1933–34 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain

Rugby league tour (1933–1934) 1933-34 Australia 1933 1934 England France Frank McMillan Dave Brown 285 Alan Ridley 17 Australia 14 Dave Brown 15 England 14 Jim Sullivan 18 7 players with one try each (Australia 14 3 & England 14 4) 37 27 0 10 3 0 0 3 ENG 3 0 0 3 1929–30 1937–38 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 right|thumb|150px |Mick Madsen, 2nd Test captain right|thumb|150px |Vic Hey, three Tests at five-eighth right|thumb|200px | 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 (it would not be until Wally Lewis led the 1986 Kangaroos that another Queensland player would captain a Kangaroo Tour of Great Britain and France). 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 ce Eastern Suburbs 3 Alan Ridley Winger Queanbeyan 2 Wally PriggLock 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 ce 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 HalfbackEastern 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 Western Suburbs (Brisbane) 0 Jack Little Hooker Fortitude Valley 0 Les Heidke Second row Tivoli 0 Ray Morris ce 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.Whiticker p96 Test venues The three Ashes series tests took place at the following venues. Manchester Leeds Swinton Belle Vue Headingley Station Road Capacity: Capacity: 40,000 Capacity: 60,000 200px 200px 1st Test #eeeeee 7 October 1933 The Lions GBR 4 – 0 AUS Tries: Goals: Jim Sullivan (2) Tries: Goals: Belle Vue, Manchesterhttp://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article229144946 UNDAUNTED The Sun 7418 New South Wales, Australia 9 October 1933 26 June 2026 1 (FINAL EXTRA) National Library of Australiahttp://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article136699485 FOUR POINTS TO NIL Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate 17,781 New South Wales, Australia 9 October 1933 26 June 2026 5 National Library of Australia 34,000Andrews The ABC of Rugby League F Peel The LionsPosit.AustraliaJim Sullivan (c)FBFrank McMillan (c)Alf EllabyWGAlan RidleyGus RismanCECliff PearceStan BrogdenCEDave BrownStan SmithWGJack WhyBilly DaviesSOVic HeyBryn EvansSHViv ThicknesseNat SilcockPRRay StehrLes WhiteHKDan DempseyJack MillerPRMick MadsenMartin HodgsonSRSid PearceBill 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.Whiticker p97 2nd Test #eeeeee 11 November 1933 The Lions GBR 7 – 5 AUS Tries: Jack Woods Goals: Jim Sullivan (2) Tries: Dave Brown Goals: Dave Brown (1) Headingley, Leeds 29,688 F Peel The LionsPosit.AustraliaJim Sullivan (c)FBBill SmithJack WoodsWGFred GardnerBilly DingsdaleCECliff PearceGus RismanCEDave BrownBarney HudsonWGAlan RidleyStan BrogdenSOVic HeyBryn EvansSHViv ThicknesseNat SilcockPRMick Madsen (c)Les WhiteHKArthur FolwellJack MillerPR Frank O'ConnorMartin HodgsonSRJim GibbsBill HortonSR Joe DoyleJack FeethamLFWally Prigg 3rd Test #eeeeee 16 December 1933 The Lions GBR 19 – 16 AUS Tries: Barney Hudson Jack Feetham Stan Smith Goals: Jim Sullivan (5) Tries: Vic Hey Wally Prigg Goals: Dave Brown (5) Station Road, Swinton 10,990 F Peel The LionsPosit.AustraliaJim Sullivan (c)FBFrank McMillan (c)Barney HudsonWGCliff PearceGus RismanCEDave BrownArthur AtkinsonCEFred LawsStan SmithWGJack WhyEmlyn JenkinsSOVic HeyBilly WatkinsSHLes MeadNat SilcockPRMick MadsenThomas ArmittHKArthur FolwellJack FeethamPRRay StehrMartin HodgsonSRSid PearceJack MillerSRJim GibbsBill 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 N° Opposing Team F A Date Venue Attendance Status1 Port Moresby Vipers 16 St Helens Recs 13 9 26 Aug 1933 City Road, St. Helens 8,880 Tour match2 Leigh 16 Leigh 16 7 30 Aug 1933 Mather Lane, Leigh 4,590 Tour match3 Hull KR 16 Hull Kingston Rovers 20 0 2 Sep 1933 Craven Park, Hull 7,831Tour match4 Castleford 16 Bramley 53 6 6 Sep 1933 Barley Mow, Bramley 1,902 Tour match5 Oldham 16 Oldham 38 6 9 Sep 1933 Watersheddings, Oldham 15,281 Tour match6 Yorkshire Yorkshire 13 0 13 Sep 1933 Headingley, Leeds 10,309 Tour match7 Barrow 16 Barrow 24 5 16 Sep 1933 Craven Park, Barrow 12,221 Tour match8 Lancashire Lancashire 33 7 20 Sep 1933 Wilderspool, Warrington 16,576 Tour match9 Wigan 16 Wigan 10 4 23 Sep 1933 Central Park, Wigan 15,712 Tour match10 Castleford 16 Castleford 39 6 27 Sep 1933 Wheldon Road, Castleford 4,250 Tour match11 Halifax 16 Halifax 16 5 30 Sep 1933 Thrum Hall, Halifax 10,358 Tour match12 GBR The Lions 0 4 7 Oct 1933 Belle Vue, Manchester 34,000 Test match13 Bradford 16 Bradford Northern 7 5 11 Oct 1933 Birch Lane, Bradford 3,328 Tour match14 Warrington 16 Warrington 15 2 14 Oct 1933 Wilderspool, Warrington 16,431 Tour match15 Hunslet 16 Hunslet 22 18 18 Oct 1933 Parkside, Hunslet 6,227 Tour match16 Salford City 16 Salford 9 16 21 Oct 1933 The Willows, Salford 15,761 Tour match17 Widnes 16 Widnes 31 0 26 Oct 1933 Naughton Park, Widnes 6,691 Tour match18 Wakefield 16 Wakefield Trinity 17 6 28 Oct 1933 Belle Vue, Wakefield 5,596 Tour match19 Bradford 16 Bradford Northern 10 7 30 Oct 1933 Birch Lane, Bradford 3,328 Tour match20 England 16 English League 5 7 1 Nov 1933 Clarence Street, York 3,158 Tour match21 Swinton 16 Swinton 4 10 4 Nov 1933 Station Road, Swinton 13,341 Tour match22 GBR The Lions 5 7 11 Nov 1933 Headingley, Leeds 29,618 Test match23 Keighley 16 Keighley 14 7 14 Nov 1933 Lawkholme Lane, Keighley 3,800 Tour match24 Huddersfield 16 Huddersfield 13 5 18 Nov 1933 Fartown, Huddersfield 7,522 Tour match25 Parramatta 16 London Highfield 20 5 22 Nov 1933 White City, London 10,541 Tour match26 Cronulla 16 Broughton Rangers 19 0 25 Nov 1933 Belle Vue, Manchester 5,527 Tour match27 Leeds 16 Leeds 15 7 29 Nov 1933 Headingley, Leeds 5,295 Tour match28 St Helens 16 St. Helens 20 11 2 Dec 1933 Knowsley Road, St. Helens 5,735 Tour match29 Rochdale 16 Rochdale Hornets 26 4 5 Dec 1933 Athletic Grounds, Rochdale 3,603 Tour match30 Cumbria Cumberland 16 17 9 Dec 1933 Recreation Ground, Whitehaven 5,800 Tour match31 GBR The Lions 16 19 16 Dec 1933 Station Road, Swinton 10,900 Test match32 york rlfc 16 York 15 7 23 Dec 1933 Clarence Street, York 6,500 Tour match33 Hull 16 Hull F.C. 19 5 25 Dec 1933 The Boulevard, Hull 16,341 Tour match34 WAL 51 19 30 Dec 1933 Wembley, London 10,000 International35 ENG 63 13 31 Dec 1933 Stade Pershing, Paris 5,000 International36 Oldham 16 Oldham 38 5 10 Jan 1934 Watersheddings, Oldham 4,000 Tour match37 ENG 14 19 13 Jan 1934 Redheugh Park, Gateshead 15,576 International Tour firsts The first Australian side to play a rugby exhibition match in Ceylon and Egypt. The first Australian side to play a match under lights. The first English side to win the Ashes in a clean sweep. The first rugby international to be played in France. Dave Brown's tour point-scoring record of 285 points (19 tries and 114 goals) remains unsurpassed. Published sources Whiticker, Alan & Hudson, Glen (2006) The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players, Gavin Allen Publishing, Sydney Andrews, Malcolm (2006) The ABC of Rugby League Austn Broadcasting Corpn, Sydney References Category:Australia national rugby league team tours Category:Rugby league tours of Great Britain Kangaroo tour of Great Britain Kangaroo tour of Great Britain Kangaroo tour of Great Britain Kangaroo tour of Great Britain Kangaroo tour of Great Britain Kangaroo tour of Great Britain Kangaroo tour of Great Britain 1933