A Kangaroo tour is a rugby league tour of Great Britain and France by an Australia representative squad. Traditionally Kangaroo tours took place every four years and involved a three-Test Ashes series against Great Britain and a number of tour matches. In the later twentieth century the tours were shortened, sometimes only involving one Test encounter and tours came to no longer include France.
The first Kangaroo tour was in 1908 to England and Wales. The game of rugby league was not yet twelve months old in Australia however a New Zealand side had already toured to Britain (the All Golds in 1907), Australia had encountered New Zealand during the 1908 season and the pioneer Australian leaders of the game were keen to match up against the Northern Union founders of the code.
The first Kangaroo tour was considered a failure, with poor weather and economic conditions contributing to smaller than expected gate takings.[1] The tour was later depicted in the 1988 Australian television movie The First Kangaroos.[2]
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Matches played: 45 Won: 17 Drew: 6 Lost: 22
The Ashes: Great Britain 2-0
Tour manager: James Giltinan
Assistant manager: J A Fihelly
Tour secretary: W Noble
Tour captain: Denis Lutge
Test captains: Dally Messenger & Alex Burdon
The Kangaroos sailed for England on RMS Macedonia prior to the close of the 1908 NSWRFL season, denying some of the selected players to appear in the inaugural grand final.[3] They worked as stokers to keep their fitness levels up as well as doing daily sessions in the ship's gymnasium and boxing ring. The jerseys were coloured sky blue and maroon, combining the state colours of NSW and Queensland respectively. When tour captain, Lutge was injured early in the tour, Messenger became captain in the 1st and 2nd Test Matches. After he was injured, Alec Burdon assumed the captaincy for the 3rd Test. One of the players Pat Walsh sailed to Britain separately on the ship, Salamis and brought the live Kangaroo mascot with him.
The seven-month tour proved to be a true test of survival and was almost a disaster due to small gate-takings[4]. A crippling cotton mills strike in northern England made it difficult for many fans to afford their way through the turnstiles and there was some criticism of what the Australians wanted to charge as entrance fees. The Australians at one stage suffered a two-month losing streak and morale ebbed during one of the meanest northern winters on record.[5] Dally Messenger was the tourists' leading point-scorer with 160, which was 103 points clear of next highest-scorer[6]. In addition, the live marsupial mascot of the team died before the end of the tour.
"We are having nothing but rain, snow, sleet and cold... why, you cannot feel your hands and feet and the referees are cruel, don't give us anything at all."
James Giltinan, tour manager of the tour, writes home in 1908[7]
Deane, Walsh, Frawley, Devereux and Rosenfeld all stayed behind to play in the wintry Northern Union competition when the Australians boarded the RMS Seuvic for the journey home. On the return journey Messenger met and fell in love with Annie Macauley whom he would marry. Also while en route back to Australia, secretary J. J. Giltinan, president Harry Hoyle and treasurer, Victor Trumper, the men who had done most to form the NSWRL, were being voted out of it[8].
| 12 December 1908 | Australia | 22 - 22 | Great Britain | Park Royal Ground, London Attendance: 2,000 Referee/s: J Smith |
| Jim Devereux (9 - 3t) Arthur Butler (3 - 1t) Dally Messenger (10 - 5g) |
(6 - 2t) William Batten (3 - 1g) Johnny Thomas (7 - 1t, 2g) Ernie Brooks (3 - 1g) George Tyson (3 - 1g) Asa Robinson |
Great Britain led 14-5 at half-time and stretched to 17-5 before Australia began their fightback spearheaded by Devereaux's three ties. They led 22-20 in the dying minutes before Great Britain snatched a draw with a penalty goal.
AUSTRALIA: Mick Bolewski, Bill Heidke, Sid Deane, Dally Messenger (c), Jim Devereaux, Arthur Halloway, Arthur Butler, Larry O'Malley, Jim Abercrombie, Alex Burdon, Pat Walsh, Sandy Pearce, Tedda Courtney.
GREAT BRITAIN: Harry Gifford, William Batten, Bert Jenkins (c), George Dickenson, George Tyson, Ernie Brooks, Johnny Thomas, Arthur Mann, William Jukes, John Higson, Asa Robinson, Arthur Smith, William Longworth.
| 23 January 1909 | Australia | 5 - 15 | Great Britain | St James' Park, Newcastle upon Tyne Attendance: 22,000[9] Referee/s: W McCutcheon |
| Dally Messenger (5 - 1t, 1g) | (3 - 1g) Johnny Thomas (9 - 1t, 3g) James Lomas (3 - 1g) George Tyson |
AUSTRALIA: Mick Bolewski, Dan Frawley, Albert Rosenfeld, Dally Messenger (c), Andy Morton, Arthur Conlan, Arthur Butler, Larry O'Malley, Jim Abercrombie, Tom McCabe, Pat Walsh, Sandy Pearce, Tedda Courtney.
GREAT BRITAIN: Harry Gifford, George Tyson, James Lomas (c), Bert Jenkins, William Batten, Ernie Brooks, Johnny Thomas, William Jukes, John Higson, Asa Robinson, Arthur Smith, William Longworth, Dick Silcock.
| 10 February 1909 | Australia | 5 - 6 | Great Britain | Villa Park, Birmingham Attendance: 9,000 Referee/s: E Smirk |
| Jim Devereux (2 - 1g) Dan Frawley (3 - 1t) |
(3 - 1g) Johnny Thomas (3 - 1g) George Tyson |
A heavy pitch limited scoring opportunities and Great Britain went to the half-time break with a three nil lead. Australia's defence was solid throughout the second half and when Frawley scored for Devereaux to convert they took the lead. However Oldham winger George Tyson scored late in the match and secured The Ashes for Great Britain for the first time.
AUSTRALIA: Charlie Hedley, Bill Heidke, Dan Frawley, Jim Devereaux, Mick Bolewski, Sid Deane, Arthur Anlezark, Larry O'Malley, Robert Graves, Alex Burdon (c), Pat Walsh, Sandy Pearce, Tedda Courtney.
GREAT BRITAIN: Frank Young, William Batten, Bert Jenkins, James Lomas (c), George Tyson, Ernie Brooks, Johnny Thomas, Frank Boylen, Arthur Mann, William Longworth, Arthur Smith, Richard Padbury, William Jukes.
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