1928 Great Britain Lions tour

October 2024 October 2024 G.F. Hutchins and E. Osborne Jonty Parkin Jim Sullivan (113)Saxton Irvin History of Rugby League: No.33 1927–1928 League Publications 16 Alf Ellaby (20) 24 18 1 5 6 4 0 2 AUS 3 2 0 1 NZL 3 2 0 1 1924 1932 The 1928 Great Britain Lions tour was a tour by the Great Britain national rugby league team of Australia and New Zealand which took place between May and August 1928. The tour involved a schedule of 24 games; 16 in Australia, including a three-test series against Australia for the Ashes and a further eight in New Zealand, including a three-test series against New Zealand. Captained by Jonty Parkin, the Lions returned home having won 18, lost five and drawn one of their games. They won the Ashes against Australia by two tests to one, and also two out of three tests against New Zealand. Squad An initial 23-man squad for the tour was named on 29 February 1928,Rugby League Tour https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000748/19280301/207/0009 Leeds Mercury 1 March 1928 9 British Newspaper Archive subscription with three additional players being selected two weeks later and Jonty Parkin being appointed as captain.Rugby Tour Party Completed https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000748/19280315/245/0011 Leeds Mercury 15 March 1928 11 British Newspaper Archive subscription In April, Frank Gallagher declined his tour invitation for business reasons,Gallagher And Tour https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000324/19280403/026/0005 Hull Daily Mail 3 April 1928 5 British Newspaper Archive subscription and Joe Thompson was selected as a replacement.Joe Thompson To Tour https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000986/19280409/172/0014 Athletic News 9 April 1928 14 British Newspaper Archive subscription Name Position Nationality Club Walter Gowers Fullback ENG Rochdale Hornets Jim Sullivan Jim Sullivan (rugby, born 1903) Fullback WAL Wigan Tom Askin Three-quarter ENG Featherstone Rovers Jim Brough Three-quarter ENG Leeds Alf Ellaby Three-quarter ENG St Helens John Evans Jack Evans (English rugby league, born 1897) Three-quarter ENG Swinton Alf Frodsham Three-quarter ENG St Helens Emlyn Gwynne Three-quarter WAL Hull Joe Oliver Joe Oliver (rugby league) Three-quarter ENG Batley Mel Rosser Three-quarter WAL Leeds Bryn Evans Bryn Evans (rugby league) Half-back ENG Swinton Les Fairclough Half-back ENG St Helens Jonty Parkin (c) Half-back ENG Wakefield Trinity William Rees William Rees (rugby) Half-back WAL Swinton Nat Bentham Forward ENG Wigan Highfield Harold Bowman Forward ENG Hull Frank Bowen Frank Bowen (rugby league) Forward ENG St Helens Recs Bill Burgess Bill Burgess (rugby league, born 1897) Forward ENG Barrow Oliver Dolan Forward ENG St Helens Recs Albert Fildes Forward ENG St Helens Recs Ben Halfpenny Forward ENG St Helens Bill Horton Bill Horton (rugby league) Forward ENG Wakefield Trinity Bob Sloman Forward ENG Oldham Joe Thompson Joe Thompson (rugby) Forward WAL Leeds Billy Williams Billy Williams (rugby, born 1905) Forward WAL Salford Harold Young Harold Young (rugby league) Forward ENG Bradford Northern The two team managers were G.F. Hutchins of Oldham and E. Osborne of Warrington. Schedule and results The touring party departed from Tilbury on 20 April 1928 on board the SS Cathay.Rugby League Tourists https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000687/19280421/484/0023 Yorkshire Post 21 April 1928 23 British Newspaper Archive subscription The team arrived in Melbourne on 28 May, with thirteen players travelling by train for the opening game of the tour in Cootamundra, while the rest of the team continued their journey via ship to Sydney.English League Team https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/163770904 Newcastle Sun 29 May 1928 6 Trove Date Opponents Score (GB first) Venue Attendance Notes 30 May South West District align="center" 14–14 Cootamundra 8,000 2 June New South Wales align="center" 15–20 Sydney 55,000 4 June New South Wales align="center" 22–9 Sydney 48,000 9 June New South Wales align="center" 7–22 Sydney 38,000 13 June Far Northern Coast align="center" 20–9 Lismore 6,500 16 June Queensland align="center" 7–21 Brisbane 25,000 20 June Ipswich align="center" 23–13 Ipswich 2,000 23 June AUS align="center" 15–12 Brisbane 39,200 27 June Central Queensland align="center" 27–11 Rockhampton 10,000 30 June Northern Queensland align="center" 30–16 Townsville 11,000 4 July Wide Bay align="center" 61–13 Bundaberg 4,000 7 July Toowoomba align="center" 17–12 Toowoomba 12,000 11 July Newcastle align="center" 19–17 Newcastle 7,000 14 July AUS align="center" 8–0 Sydney 44,548 18 July Western NSW align="center" 22–9 Parkes 9,000 21 July AUS align="center" 14–21 Sydney 37,000 1 August South Auckland align="center" 31–5 Hamilton 4 August NZL align="center" 13–17 Auckland 28,000 8 August Auckland align="center" 14–9 Auckland 15,000 11 August Auckland City align="center" 26–15 Auckland 25,000 14 August Buller align="center" 72–3 Westport 15 August West Coast align="center" 62–13 Greymouth 18 August NZL align="center" 13–5 Dunedin 12,000 25 August NZL align="center" 6–5 Christchurch 21,000 Following the end of the third test against New Zealand, the team departed Auckland aboard the RMS Niagara, and played two exhibition games in Canada before returning home.The Niagara Sails https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS19280828.2.95 Auckland Star 28 August 1928 8 Papers Past References 30em External links Lions Tour 1928 at Rugby League Project Category:Great Britain national rugby league team tours Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand Category:Rugby league tours of Australia Category:Rugby league tours of New Zealand