swannell, Boxer Harding
| 13 August |
New Zealand | 9 - 3 | British Isles | Athletic Park, Wellington Attendance: 20,000 Referee: F.T. Evans (Auckland, New Zealand) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Try: D McGregor (2) Pen: Wallace |
Pen: Harding |
New Zealand: RW McGregor, Duncan McGregor, Eric Harper, ME Wood, Billy Wallace, Billy Stead (c), P Harvey, Dave Gallaher, GA Tyler, FA McMinn, WS Glenn, Tom Cross, BJ Fanning, GW Nicholson, Charlie Seeling
British Isles: AB O'Brien, PF McEvedy, Willie Llewellyn, Rhys Gabe, T Morgan (c), P Bush, Tommy Vile, RJ Rogers, DH Trail, Denys Dobson, Sid Bevan, RW Edwards, SN Crowther, Blair Swannell, Arthur Harding
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