1939 New Zealand rugby league tour of Great Britain and France

October 2018 thumb |right |The touring team photographed while en-route to the United Kingdom The 1939 New Zealand rugby league tour of Great Britain and France was a scheduled tour by the New Zealand national rugby league team of Europe between September and December 1939. After arriving in the United Kingdom in August 1939, the tour was abandoned after one match had been played due to the outbreak of the Second World War. Invitation In October 1938 the British Rugby Football League (RFL) invited the New Zealand Rugby League to send a team to tour Britain during the latter part of 1939.https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/auckland-star/1938/10/28/15 New Zealand team invited to England Auckland Star 28 October 1938 15 LXIX 255 National Library of New Zealand The RFL also suggested that the side visit France as well and offered to help with arrangements for the French leg. At a special meeting of the New Zealand League Council in November 1938 both offers were accepted.https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/evening-post/1938/11/11/11 Rugby League's tour Evening Post 11 November 1938 11 115 CXXVI National Library of New Zealand Squad After trial games a squad of 26 players (14 backs and 12 forwards) was finalised on 13 July 1939.https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/new-zealand-herald/1939/7/13/11 Team Completed The New Zealand Herald ((23,397)) 11 13 July 1939 National Library of New Zealandhttp://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0000271/19390826/241/0007 New Zealanders bring strong forwards and brilliant backs Liverpool Echo 26 August 1939 7 ((18,597)) subscription British Newspaper Archive 2 + Backs Name Region Age FBs Jack Hemi Auckland 23 Jack Smith Auckland 21 Threequarters WGs Jack Campbell Canterbury 22 Arthur McInnarney Auckland 21 Ces Davison Canterbury 29 Laurie Mills Auckland 21 CEs Verdun Scott Auckland 22 Tom Chase Auckland 26 Arthur Kay Auckland 24 Wally Tittleton Auckland 25 Halves SOs Bob Banham Auckland 24 Dave Solomon Auckland 26 HBs Ivor Stirling Auckland 23 Len Brown Canterbury 25 + Forwards Name Region Age HKs George Orman West Coast 27 Bert Leatherbarrow Auckland 29 PRs, SRs and LKs George Mitchell Auckland 24 Ross Jones Auckland 21 Joe Cootes Wellington 25 Hawea Mataira Auckland 28 John Clark Canterbury 27 George Bellaney Canterbury 29 George Beadle Waikato 25 Pita Ririnui Auckland 23 Rex King Canterbury 28 Harold Milliken Auckland 25 J.A. Redwood (chairman of the New Zealand Rugby League) and G. Grey Campbell (chairman of the Auckland Rugby League) were named as the co-managers of the team but Grey Campbell later withdrew due to ill-health and was replaced by R. Doble, also of the Auckland Rugby League.https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/new-zealand-herald/1939/7/17/12 Popular Managers The New Zealand Herald ((23,400)) 12 17 July 1939 National Library of New Zealandhttps://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/new-zealand-herald/1939/7/25/14 Unable to tour The New Zealand Herald ((23,407)) 14 25 July 1939 National Library of New Zealand Canterbury forward Rex King was named captain of the team.https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/auckland-star/1939/7/21/13 R. King to captain league tourists Auckland Star 13 21 July 1939 170 LXX National Library of New Zealand Tour The squad sailed from Wellington on 27 July 1939 onboard the RMS Rangitiki and arrived in London on 29 August 1939.https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/new-zealand-herald/1939/7/27/11 Players depart The New Zealand Herald 11 23409 27 July 1939 National Library of New Zealandhttp://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000650/19390830/319/0013 New Zealand players arrive Liverpool Daily Post 30 August 1939 13 ((26,249)) subscription British Newspaper Archive Arriving at the Beechwood Hotel, Harrogate – the squad's base for the tour – on 31 August the team tried to maintain a normal attitude even in the face of the deteriorating political situation around them but acknowledged that the situation was liable to change at any time and in an interview, Doble volunteered the services of the team to help with air raid precautions in the Harrogate area.http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0000687/19390831/330/0013 New Zealand tourists: arrival at Harrogate headquarters Yorkshire Post 31 August 1939 13 ((28,728)) subscription British Newspaper Archive http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000273/19390901/094/0008 Anxious to help old country Yorkshire Evening Post 1 September 1939 8 ((15,253)) subscription British Newspaper Archive The first game of the tour took place as planned on 2 September as the tourists beat St Helens 19–3 in front of a crowd of 5,000 at Knowsley Road,http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0000271/19390902/423/0013 New Zealand soon find land legs Liverpool Echo 2 September 1939 5 & 8 ((18,603)) subscription British Newspaper Archive but the declaration of war by Britain against Germany the following morning meant a review of the tour's viability.http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000273/19390904/084/0007 New Zealand tour team's fate Yorkshire Evening Post 7 4 September 1939 ((15,256)) subscription British Newspaper Archive An emergency meeting of the RFL tour sub-committee attended by the New Zealand managers on 5 September concluded that no further matches were possible and "the only course was to endeavour to arrange for the return of the party to New Zealand at the earliest possible moment".http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000748/19390906/158/0007 24,000 miles for one match Leeds Mercury 6 September 1939 7 ((31,125)) subscription British Newspaper Archive With the tour officially abandoned the remaining fixtures were all cancelled but while awaiting a ship home permission was given for the game against Dewsbury to take place on 9 September.http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000687/19390909/256/0008 New Zealand rugby team to play Dewsbury this afternoon Yorkshire Post 9 September 1939 8 ((28,736)) subscription British Newspaper Archive Despite being announced at short notice the game was watched by 6,200 and the tourists won 22–10 to end the tour with a 100% winning record.http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000687/19390911/074/0002 Tourists win at Crown Flatt Yorkshire Post 11 September 1939 2 ((28,737)) subscription British Newspaper Archive Through the intervention of the New Zealand High Commissioner in London, Bill Jordan, the team were able to return to New Zealand on-board the Rangitiki – the same ship they had arrived on and arrived back in Auckland in late October.https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/auckland-star/1939/10/24/3 Home Again Auckland Star 24 October 1939 LXX 251 3 National Library of New Zealand The New Zealand Rugby League established that the curtailment of the tour had led to a net loss of £3,827 to the League.https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/new-zealand-herald/1939/12/14/5 Rugby League Tour The New Zealand Herald ((23,529)) 14 December 1939 5 National Library of New Zealand Schedule The schedule of games in Britain was agreed in June 1939 and the French fixtures were to be arranged while the British part of the tour was in progress. Had the tour continued there would have been 21 games against English club sides, representative matches against Yorkshire, Lancashire and Cumberland, a test match against Wales and a three-test series against Great Britain.At this time the Great Britain side were universally referred to as England by both the rugby league authorities and the press.https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/new-zealand-herald/1939/6/23/11 Football tour The New Zealand Herald 23 June 1939 11 ((23,380)) National Library of New Zealand Date Opponents Venue 2 September St Helens Knowsley Road 7 September Hull Kingston Rovers Old Craven Park 9 September Dewsbury Crown Flatt 13 September Barrow Craven Park 16 September Warrington Wilderspool 18 September Yorkshire Odsal, Bradford 23 September Halifax Thrum Hall 25 September Widnes Naughton Park 30 September Great Britain Station Road, Swintonhttps://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000310/19390610/267/0014 No game with tourists Rochdale Observer 10 June 1939 14 ((7,110)) subscription British Newspaper Archive 4 October Hunslet Parkside 7 October Oldham Watersheddings 11 October Lancashire Wilderspool, Warrington 14 October Cumberland WorkingtonRugby Football League, Official Guide 1939–1940 1939 Rugby Football League 134 18 October Huddersfield Fartown 21 October Hull F.C. The Boulevard 25 October York Clarence Street 28 October Wigan Central Park 1 November Castleford Wheldon Road 4 November Swinton Station Road 11 November Great Britain Headingley, Leeds 15 November Broughton Rangers Belle Vue 18 November Wales Stebonheath Parkhttp://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0000104/19390822/133/0005 Rugby League Games Western Mail 22 August 1939 5 ((21,882)) subscription British Newspaper Archive 22 November Bramley Barley Mow 25 November Bradford Northern Odsal 2 December Wakefield Trinity Belle Vue 6 December Leeds Headingley 9 December Salford The Willows 16 December Great Britain Odsal, Bradford Results 2 September 1939 3:30 pm BST (UTC+01:00) St Helens Balmer 3–19 New Zealand King, Banham, Jones Hemi (5) Knowsley Road 5,000 Frank Peel y center y St Helens New Zealand 13 n Jimmy Pendlebury Stanley Powell Jack Waring Frank Balmer Harry Pimblett Jack Bradbury Harold Briscoe George Davies Peter Smith Bob Grundy Bill Fishwick Jack Fearnley Peter Twist Jack Hemi Jack Campbell Wally Tittleton Bob Banham Laurie Mills Dave Solomon Ivor Sterling Harold Milliken George Orman John Clark Pita Ririnui Ross Jones Rex King https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000650/19390904/287/0012 Fine start for New Zealand Liverpool Daily Post 4 September 1939 12 20253 subscription British Newspaper Archive 9 September 1939 3:30 pm BST (UTC+01:00) Dewsbury Seeling, Wood Germaine (2) 10–22 New Zealand Solomon, Beadle, Kay, Leatherbarrow Hemi (5) Crown Flatt 5,000 Albert Dobson y center y Dewsbury New Zealand 13 n Ernest Higgins Billy Wood Harry Germaine Norman Hunter Arthur Veysey Harry Royal Ken Nicholson Harry Hammond Tommy Lawton Bryan Langford Horace Randolph George Kershaw Charlie Seeling Jack Hemi Jack Smith Arthur Kay Bob Banham Thomas Chase Dave Solomon Len Brown George Bellaney Bert Leatherbarrow George Beadle Harold Milliken Hawea Mataira Ross Jones https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003214/19390911/071/0006 New Zealand Revelry News Chronicle 11 September 1939 6 29128 subscription British Newspaper Archive References Footnotes Notes Category:1939 in New Zealand rugby league Category:1939 in English rugby league Category:1939 in Welsh sport Category:Rugby league tours of Great Britain Category:New Zealand national rugby league team tours Category:Cancelled sports events