Australasia rugby league team

The Australasian rugby league team represented Australia and New Zealand in rugby league sporadically between 1910 and 1922. Administered by the New South Wales Rugby League, appearances for the team were counted towards the Australian team's records and playing register but not the New Zealand team's. The team toured Great Britain twice, participating in two Ashes series, and also played Great Britain twice in Sydney.

Australasia
Team information
NicknameThe Kangaroos
Governing bodyNew South Wales Rugby League
RegionOceania
Team results
First international
Australasia 13–13 Great Britain 
(Sydney, Australia; 9 July 1910)
Biggest win
Australasia 33–8 Great Britain 
(Birmingham, England; 1 January 1912)
Biggest defeat
Australasia 0–6 Great Britain 
(Salford, England; 13 January 1922)

1910

The Australasian side first played in 1910. After Great Britain had defeated Australia in two Test matches it was decided that two games would be played between Australasia and Great Britain. The team played in the Australian jersey's sky blue with maroon hoops, with the addition of black hoops to represent New Zealand.[1]

9 July
Australasia 13–13 Great Britain
Tries: V Farnsworth, E Courtney, C McKivatt
Goals: H Messenger (2)		 Tries: J Leytham, A Avery, B Winstanley
Goals: J Lomas, J Thomas
Royal Agricultural Society Showground, Sydney
Attendance: 45,000[2]
Referee: Tom McMahon, Sr.
13 July
Australasia 32–15 Great Britain
Tries:
Farnsworth, H Messenger, H Brackenrigg, B Spence
Goals:
H Messenger (5), H Brackenrigg (3), C McKivat (2)		 Tries:
Riley (2), B Winstanley
Goals:
J Thomas (3)
Wentworth Park, Sydney
Attendance: 15,000[3]

1911–12
Main article: 1911–12 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain
The 1911 Kangaroos performing their war cry before the first Test.

Following individual tours by New Zealand and Australia in 1907–08 and 1908–09 respectively, the Northern Rugby Football Union invited an 'Australasian' team to tour Great Britain during the 1911–12 season. They became the first tourists to win the Ashes.[4]

Prior to the tour a three-way series of matches between New South Wales, Queensland and New Zealand was organised as a basis of selection for the tour.[5] The New South Welshmen dominated the touring side, with four New Zealanders and only one Queenslander selected. However, counted amongst the New South Welshmen was Con Sullivan, who had moved to Australia from New Zealand a few years before.

8 November 1911
Australasia 19–10 Great Britain
Tries: V. Farnsworth (2)
Hallett
Goals:		 Tries:
Goals:
St James' Park, Newcastle England
Attendance: 5,317
16 December 1911
Australasia 11–11 Great Britain
Tynecastle Stadium, Edinburgh Scotland
Attendance: 8,000
1 January 1912
Australasia 33–8 Great Britain
Villa Park, Birmingham England
Attendance: 4,000

1921–22
Main article: 1921–22 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain
The 1921 Kangaroos.

The Australasian Kangaroos again toured Great Britain during the 1921–1922 season.

During 1921 the New Zealand side toured Australia, playing matches against New South Wales and Queensland, which served as selection trials for the upcoming 'Australasian' team's tour, for which only one New Zealander, Bert Laing, selected.[6] The team wore the sky blue jersey of New South Wales and the only non-New South Welsh player to appear in a test was Queenslander Billy Richards in the third.[7]

1 October 1921
Great Britain 6–5 Australasia
Tries:
S Stockwell 1
B Stone 1		 Tries:
C Blinkhorn 1
Goals:
J Craig 1
Headingley, Leeds
Attendance: 31,700
Referee: Frank Renton
5 November 1921
Great Britain 2–16 Australasia
Goals:
J Rogers 1		 Tries:
C Blinkhorn 2
H Horder 1
D Vest 1
Goals:
D Thompson 2
The Boulevard, Hull
Attendance: 21,504
Referee: R Robinson
14 January 1922
Great Britain 6–0 Australasia
Tries:
H Hilton 1
F Gallagher 1
Weaste Ground, Salford
Attendance: 22,000
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References
  1. Fagan, Sean (2009). "To Wattle Gold and Gum Green Jerseys". RL1908.com. Australia. Archived from the original on 14 May 2011. Retrieved 20 March 2011.
  2. "NORTHERN LEAGUE". The Evening Post. LXXX (9). New Zealand: National Library of New Zealand. 11 July 1910. p. 4. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
  3. Wanderer (20 July 1910). "Football". The Sydney Mail. Australia. p. 55. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  4. "The history of rugby league". centenaryofrugbyleague.com.au. Archived from the original on 9 February 2008. Retrieved 6 July 2009.
  5. Fagan, Sean. "New Zealand 'Kangaroos'". rl1908.com. Archived from the original on 8 October 2010. Retrieved 6 July 2009.
  6. John Coffey & Bernie Wood (2008). 100 Years: Maori Rugby League, 1908–2008. New Zealand: Huia Publishers. p. 73. ISBN 978-1-86969-331-2. Retrieved 26 February 2011.
  7. Sean Fagan (2009) “Tommy Gorman's Maroon Giants” Archived 10 October 2010 at the Wayback Machine. rl1908.com
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