1985 New Zealand rugby league tour

December 2025 December 2025 1985 Kiwis tour 6 October 1985 – 12 December 1985 Jim Campbell Tom McKeown Graham Lowe Mark Graham 19 15 1 3 5 3 1 1 GBR 3 1 1 1 FRA 2 2 0 0 1980 1989 The 1985 New Zealand rugby league tour was a series of matches played between October and December by the New Zealand national rugby league team in England and France. The team played a three-game series against Great Britain, named the Whitbread Trophy Bitter Tests for sponsorship reasons, and the tied the series 1–1. The team also defeated France 2–0. Background New Zealand last toured Great Britain in 1980. Despite tense relations between France and New Zealand over the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior, the team went ahead with the French leg of the tour as planned.France tour will go ahead https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19850926.2.159.4 The Press 26 September 1985 Christchurch 34 Touring party A 24-man touring squad was selected in August 1985, with Mark Graham named as captain. The squad included six players who played in the Australian Winfield Cup competition. New Zealand players contracted to British clubs were not included in the squad, but could still be considered for selection in Test matches.Youth blended with experience https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19850816.2.159 The Press 16 August 1985 Christchurch 32 Graham Lowe was the coach, and Jim Campbell was the team manager.Kiwis’ coach unshaken by opposition https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19851004.2.124 The Press 4 October 1985 Christchurch 30 Prior to the tour, Marty Crequer withdrew from the squad due to injury, and was replaced by Shane Horo.Crequer out of Kiwis tour https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19850905.2.44 The Press 5 September 1985 Christchurch 4 Crequer was later called up as a replacement during the tour for the injured Joe Ropati.Marty Crequer called into Kiwi team https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19851111.2.109 The Press 11 November 1985 Christchurch 23Snags hit side to play Kiwis https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19851113.2.245 The Press 13 November 1985 Christchurch 80 Ross Taylor also suffered an injury on tour, and was replaced by Brent Todd.Todd in for Taylor https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19851030.2.208 The Press 30 October 1985 Christchurch 64 Name Club/DistrictDean Bell AUS Eastern SuburbsMark Bourneville NZL AucklandShane Cooper Shane Cooper (rugby league) NZL AucklandRicky Cowan NZL AucklandMarty Crequer NZL CanterburyMark Elia NZL AucklandOlsen Filipaina AUS Eastern SuburbsClayton Friend NZL AucklandGlen Gibb NZL West CoastJames Goulding NZL AucklandMark Graham Mark Graham (rugby league) (c) AUS North SydneyShane Horo NZL WaikatoHugh McGahan AUS Eastern SuburbsVaun O'Callaghan NZL WaikatoRon O'Regan NZL AucklandJoe Ropati NZL AucklandAdrian Shelford NZL CanterburyDane Sorensen AUS Cronulla-SutherlandKurt Sorensen AUS Cronulla-SutherlandSam Stewart Sam Stewart (rugby league) NZL WellingtonHowie Tamati NZL TaranakiRoss Taylor Ross Taylor (rugby league) NZL CanterburyBrent Todd NZL CanterburyWayne Wallace NZL CanterburyDarrell Williams Darrell Williams (rugby league) NZL AucklandOwen Wright Owen Wright (rugby league) NZL Auckland Schedule and results Date Opponents Score (NZ first) Venue Attendance Notes 6 October Wigan align="center" 8–14 Wigan 13,009 9 October Great Britain under-21 align="center" 16–12 Bradford 2,285 13 October Hull Kingston Rovers align="center" 20–10 Hull 6,585 15 October Cumbria align="center" 32–6 Whitehaven 5,500 19 October GBR align="center" 24–22 Leeds 12,591 23 October Yorkshire align="center" 8–18 Bradford 3,745 27 October St Helens align="center" 46–8 St Helens 7,897 29 October Leeds align="center" 16–10 Leeds 4,713 2 November GBR align="center" 8–25 Wigan 15,506 4 November Widnes align="center" 32–12 Widnes 5,200 9 November GBR align="center" 6–6 Leeds 22,209 This match counted towards the 1985–1988 Rugby League World Cup 13 November Lancashire align="center" Oldham Postponed due to a frozen pitch 17 November Hull align="center" 33–10 Hull 8,500 20 November Invitational XIII align="center" 20–8 Paris 1,500 24 November FRA align="center" 22–0 Marseille 1,492 28 November Midi-Pyrenees XIII align="center" 18–12 Toulouse 3,000 1 December Languedoc/Roussillon XIII align="center" 66–1 Carcassonne 5,000 7 December FRA align="center" 22–0 Perpignan 5,000 This match counted towards the 1985–1988 Rugby League World Cup 10 December Rest of the World align="center" 22–10 Narbonne 700 12 December Aquitane/Côte d'Azur align="center" 22–10 Bordeaux 1,930 Aftermath For the series against Great Britain, the Man of the Series was awarded to Great Britain's John Fieldhouse and Dane Sorensen for New Zealand.Fletcher Howes 1986 232 Notes 40em References Kiwis Tour 1985 https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/competitions/kiwis-tour-1985/summary.html Rugby League Project Fletcher Raymond Howes David Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1986-87 1986 Queen Anne Press London 978-0-356-12417-9 Category:New Zealand national rugby league team tours Category:Rugby league tours of Great Britain Category:Rugby league tours of France Tour New Zealand tour New Zealand tour