1933–34 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain

The 1933–34 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain was the fifth Kangaroo tour, and took the Australia national rugby league team around the north of England, to London and Paris. The tour also featured the 11th Ashes series which comprised three Test matches and was the first to be won by Great Britain in a clean sweep. The squad's outbound journey was marred by tragedy when Sydney University centre Ray Morris contracted meningitis en-route and died in hospital. The tour match played at Stade Pershing in Paris on New Year's Day 1934 was the first rugby league international played in France.

Touring squad

Mick Madsen, 2nd Test captain
Vic Hey, three Tests at five-eighth
Dave Brown set an unsurpassed touring score record

Frank McMillan was named as captain-coach of the touring squad after his Queensland counterpart Herb Steinohrt declared himself unavailable to tour. George Bishop and Ernie Norman were selected but ruled out of the tour before the squad left Sydney. Vic Hey and "Mick" Glasheen took their places.

Name Posit. Club Tests
Dave Brown Centre Eastern Suburbs 3
Alan Ridley Winger Queanbeyan 2
Wally Prigg Lock Centrals (Newcastle) 3
Sid Pearce Second row Eastern Suburbs 2
Fred Gardner Winger St George Dragons 1
Vic Hey Five-eighth Western Suburbs 3
Jim Gibbs Second row South Newcastle 2
Jack Why Winger South Sydney 2
Joe Doyle Second row Brothers (Toowoomba) 1
Frank O'Connor Front row South Sydney 2
Cliff Pearce Centre Western Suburbs 3
Les Mead Halfback Western Suburbs 1
Fred Laws Halfback Newtown (Toowoomba) 1
Ray Stehr Front row Eastern Suburbs 2
Frank McMillan (c) Fullback Western Suburbs 2
Mick Madsen Front row Brothers (Toowoomba) 3
Bill 'Circy' Smith Fullback Starlights (Ipswich) 1
Viv Thicknesse Halfback Eastern Suburbs 2
Frank Doonar Rialto (Ipswich) 0
Arthur Folwell Hooker Newtown 2
Fred Gilbert Valleys (Toowoomba) 0
Dan Dempsey Hooker Booval 1
Melville Glasheen Estates (Townsville) 0
Fred Neumann Winger Fortitude Valley 0
Frank Curran Front row South Sydney 0
Henry Denny Forward Westerb Suburbs (Brisbane) 0
Jack Little Hooker Fortitude Valley 0
Les Heidke Second row Tivoli 0
Ray Morris Centre University 0

The journey

Les Heidke was suffering from leg ulcers before the squad left Sydney and Dan Dempsey was brought in to take his place. The Queenslanders in the squad all contributed ₤10 to enable Heidke to make the tour as a private citizen and to perhaps recover in time to play. Heidke sailed with the squad from Sydney on the SS Manduna bound for Melbourne where they boarded the SS Jervis Bay for England. At sea Heidke's condition did not improve and he was put off the ship in Perth and headed home.

Exhibition matches were played in Colombo, Sri Lanka and in Egypt. Sydney University centre Ray Morris contracted an ear infection at sea. In the Mediterranean his condition worsened and he was put off the ship in Malta and hospitalised in Valletta. Two days later he died of meningitis.[1]

Test Venues

The three Ashes series tests took place at the following venues. Two of the tests were played at Swinton.

Swinton Leeds
Station Road Headingley
Capacity: 60,000 Capacity: 40,000

1st Test

7 October 1933
The Lions United Kingdom 4 – 0  Australia
Tries:
Goals:
Jim Sullivan (2)
Tries:
Goals:
Station Road, Swinton
Attendance: 34,000 [2]
Referee/s: F Peel
The Lions Posit. Australia
Jim Sullivan (c)FBFrank McMillan (c)
Alf EllabyWGAlan Ridley
Gus RismanCECliff Pearce
Stan BrogdenCEDave Brown
Stan SmithWGJack Why
Billy DaviesSOVic Hey
Bryn EvansSHViv Thicknesse
Nat Silcock, Sr.PRRay Stehr
Les WhiteHKDan Dempsey
Jack MillerPRMick Madsen
Martin HodgsonSRSid Pearce
Bill HortonSRFrank O'Connor
Jack FeethamLFWally Prigg

The Australian team enjoyed an eleven match winning streak on the tour matches leading into the first Test. For the first sixty-five minutes of the match there was no score in the muddy conditions, then Lions fullback Jim Sullivan proved the difference with two penalty goals.[3]


2nd Test

11 November 1933
The Lions United Kingdom 7 – 5  Australia
Tries:
Jack Woods
Goals:
Jim Sullivan (2)
Tries:
Dave Brown
Goals:
Dave Brown (1)
Headingley, Leeds
Attendance: 29,688 [2]
Referee/s: F Peel
The Lions Posit. Australia
Jim Sullivan (c)FBBill Smith
Jack WoodsWGFred Gardner
Billy DingsdaleCECliff Pearce
Gus RismanCEDave Brown
Barney HudsonWGAlan Ridley
Stan BrogdenSOVic Hey
Bryn EvansSHViv Thicknesse
Nat Silcock, Sr.PRMick Madsen (c)
Les WhiteHKArthur Folwell
Jack MillerPR Frank O'Connor
Martin HodgsonSRJim Gibbs
Bill HortonSR Joe Doyle
Jack FeethamLFWally Prigg

3rd Test

16 December 1933
The Lions United Kingdom 19 – 14  Australia
Tries:
Barney Hudson
Jack Feetham
Stan Smith
Goals:
Jim Sullivan (5)
Tries:
Vic Hey
Wally Prigg

Goals:
Dave Brown (5)
Station Road, Swinton
Attendance: 10,990 [2]
Referee/s: F Peel
The Lions Posit. Australia
Jim Sullivan (c)FBFrank McMillan (c)
Barney HudsonWGCliff Pearce
Gus RismanCEDave Brown
Arthur AtkinsonCEFred Laws
Stan SmithWGJack Why
Emlyn JenkinsSOVic Hey
Billy WatkinsSHLes Mead
Nat Silcock, Sr.PRMick Madsen
Thomas ArmittHKArthur Folwell
Jack FeethamPRRay Stehr
Martin HodgsonSRSid Pearce
Jack MillerSRJim Gibbs
Bill HortonLF Wally Prigg

In winning the match which was played in thick fog, England became the first team to post a 3–0 clean sweep in an Anglo-Australian Test series.


Matches of the tour

Opposing Team F A Date Venue Attendance Status
1 St Helens Recs 13 9 26 Aug 1933 City Road, St. Helens 8,880 Tour match
2 Leigh 16 7 30 Aug 1933 Mather Lane, Leigh 4,590 Tour match
3 Hull Kingston Rovers 20 0 2 Sep 1933 Craven Park, Hull 7,831Tour match
4 Bramley 53 6 6 Sep 1933 Barley Mow, Bramley 1,902 Tour match
5 Oldham 38 6 9 Sep 1933 Watersheddings, Oldham 15,281 Tour match
6 Yorkshire Yorkshire 13 0 13 Sep 1933 Headingley, Leeds 10,309 Tour match
7 Barrow 24 5 16 Sep 1933 Craven Park, Barrow 12,221 Tour match
8 Lancashire Lancashire 33 7 20 Sep 1933 Wilderspool, Warrington 16,576 Tour match
9 Wigan 10 4 23 Sep 1933 Central Park, Wigan 15,712 Tour match
10 Castleford 39 6 27 Sep 1933 Wheldon Road, Castleford 4,250 Tour match
11 Halifax 16 5 30 Sep 1933 Thrum Hall, Halifax 10,358 Tour match
12 United Kingdom The Lions 0 4 7 Oct 1933 Station Road, Swinton 34,000 Test match
13 Bradford Northern 7 5 11 Oct 1933 Birch Lane, Bradford 3,328 Tour match
14 Warrington 15 2 14 Oct 1933 Wilderspool, Warrington 16,431 Tour match
15 Hunslet 22 18 18 Oct 1933 Parkside, Hunslet 6,227 Tour match
16 Salford 9 16 21 Oct 1933 The Willows, Salford 15,761 Tour match
17 Widnes 31 0 26 Oct 1933 Naughton Park, Widnes 6,691 Tour match
18 Wakefield Trinity 17 6 28 Oct 1933 Belle Vue, Wakefield 5,596 Tour match
19 Bradford Northern 10 7 30 Oct 1933 Birch Lane, Bradford 3,328 Tour match
20 English League 5 7 1 Nov 1933 Wigginton Road, York 3,158 Tour match
21 Swinton 4 10 4 Nov 1933 Station Road, Swinton 13,341 Tour match
22 United Kingdom The Lions 5 7 11 Nov 1933 Headingley, Leeds 29,618 Test match
23 Keighley 14 7 14 Nov 1933 Lawkholme Lane, Keighley 3,800 Tour match
24 Huddersfield 13 5 18 Nov 1933 Fartown, Huddersfield 7,522 Tour match
25 London Highfield 20 5 22 Nov 1933 White City, London 10,541 Tour match
26 Broughton Rangers 19 0 25 Nov 1933 Belle Vue, Manchester 5,527 Tour match
27 Leeds 15 7 29 Nov 1933 Headingley, Leeds 5,295 Tour match
28 St Helens 20 11 2 Dec 1933 Knowsley Road, St. Helens 5,735 Tour match
29 Rochdale Hornets 26 4 5 Dec 1933 Athletic Grounds, Rochdale 3,603 Tour match
30 Cumbria Cumberland 16 17 9 Dec 1933 Recreation Ground, Whitehaven 5,800 Tour match
31 United Kingdom The Lions 16 19 16 Dec 1933 Station Road, Swinton 10,900 Test match
32 York 15 7 23 Dec 1933 Wigginton Road, York 6,500 Tour match
33 Hull F.C. 19 5 25 Dec 1933 The Boulevard, Hull 16,341 Tour match
34  Wales 51 19 30 Dec 1933 Wembley, London 10,000 International
35  England 63 13 31 Dec 1933 Stade Pershing, Paris 5,000 International
36 Oldham 38 5 10 Jan 1934 Watersheddings, Oldham 4,000 Tour match
37  England 14 19 13 Jan 1934 Redheugh Park, Gateshead 15,576 International

Tour firsts

Published sources

References

  1. Whiticker p96
  2. 1 2 3 Andrews The ABC of Rugby League
  3. Whiticker p97
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