1950 British Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia

April 2026 10 May  – 18 September Leslie B. Osborne IRE rugby union Karl Mullen (v New Zealand) New Zealand true (3–0) (v Australia) British and Irish Lions (2–0) WAL 1807 Lewis Jones (26) South Africa 1938 South Africa 1955 30 23 1 6 6 2 1 3 NZL 4 0 1 3 AUS 2 2 0 0 The British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia in 1950 was the first post-war tour made by the Lions rugby union team; there had not been one since 1938. The 1950 team was the first to be nicknamed "the British Lions", rather than just "British Isles" and sported newly redesigned jerseys and a fresh style of play, managing to win 22 and draw one of 29 matches over the two nations. The Lions won the opening four fixtures before losing to Otago and Southland, but succeeded in holding the All Blacks to a nine-all draw. The Lions performed well in the remaining All Black tests though they lost all three, the team did not lose another non-test in the New Zealand leg of the tour. The Lions won all their games in Australia except for their final fixture against a New South Wales XV in Newcastle. They won both of the two tests against Australia, in Brisbane and in Sydney. Because the team was travelling by ship, rather than by air as modern tours do, they also stopped off in Colombo, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) to play an unofficial game against the national team. Squad Manager: L.B. Osborne (England) PlayerPositionNational teamClub/provinceLions Tests this tourGrahame Budge PropScotlandScotland Edinburgh Wanderers2Tom Clifford PropIrelandIRE rugby union Young Munster5Cliff Davies PropWales 1807Wales 1807 Cardiff1John Robins PropWales 1807England Birkenhead Park 5Dai Davies PropWales 1807England Somerset Police 3Karl Mullen (c) HookerIrelandIRE rugby union Old Belvedere 4Roy John LockWales 1807Wales 1807 Neath 6Don Hayward LockWales 1807Wales 1807 Newbridge 3Jimmy Nelson LockIrelandIRE rugby union Malone 4Bob Evans FlankerWales 1807Wales 1807 Newport 6Jim McCarthy FlankerIrelandIRE rugby union Dolphin 0Bill McKay FlankerIrelandIRE rugby union Queen's University RFC 6Vic Roberts FlankerEnglandEngland Penryn 0Peter Kininmonth No. 8ScotlandEngland Richmond 3Rees Stephens No. 8Wales 1807Wales 1807 Neath 2Angus Black Scrum-halfScotlandScotland Edinburgh University 2Gordon Rimmer Scrum-halfEnglandEngland Waterloo 1Rex Willis Scrum-halfWales 1807Wales 1807 Cardiff 3Jack Kyle Fly-halfIrelandIRE rugby union Queen's University 6Noel Henderson CentreIrelandIRE rugby union Queen's University 1Jack Matthews CentreWales 1807Wales 1807 Cardiff 6Ivor Preece CentreEnglandEngland Coventry 1Bleddyn Williams CentreWales 1807Wales 1807 Cardiff 5Ken Jones WingWales 1807Wales 1807 Newport 3Mick Lane WingIrelandIRE rugby union University College Cork 2Ranald Macdonald WingScotlandScotland Edinburgh University 2George Norton WingIrelandIRE rugby union Bective Rangers 0Doug Smith WingScotlandEngland London Scottish 1Malcolm Thomas WingWales 1807Wales 1807 Newport 3Billy Cleaver Full-backWales 1807Wales 1807 Cardiff 3Lewis Jones Full-backWales 1807Wales 1807 Llanelli 3 Results Scores and results list British Isles' points tally first. Opposing Team For Against Date Venue StatusNelson-Marlborough-Golden Bay-Motueka24310 May 1950NelsonTour MatchBuller24913 May 1950WestportTour MatchWest Coast32316 May 1950GreymouthTour MatchOtago92319 May 1950DunedinTour MatchSouthland01123 May 1950InvercargillTour MatchNew Zealand9927 May 1950Carisbrook, DunedinTest MatchSouth Canterbury27830 May 1950TimaruTour MatchCanterbury1653 June 1950ChristchurchTour MatchAshburton County-North Otago2966 June 1950AshburtonTour MatchNew Zealand0810 June 1950ChristchurchTest MatchWaiparapa Bush271314 June 1950MastertonTour MatchHawke's Bay20017 June 1950NapierTour MatchEast Coast–Poverty Bay–Bay of Plenty27321 June 1950GisborneTour MatchWellington12624 June 1950Athletic Park, Wellington, Tour MatchNew Zealand361 July 1950Athletic Park, WellingtonTest MatchWanganui3135 July 1950WanganuiTour MatchTaranaki2538 July 1950New PlymouthTour MatchManawatu–Horowhenua13812 July 1950Palmerston NorthTour MatchWaikato- Thames Valley-King Country30015 July 1950HamiltonTour MatchNorth Auckland8619 July 1950WhangareiTour MatchAuckland32922 July 1950AucklandTour MatchNew Zealand81129 July 1950Eden Park, AucklandTest MatchNew Zealand Māori1492 August 1950Athletic Park, WellingtonTour MatchCombined Country4739 August 1950Tour MatchNew South Wales22612 August 1950Cricket Ground, SydneyTour MatchAustralia19619 August 1950The Gabba, BrisbaneTest MatchAustralia24326 August 1950Cricket Ground, SydneyTest MatchMetropolitan Union261729 August 1950Cricket Ground, SydneyTour MatchNew South Wales12172 September 1950NewcastleTour MatchCeylon44618 September 1950ColomboTour Match "Combined XV v British Lions" 10 May 1950 14:45 Combined XV (Nelson, Marlborough, Golden Bay & Motueka) 3–24 British Lions Kingi I.Preece M.C.Thomas M.C.Thomas (6/6) Nelson 7,000 Mr E Tindill "Buller v British Lions" 13 May 1950 15:00 Buller 9–24 British Lions F.Neighbours 3 M.C.Thomas K.J.Jones R.MacDonald J.W.McKay J.Matthews G.W.Norton 3 G.W.Norton Westport 4,000 Mr E D Hill References Thomas Clem Clem Thomas Thomas Greg The History of The British and Irish Lions 2005 Mainstream Books 1-84596-030-0 89–99 British Lions 1950 1950 1950 1950 1950 British Lions Lions Lions Category:1950 in Ceylon