1891 British Lions tour to South Africa

The 1891 British Isles tour to South Africa was the first British Isles rugby union tour of South Africa and only the second overseas tour conducted by a joint British team. Between 9 July and 7 September, the team played 20 games, including three Tests against the South Africa national rugby union team. The British Isles not only won all three Test matches, but also won all 17 provincial games. Although not named as such at the time, the tour is retrospectively recognised as a British Lions tour.

1891 British Lions Tour to South Africa
The British Isles team of 1891
Date9 July – 7 September
Coach(es)Edwin Ash
Tour captain(s) Bill Maclagan
Test series winnersBritish Isles (3–0)
Top test point scorer(s) Arthur Rotherham (4)

Tour details
1891 British Lions tour to South Africa
Summary
P W D L
Total
20 20 00 00
Opponent
P W D L
 South Africa
3 3 0 0

After the South African Rugby Board was formed in 1889, the committee decided one of the best ways to promote the game was to invite a British side to visit, similar to the British Isles tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1888. In September 1890 the Rugby Football Union (RFU) discussed the proposed tour; in attendance was Mr J Richards of Cape Town, who, as an Old Leysian, had connections to the English game.[1] The tour was agreed, with Cecil Rhodes agreeing to guarantee any financial losses the tour may incur.[1]

The first overseas British tour of 1888, was not sanctioned by the RFU, and therefore is often not recognised as an official Lions tour, so the South African Tests were actually the first matches that allowed the British players to be awarded international caps.

Captained by Scottish international Bill Maclagan, the British team consisted of players from English and Scottish clubs with a heavy contingent of members from Cambridge University teams. Of the players roughly half were, or would win national caps, and the majority of those who did not were former Cambridge Blues.[2] Although containing four Scots, the fact that the tour was organised by the RFU, the team was initially recognised as an English team, but retrospectively gained its British Isles tag. The touring party had been selected by a committee composed of George Rowland Hill, the president of the RFU, R.S. Whalley, Harry Vassall, Arthur Budd and J.H.S. McArthur.[3]

The British team took in twenty matches, three of them tests against the South African team. The tourists won all twenty matches conceding just a single try, which was scored against them in the very first game. Although the Test top scorer for the tourists was Arthur Rotherham, mainly because a conversion at the time was worth twice as much as a try; the tour's outstanding scorer was Randolph Aston. At six-foot three, and weighing 15 stones, Aston played in all 20 matches and was the unstoppable try scorer of the tour. Out of the 89 tries scored by the British team, Aston scored 30 including the first try against the South African team in the first Test.[4]

The tourists played in red and white hooped shirts and dark blue shorts.[5][6]

Touring party
  • Manager: Edwin Ash

Results

Complete list of matches played by the British Isles in South Africa:[7][8]

     Test matches

British Isles v Cape Colony, the first match of the tour
The South Africa team that played the second test v the British Isles
# Date Rival City Venue Score
19 JulCape TownCape Town15–1
211 JulWestern ProvinceCape Town6–0
313 JulCape ColonyCape Town14–0
418 JulKimberleyKimberley7–0
520 JulGriqualand WestKimberley3–0
625 JulPort ElizabethPort Elizabeth22–0
728 JulEastern ProvincePort Elizabeth21–0
830 Jul South AfricaPort ElizabethCrusaders Ground4–0
91 AugGrahamstownGrahamstown9–0
104 AugKing William's TownKing William's Town18–0
116 AugKing William's Town & DistrictKing William's Town16–0
1211 AugPietermaritzburgPietermaritzburg25–0
1315 AugTransvaalJohannesburg22–0
1419 AugJohannesburgJohannesburg15–0
1522 AugTransvaalJohannesburg9–0
1626 AugCape ColonyKimberley4–0
1729 Aug South AfricaKimberleyEclectic Cricket Ground3–0
183 SepCape ColonyCape Town7–0
195 Sep South AfricaCape TownNewlands Stadium4–0
207 SepStellenboschStellenbosch2–0
Balance
Pl W D L Ps Pc
2020002261

Match details

First test
30 July
South Africa  0–4 British Isles
Try: Aston, Whittaker
Con: Rotherham
Crusaders Ground, Port Elizabeth
Attendance: 6,000
Referee: J Griffin

Second test
29 August
South Africa  0–3 British Isles
Pen: Mitchell
Eclectic Cricket Ground, Kimberley
Attendance: 3,000
Referee: P Ross Frames

Third test
5 September
South Africa  0–4 British Isles
Try: Aston, Maclagan
Con: Rotherham
Newlands Stadium, Cape Town
Attendance: 3,000
Referee: HH Castens

Bibliography
  • Griffiths, John (1987). The Phoenix Book of International Rugby Records. London: Phoenix House. ISBN 0-460-07003-7.
  • Jenkins, Vivian (1981). Rothmans Rugby Yearbook 1981–82. Aylesbury: Rothmans Publications Ltd. ISBN 0-907574-05-X.
  • Parker, A.C. (1970). The Springboks, 1891–1970. London: Cassell & Company Ltd. ISBN 0-304-93591-3.
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References
  1. Griffiths (1987), pg 6:3.
  2. Griffiths (1987), pg 9:3.
  3. Parker (1970) pp. 12–13
  4. IRB Hall of Fame, 2009 Nominees IRB.com. Accessed 3 May 2009. Archived 2009-05-05.
  5. Lions name is a source of great pride The Times 19 June 2009
  6. Lions change their stripes on Lions website, 17 Apr 2005
  7. British & Irish Lions results on Rugby Football History
  8. Early Lions: Squads and results (1888–1938) on BBC Sport, 18 May 2005
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