1907–1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Australia and Great Britain
Encyclopedia
The 1907–1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Australia and Great Britain was a tour made by a group of New Zealand
rugby football
ers who played matches in Australia
, Ceylon, England
and Wales
between 1907 and 1908. Most of the matches were played under the rules of the Northern Union
, what is today known as rugby league
. The tour had a large role in establishing rugby league in both Australia and New Zealand and also gave birth to international rugby league. As a result the tour is a significant part of rugby league history
. The tour party has come to be known as the professional All Blacks or All Golds
, although at the time they were usually simply referred to as the All Blacks
.
had established itself as the national winter game in New Zealand
even before the famous 1905 tour of The Originals. This tour was a huge success both on the field and commercially off the field, with the New Zealand Rugby Union making a huge profit of £12,000. However in New Zealand some discontent about the state of Rugby Unions rules and the lack of ability to compensate players for time lost from work were beginning to rise. These tensions were similar to the ones that had led to the 1895 schism in England that had created the Northern Union
. In addition the original All Blacks were only paid 3/- a day expenses while on tour, a token amount when the Rugby Union was making such a huge profit.
Albert Baskiville was well known in rugby circles, playing for the Oriental club and on the verge of Wellington provincial selection. He had also in 1907 published a book entitled Modern Rugby Football: New Zealand Methods which explained how to play the game and was widely read. He was inspired to launch a tour to play the clubs in the Northern Union
by an article in the Daily Mail
written by F W Cooper. The article, written by a Northern Union advocate, said that while the Originals tour had been successful it was a shame that they had not played any of the Northern Clubs, which at the time of the 1895 break away were regarded as some of the strongest clubs in England. Baskiville had conversations with several prominent rugby players, including the famous All Black George William Smith
who had talked to Northern Union officials and J J Giltinan
about starting the code in Sydney. Smith's role in starting the game in Australasia was crucial as he had a wide set of connections and was a well known sporting celebrity, being an All Black, a world class sprinter and a champion jockey.
In early 1907 Baskiville wrote to the Northern Rugby Football Union asking if they would wish to host a tour of a New Zealand rugby team. As the North of England had not had any international rugby since the tour of the 1888-1889 New Zealand Native football team
, the NRFU was enthusiastic. On 26 March 1907 it advised its member clubs that it was "very favourably disposed" to the tour and suggested that the tourists be paid 70% of the gates with a guarantee of £3000. The Northern Union informed Baskiville that the tour should go ahead and by May plans were firmly underway in New Zealand. Baskiville then resigned his job at the New Zealand Post Office
to plan the tour full time.
News of the tour was first publicly broken by the New Zealand Herald which ran a story on 13 May 1907 about a possible professional Rugby tour. It was extraordinary the level of secrecy that the New Zealand organisers had achieved, with the news being broken via England. Opposition to the tour was vocal with the New Zealand Rugby Union condemning the tour and the media being generally supportive of the amateur game and its ideals of Amateurism. However, as the co-operative nature of the tour became more widely known the touring party gained some public sympathy and the Rugby Union appeared to be increasingly the one out of touch with public opinion.
Baskiville assembled a team of selectors; Duncan McGregor
, Massa Johnston
, Hercules Richard Wright
and George William Smith
, and they began to think about the type of players they wished to bring on the tour. Knowing the rule changes that the Northern Union had made to their game the selectors knew line-out specialists would not be required and decided to favour players with ample amounts of speed and acceleration. They also needed players that were prepared to invest some money into the venture and probably accept a lifetime ban from rugby union. In the end no less than 160 of the roughly 200 rugby union players involved in provincial rugby
in New Zealand applied to go on the tour, a huge blow to the Rugby Union who had anticipated a low amount of interest. It was from these applications that the final team was selected, with players who had indicated early they were prepared to tour being favoured. At least two All Blacks did not tour, "Opai" Asher
declined due to a broken ankle and George A. Gillett
had to pull out at short notice due to injury. Both were to switch to rugby league later on in their careers. In the end the tour included nine All Blacks and fourteen provincial players, a large number selected from the Wellington and Auckland teams that had recently been battling over the Ranfurly Shield
.
With the tour plans well underway George Smith contacted Peter Moir
, a prominent Sydney player, asking if it would be possible to arrange a set of games in Sydney. Moir contacted others including J J Giltinan
, who Smith had already talked to, before replying that a series of games would be able to be arranged. Rugby players in Sydney shared many of the New Zealand players' concerns about payment and rules. On 8 August 1907 the New South Wales Rugby League
was formed. The New South Welshmen organised quickly and were ready to welcome the New Zealanders when the main touring party arrived on 13 August 1907. The New South Wales rugby union side
had defeated the All Blacks
14-0 in their second of two matches in 1907 and so were expected to be tough opponents, especially as the professional All Blacks had yet to form combinations and several of the Auckland based players had not yet arrived in Sydney.
The first game was played on the Royal Agricultural Society Ground to a sold out crowd of 20,000. Played under rugby union
rules, the All Blacks led 6-0 at halftime and closed out the match, winning 12-8. The stars of the first game were Richard Wynyard
for the All Blacks and Dally Messenger
for the New South Wales side. The game was deemed to be a great success, as the organisers had not expected a crowd over 12,000.
The second game, a mid-week game, was held in front of a crowd of approximately 3,000. The All Blacks, who had made several changes, defeated the "All Blues" 19-5.
The New Zealanders then won the third match of the series 5-3 in front of a crowd of approximately 8,000. Dally Messenger
, playing his first game as captain, again starred and was invited to join the touring party.
It is unclear when the decision to invite Messenger was made, with some reports saying that he was recommended to Baskiville in New Zealand by George Gillett
when he had to withdraw from the touring party due to injury. Messenger's form against the All Blacks in Sydney was certainly good enough to warrant his inclusion in the touring party. A fourth match had originally been planned in Melbourne
, as an attempt to foster rugby in the city, but the plans fell through for unknown reasons. Instead the All Blacks left Australia, having earned £600 from the three games. During their short stay the All Blacks had helped kick-start the professional movement in Sydney. While leaving Australia news came through that the New Zealand Rugby Union had issued life bans to all of those involved in the tour.
The financial success of the All Golds' games in Sydney gave valuable momentum to Giltinan and Co.'s scheme to introduce a professional district rugby football competition in Sydney the following season.
During the voyage the All Blacks also played a game of cricket
against the ships officers and first class passagers and were again were victorious, winning by an innings. McGregor and Messenger proved to be the best bowlers in the touring party.
The arrival of the All Blacks was met with great anticipation in the Yorkshire
and Lancashire
, areas that had been devoid of international competition for so long. The exciting play of the 1905 All Blacks and the reports that the current side had won three matches in Australia only heightened the expectations of the hosts. The RMS Ortona, carrying the touring side, berthed in Marseilles, France
and the squad took a train to Boulogne before they boarded the Empress. They reached England
on 30 September 1907, arriving in Folkestone
. The side was met by the main officials of the Northern Union. The side stayed the night in London
, where the Northern Union officials introduced the side to the press - right in the heart of the English Rugby Union
. The next day the side traveled north to Leeds
where they were met at the station by a crowd of about 6,000, all keen to see the touring All Blacks. After they had arrived the side had two weeks before their first game. They spent the time based in Leeds, training and adapting to both the new rules of the Northern Union and the colder climate. They also watched Leeds
and Hunslet
play a local derby game - the first time they had seen the new rules in operation.
The first game was held on 9 October 1907 against Bramley
. Six thousand supporters packed McLaren Field
in Bramley
to see the touring side win 25-6 in their first game under the Northern Union rules
. In their second game against Huddersfield
the All Blacks, keen for as many players as possible to get a run, selected a team mostly made up of players who were not involved in the first match. They still managed to defeat Huddersfield, winning 19-8 with Lance Todd
playing a key role in the match. After the first two matches the touring side met with the Northern Union and discussed the first two games, they also received their first payment - a cheque for £448-15-6. The tour then moved to Lancashire where the team played Widnes
at Naughton Park
, resulting in a 26-11 victory. Just two days later the team met the Broughton Rangers
, who were at the time a powerhouse of the Northern Union. Regarded as the All Blacks "first big test" the match was played in front of a large crowd of 24,000. The All Blacks took an early lead in the game and, despite a spirited Broughton comeback in a torrential downpour, held out to win 20-14.
The All Blacks next traveled to Wakefield
to play Wakefield Trinity
. The All Blacks rested several key played for this game and badly underestimated their opponents. The All Blacks fell behind early and only managed to salvage a 5-all draw. Stung by the result, the All Blacks decided to select their best team to take on Leeds
. They went on to win 8-2, despite winning only one out of every five scrums. After this match the All Blacks received their second cheque, this one for £1036-10-8 and it was already clear that the tour was going to record a healthy profit. During this second meeting with the Northern Union the All Blacks requested that two more test matches be added to the itinerary, turning it into a three match test series. For the other two matches the Northern Union first contacted the Crystal Palace Football Club. However negotiations fell through and the second test was instead scheduled to take place at Chelsea Football Club's Stamford Bridge
. The third match was scheduled for Whaddon Road
in Cheltenham
, the same ground that the amateur All Blacks had played on several years earlier. For the Northern Union this series of matches represented a chance to expand their game into areas of England dominated by rugby union and association football. Also at this time the All Blacks, with an increasing list of injuries, moved their base from Leeds to Ilkley
, a spa town
in Yorkshire.
The next match was in St Helens
where the team visited the birthplace of Richard Seddon
before playing the St Helens RLFC, winning 24-5. They then moved on to Wales to play Merthyr Tydfil
, the club having only recently converted to the Northern Union code. The side won 27-9 and then returned to Ilkley with a number of injuries. Their next match was against Keighley
, one of the top teams in the league, on Guy Fawkes Day and Smith, Messenger, Billy Wynyard, Cross and Gilchrist were all unavailable. 8,000 supporters turned up to the match, Keighley's biggest gate at the time, and Keighley led at half time. However the All Blacks fought back and won the match 9-7 to remain unbeaten after two months of football.
The next game was against Wigan
, already by this time one of the giants of the game. A massive crowd of 30,000 supporters packed in to see their local side take on the All Blacks. The All Blacks fielded the strongest side they were able to, although several players were missing or playing out of position due to injuries. Despite playing well the All Blacks went down 12-8 to Wigan to record their first loss on the tour after fourteen matches. Their next game was against Barrow
, their first game in the Cumberland
. The team arrived in Barrow late, having had a train be delayed, and the weather was poor. Barrow were able to frustrate the All Blacks, who could not play open football in the weather, and the All Blacks suffered their second loss in a row, going down 6-3. They next had to travel to Kingston upon Hull
where they took on the Hull. The game was a higher scoring affair and the All Blacks were able to come out winners, 18-13. For their next game, against Leigh
, the weather was again poor and the All Blacks were again beaten in the rain, losing 15-9. They lost again in their next match, as 15,000 spectators watched Oldham
win 8-7 in drenching rain and, in the second half, a snowstorm! By now it was established that in good weather the All Blacks were able to beat anybody, however in the wet weather their backs were not able to handle the ball and matches were a much closer affair. During the next Wednesday game the All Blacks were again defeated in the rain, dominated by the Runcorn forwards they lost 9-0. After a string of defeats and poor weather the sides management decided to re-locate and the side moved to Manchester, seeking slightly better weather.
The side next played a combined Dewsbury
and Batley
side, winning 18-8 in fine conditions, and backed this up by defeating Swinton
11-2 and Rochdale Hornets
19-0. They were then upset by Bradford F.C., who defeated then 7-2 in gale force winds and driving rain. They backed this up with another loss, going down to Halifax RLFC
, the League champions, 9-4. Their next game was again Yorkshire, the first of their matches against County representative sides. The All Blacks were ready for this game and defeated the proud rugby county 23-4. Their next game was against the current Challenge Cup
holders, Warrington
. Ten thousand supporters watched the Warrington side pip the All Blacks 8-7 despite the New Zealanders being ahead 7-5 at half time. The side spent Christmas Day in Manchester before heading to Leeds to take on Hunslet
in a boxing day match. The All Blacks were ahead 9-0 at halftime and were leading 11-8 in the second half when Hunslet had a player sent off, the first of the tour. However Hunslet still managed to score and the final result was an 11-all draw. Two days later they played Salford
, and won 9-2 in front of 12,000 people.
international on 1 January 1908, played between Wales
and New Zealand
. The New Zealand Rugby League later recognised this match as New Zealands first ever test match. Aberdare had been chosen for the venue as it could hold a larger capacity than Merthyr, in the end 20,000 Welshmen turned up. The Welsh side contained a former Welsh amateur international
as well as several players who had been playing in the Northern Union for years.
The All Blacks led the match 8-3 at halftime but the Welsh came back and Dai Jones scored a try with only minutes to go that put the Welsh 9-8 in front. Dick Wynyard
then dropped a pass in front of the try line and the Welsh won the first international rugby league match.
The next day the All Blacks left Wales, heading back to Kingston upon Hull
for their second visit, this time to play the Hull Kingston Rovers
. The All Blacks somewhat rebounded, winning 6-3 in a tightly fought contest. Reaching the business end of the tour, the All Blacks next headed north to play the representative Cumberland side. Here they were defeated 21-9 after resting several key players for the international against England.
in Wigan
. 12,000 supporters turned up despite the ground being frozen - necessitating a layer of straw to be placed over the top. The conditions favoured an open game and by half time the score was 11-all. In the end England ran out winners 18-16, meaning the New Zealanders had now lost two internationals. After the match the New Zealanders were invited to visit the Duke of Portland's residence and they were pleased to be able to meet the famous New Zealand racing horse Carbine
, all of the touring party being given a small lock of the horses hair as a parting gift.
They now moved their base to Blackpool
but their form did not improve, losing to the Lancashire county team 20-4. Going into the three test series against the Northern Union it was clear that they were not full of confidence.
, Duncan McGregor
and Conrad Byrne
were all unavailable due to influenza. Great Britain was boosted by England and Wales having both already played New Zealand, the two teams had then played each other to complete the tri-series. The weather to was poor, thick fog blamed for a low crowd, half of the 16,000 that had been predicted.
After thirty minutes it the game was still scoreless, until Jolley finally broke the deadlock with a drop goal. By half time Great Britain was up 8-0. Hubert Turtill
scored soon after halftime and then Dick Wynyard missed an opportunity to level the scores after he had taken an intercept at halfway but failed to reach his support. Robinson then scored to put Great Britain ahead 14-3. Wynyard then scored a late try but it was not enough and the All Blacks were again defeated, losing the first ever test match between New Zealand and Great Britain.
The side then lost again, this time going down 5-3 in a mid week game against York
. January had not been a good month for the All Blacks with just one win from seven. Leading up to the second test the All Blacks returned to Wales to play Ebbw Vale
on 1 February. Here they finally returned to the winning circle, winning 3-2.
In the second test match the All Blacks completely outplayed Great Britain, with Britain being held score less until the last five minutes. The All Blacks win set up the series at 1-all and the spotlight then moved to Cheltenham
, the scene of the third and deciding test match.
, who was making his international debut. In contrast the All Blacks were unchanged from their win in the second test.
Great Britain began the game on the attack and scored early through a White penalty. Because of the conditions the match developed into a forwards slog. Just before half time Great Britain scored and took a 5-0 lead into the break. However, with the wind at their backs, the All Blacks dominated the second half. They were held out by the British however until, with just seven minutes to go, the All Blacks finally scored through Messenger. The try was converted and the score was 5-all. With a few minutes remaining Angry Cross was sent off. This seemed to inspire the All Black forwards and they pushed hard in a scrum near the British line, resulting in Massa Johnston crashing over to score the winning try. The All Blacks had won the first rugby league test series 2-1.
The players then returned North for their final game in England, a re-match against St Helens RLFC. Albert Baskiville played in his first match of the tour, scoring a try as the All Blacks won 23-10. The players then prepared to return to New Zealand via Australia, although several players opted to stay behind and sign professional contracts with British clubs. George William Smith
signed with Oldham
for £150 while Lance Todd
signed with Wigan
for a massive £400 and the captaincy. Duncan McGregor
, Joseph Lavery
and Jim Gleeson
all also opted to stay behind, with McGregor opening a sports shop and playing for Merthyr Tydfil, Lavery signing with Leeds
and Gleeson completing his legal studies at the Inns of Court
. The rest of the All Blacks left Great Britain on 29 February 1908.
, a provincial scrum half and utility player who had previously represented Wellington. They then spread themselves around the eight New South Wales Rugby League
clubs that were preparing for the upcoming season and helped advise them on the rules of rugby league.
The All Blacks then watched the first round of the 1908 NSWRFL season Australia's first season rugby league, which began on Easter Monday, before heading north to Newcastle. Here they played a Newcastle side
at rugby union, defeating them 53-6. They then played a "Northern Districts" selection and defeated them 37-8 in the first ever game of rugby league played in Newcastle. The visit by the All Blacks boosted the profile of rugby league in Newcastle as the Newcastle Rebels
were at the time playing all their matches away in Sydney. As a result of the visit playing numbers in Newcastle surged and in 1910 the Rebels dropped out of the Sydney competition to form their own league
.
They then returned to Sydney for two matches against New South Wales. The first game was played on 2 May. Sydney had produced a very warm day for the match and the Australian ground suited the open passing of the new Northern Rugby Football Union rules. New South Wales was ahead 14-7 at half time and went on to win the match 18-10. The crowd was impressed with the new code and remained behind after the match to applaud the two teams. This game helped ensure that rugby league would become the dominant winter code in New South Wales. The second game was just as open and the New South Wales side again managed to win 13-10, with the All Blacks being denied a try on full time by a linesman call.
The All Blacks took control from the start, despite having Massa Johnston
wrongly sent off early in the match. By halftime it was 11-2 to the All Blacks. The Second half however was all Australia and they scored twice to make the score 11-10. With full time nearing Messenger had two penalty shots but uncharacteristically missed both and the All Blacks held on to win the first ever test match between the two sides 11-10. Messenger's kicking had been off all game, he had only kicked two despite having fourteen attempts. Albert Baskiville on the other hand had played in his first test match and won much praise with his performance, deserving his try. Precisely 100 years later this match was commemorated on 9 May 2008 in the Centenary Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground
.
The All Blacks then headed north to Brisbane for a series of matches leading up to the second test match. The All Blacks visit did much to kick start rugby league in Queensland. The matches played by the All Blacks were the first games of rugby league played in the state, despite three Queensland players having already represented the Kangaroos in the first test. Unfortunately Baskiville caught a chill on the sea voyage up from Sydney and he did not play again for the All Blacks, being admitted to hospital. The first game, without Baskiville was held on 16 May against Queensland. The Queensland side included Bill Hardcastle
who had been an All Black in 1897 before moving to Queensland. The All Blacks ran out winners 34-12 in a match that impressed the press and the spectators. The midweek game was against a Brisbane Metropolitan side and the All Blacks ran out winners 43-10. After the match the players rushed to the Victoria Private Hospital to check on Baskiville. They found him unconscious and his condition quickly deteriorated. Albert Baskiville died late in the afternoon and on 20 May. Harry Palmer headed home with his casket accompanied by a group of players representing each province. Baskiville was buried at Karori Cemetery in Wellington. In the meantime the remaining players had to prepare for the remaining two test matches. In the build up they drew 12-all with the same Queensland side that they had earlier beaten 34-12.
As they did in the first test the All Blacks dominated early in the match, with Harold Rowe scoring early, and by half time the New Zealanders led 15-2. The Second half was no easier for the Australians and the All Blacks ran out winners 24-12 in one of the most decisive test match displays ever put on by a New Zealand side.
The All Blacks then headed back to Sydney to prepare for their final match of the tour. While they had been in Brisbane the first New Zealand Māori rugby league team
had arrived in Sydney on 29 May for a tour of Australia. The side was led by "Opai" Asher
and was to prove another boost to the finances of the New South Wales Rugby League.
were at the Showgrounds supporting the All Blacks for the final test, which drew a crowd of 14,000.
The game developed into a tight, low scoring affair and New Zealand was ahead 6-0 at halftime. They then extended their lead to 9-3 before Australia came back and then ran out winners 14-9, claiming Australia's first test match victory.
The second visit to Australia by the All Blacks had done much to boost the game in the country. They had played the first ever rugby league matches in Newcastle and Brisbane and had boosted the coffers of the New South Wales Rugby League
and the new Queensland Rugby League
organisation. The All Blacks then headed home to very little fan fare, and certainly nothing to match the lavish official welcome that had been granted The Original All Blacks in 1905.
, the first game of rugby league in New Zealand. This match was played on 13 June 1908 and 8,000 people attended to see the "Blacks" defeat the "Reds" 55-20. The match allowed the team to raise £300 for Mrs Baskiville, Albert's mother.
The tour itself had been a great success both financially, the tour made a £5,641 profit and each player received almost £300, and on the field, where the All Blacks had defeated both Great Britain and Australia 2-1. These feats were not to be replicated for many years with the New Zealand Kiwis failing to win another series in Australia until 1952 and in Great Britain until 1971.
Other members of the tour soon returned to join George William Smith
, Lance Todd
, Duncan McGregor
and Joseph Lavery
who were all playing in the Northern Union. Edgar Wrigley
signed with Runcorn for £400 and a guarantee of employment as a plumber. Harold Rowe
joined Leeds and Massa Johnston
joined Lance Todd at Wigan. Hubert Turtill
also joined St Helens before being killed in World War I
. William Trevarthen
and Conrad Byrne
joined Huddersfield, where they were soon joined by Edgar Wrigley. Arthur Kelly
joined Turtill at St Helens.
For the Northern Union the tour had given the game credibility and its first international test opponents since the breakaway code had been established.
In Australia the tour had helped spark the establishment of the game and helped offset the costs of the New South Wales Rugby League
's expensive first season. Australia was soon to send its own touring party
to Great Britain, although the side did not make as much of a profit as the All Blacks had.
In New Zealand the code did not manage to successfully establish itself as quickly as it did in Australia. Albert Baskiville had been the tours chief organiser and his death was a huge blow to the game in New Zealand as well as the players personally. Baskiville had also been talking about arranging a tour of the United States of America before his death. In some ways the All Blacks were too successful, the number signing professional contracts meant that there were less players to help establish the game back home. Daniel Fraser
took a role in organising matches and at Victoria Park
on 24 August 1908 8,000 people watched Auckland, captained by Richard Wynyard
, defeat Wellington 16-14 in the first provincial match in New Zealand. The two sides met in Petone on 12 September and drew 13-all. A New Zealand side toured Australia in 1909, including six of the original touring party. In Auckland Billy Tyler
and Charlie Dunning
helped to form the Ponsonby Ponies
club while William Mackrell
was involved in establishing the Newton rugby league club and the Auckland Rugby League
competition started in 1910. The New Zealand Rugby Football League was formally established on 25 April 1910 in preparation for a Great Britain tour later that same year. The Wellington
and Canterbury Rugby League
competitions were not to start until 1913.
In 2002 a Baskerville Shield
was created to be contested each time New Zealand took on Great Britain. In 2007 the team was commemorated by the 2007 All Golds Tour
which featured an All Golds v Northern Union match as well as a three test series between the New Zealand Kiwis and Great Britain
. Steve Price played the role of Dally Messenger, playing in the All Golds match. The "All Golds", as they had also come to be known in the media due to their professionalism, then played their first ever match in New Zealand in 2008 when they took on the New Zealand Māori
in a match that served as a warm up to the 2008 World Cup
for the New Zealand Kiwis.
which had shared the profits of the tour and were still regarded as amateurs.
The New Zealand Rugby Union considered the players to be professionals and all members of the tour subsequently received a life ban from rugby union.
The team was most often referred to as the All Blacks on the tour, the name which had been given to The Original amateur rugby union
team on their tour of Great Britain in 1905. Like the Originals they were sometimes referred to in the press as New Zealand or other names such as Maorilanders and Colonials. Less favourable members of the press referred to them as the All Golds or Pro Blacks, highlighting the fact that the team was playing for money. The term All Golds was first coined by the Sydney Morning Herald in 1907 as a headline. However colloquially the players would have probably referred to themselves as the All Blacks or the New Zealand rugby team.
Later on, the New Zealand rugby league team began to be known as the New Zealand Kiwis
instead of the All Blacks. Referring back to the 1907-08 team historians have often called them the Professional All Blacks or All Golds. The New Zealand Rugby League
has made an effort to reclaim the name All Golds from the negative connotations it once held and in 1997 fought a legal case over the use of the name with the Australian Rugby League
during the Super League war
. In 2007
and 2008 an All Golds team took the field to celebrate the centenary of rugby league.
was not yet set up, the tour had no official administration body. The touring party legally formed itself into an organisation (The New Zealand All Black Rugby Football team) and each played invested £50 of their own money, quite a sum at that time. The players were paid £1 per week for expenses and then the profits (if any) were to be divided equally at the end of the tour. No bonuses of any kind were paid. Albert Baskiville
acted as the tours secretary and did much of the administrative work. He was supported by Harry Palmer (Manager), Daniel Fraser
(Assistant Manager) and Jim Gleeson
(Treasurer).
Disputes while on tour were heard by a Management Committee. This consisted of Jim Gleeson, Harry Palmer, Duncan McGregory, Massa Johnston, Lance Todd, Bumper Wright and Bert Baskiville. This committee had the power to impose fines for indiscretions and even expel someone from the tour party if it was deemed to be necessary.
Hercules Richard Wright
was elected the tours captain while George William Smith
was elected vice-captain, a sign of the democratic nature of the tours organisation. These two formed the selection committee alongside Massa Johnston
.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
rugby football
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
ers who played matches in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Ceylon, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
between 1907 and 1908. Most of the matches were played under the rules of the Northern Union
Rugby Football League
The Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...
, what is today known as rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
. The tour had a large role in establishing rugby league in both Australia and New Zealand and also gave birth to international rugby league. As a result the tour is a significant part of rugby league history
History of rugby league
The history of rugby league as a separate form of rugby football goes back to 1895 in Huddersfield, Northern England when the Northern Rugby Football Union broke away from the established Rugby Football Union to administer its own separate competition. Similar schisms occurred later in Australia...
. The tour party has come to be known as the professional All Blacks or All Golds
All Golds
The All Golds could mean;*The touring party of New Zealand players in the 1907–1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Australia and Great Britain*The New Zealand national rugby league team itself*The 2007 All Golds Tour in celebration of the original tour...
, although at the time they were usually simply referred to as the All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
.
Background
Rugby unionRugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
had established itself as the national winter game in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
even before the famous 1905 tour of The Originals. This tour was a huge success both on the field and commercially off the field, with the New Zealand Rugby Union making a huge profit of £12,000. However in New Zealand some discontent about the state of Rugby Unions rules and the lack of ability to compensate players for time lost from work were beginning to rise. These tensions were similar to the ones that had led to the 1895 schism in England that had created the Northern Union
Rugby Football League
The Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...
. In addition the original All Blacks were only paid 3/- a day expenses while on tour, a token amount when the Rugby Union was making such a huge profit.
Tour preparations
Rugby Football League
The Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...
by an article in the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
written by F W Cooper. The article, written by a Northern Union advocate, said that while the Originals tour had been successful it was a shame that they had not played any of the Northern Clubs, which at the time of the 1895 break away were regarded as some of the strongest clubs in England. Baskiville had conversations with several prominent rugby players, including the famous All Black George William Smith
George William Smith (New Zealand)
George William Smith was a New Zealand sportsman who excelled at track and field as well as both codes of rugby football.-Jockey:George was an extremely successful jockey and won the 1894 New Zealand Cup, riding Impulse...
who had talked to Northern Union officials and J J Giltinan
J J Giltinan
James Joseph Giltinan was an Australian entrepreneur who helped to found the sport of rugby league football in Australia.On 8 August 1907 at Bateman's Crystal Hotel, George Street, Sydney politician Henry Hoyle chaired a meeting of fifty, comprising several leading rugby players and officials...
about starting the code in Sydney. Smith's role in starting the game in Australasia was crucial as he had a wide set of connections and was a well known sporting celebrity, being an All Black, a world class sprinter and a champion jockey.
In early 1907 Baskiville wrote to the Northern Rugby Football Union asking if they would wish to host a tour of a New Zealand rugby team. As the North of England had not had any international rugby since the tour of the 1888-1889 New Zealand Native football team
1888-1889 New Zealand Native football team
The 1888–1889 New Zealand Native football team was a New Zealand football team that toured Britain, Australia and New Zealand in 1888 and 1889. The team was composed mainly of players of Māori ancestry, although several Pakeha were included in the squad. The tour was a private endeavour, and was...
, the NRFU was enthusiastic. On 26 March 1907 it advised its member clubs that it was "very favourably disposed" to the tour and suggested that the tourists be paid 70% of the gates with a guarantee of £3000. The Northern Union informed Baskiville that the tour should go ahead and by May plans were firmly underway in New Zealand. Baskiville then resigned his job at the New Zealand Post Office
New Zealand Post Office
The New Zealand Post Office was a New Zealand government department.As a Government Department, the New Zealand Post Office or N.Z.P.O., previously the Post and Telegraph Department or P & T, had as the political head the Postmaster General who was a member of Cabinet, and, when it was a separate...
to plan the tour full time.
News of the tour was first publicly broken by the New Zealand Herald which ran a story on 13 May 1907 about a possible professional Rugby tour. It was extraordinary the level of secrecy that the New Zealand organisers had achieved, with the news being broken via England. Opposition to the tour was vocal with the New Zealand Rugby Union condemning the tour and the media being generally supportive of the amateur game and its ideals of Amateurism. However, as the co-operative nature of the tour became more widely known the touring party gained some public sympathy and the Rugby Union appeared to be increasingly the one out of touch with public opinion.
Baskiville assembled a team of selectors; Duncan McGregor
Duncan McGregor
Duncan McGregor , was a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He was a member of the legendary 1905 Original All Blacks and went on the 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Rugby Football:...
, Massa Johnston
Massa Johnston
William "Massa" Johnston was a New Zealand rugby union and rugby league international...
, Hercules Richard Wright
Hercules Richard Wright
Hercules Richard "Bumper" Wright was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Early years:...
and George William Smith
George William Smith (New Zealand)
George William Smith was a New Zealand sportsman who excelled at track and field as well as both codes of rugby football.-Jockey:George was an extremely successful jockey and won the 1894 New Zealand Cup, riding Impulse...
, and they began to think about the type of players they wished to bring on the tour. Knowing the rule changes that the Northern Union had made to their game the selectors knew line-out specialists would not be required and decided to favour players with ample amounts of speed and acceleration. They also needed players that were prepared to invest some money into the venture and probably accept a lifetime ban from rugby union. In the end no less than 160 of the roughly 200 rugby union players involved in provincial rugby
National Provincial Championship
The National Provincial Championship, or NPC, is the major domestic rugby competition in New Zealand. The NPC has seen many alterations to its format and brand. Since 2006 the National Championship has been split into 2 competitions, the ITM Cup and the Heartland Championship...
in New Zealand applied to go on the tour, a huge blow to the Rugby Union who had anticipated a low amount of interest. It was from these applications that the final team was selected, with players who had indicated early they were prepared to tour being favoured. At least two All Blacks did not tour, "Opai" Asher
Albert Asher
Arapeta Paurini Wharepapa, or Albert Asher as he was more commonly known, was a New Zealand dual-code international rugby union and professional rugby league footballer of the 1890s, 1900s, '10s and '20s...
declined due to a broken ankle and George A. Gillett
George A. Gillett
George Arthur Gillett was a renowned New Zealand multi-code footballer of the early 20th century and a dual-code rugby international...
had to pull out at short notice due to injury. Both were to switch to rugby league later on in their careers. In the end the tour included nine All Blacks and fourteen provincial players, a large number selected from the Wellington and Auckland teams that had recently been battling over the Ranfurly Shield
Ranfurly Shield
The Ranfurly Shield, colloquially known as the Log o' Wood, is a trophy in New Zealand's domestic rugby union competition. First played for in 1904, the Ranfurly Shield is based on a challenge system, rather than a league or knockout competition as with most football trophies...
.
1907 in Australia
Peter Moir
Peter Moir was an Australian rugby union footballer of the early 1900s who was a key figure in the foundation of rugby league in Australia. He was one of Australia's first national representative players appearing in the inaugural professional series against New Zealand in 1907 and making the...
, a prominent Sydney player, asking if it would be possible to arrange a set of games in Sydney. Moir contacted others including J J Giltinan
J J Giltinan
James Joseph Giltinan was an Australian entrepreneur who helped to found the sport of rugby league football in Australia.On 8 August 1907 at Bateman's Crystal Hotel, George Street, Sydney politician Henry Hoyle chaired a meeting of fifty, comprising several leading rugby players and officials...
, who Smith had already talked to, before replying that a series of games would be able to be arranged. Rugby players in Sydney shared many of the New Zealand players' concerns about payment and rules. On 8 August 1907 the New South Wales Rugby League
New South Wales Rugby League
The New South Wales Rugby League is the governing body of rugby league in New South Wales and is a member of the Australian Rugby League. It was formed in Sydney on 8 August 1907 and was known as the New South Wales Rugby Football League until 1984 when forward thinking marketing managers decided...
was formed. The New South Welshmen organised quickly and were ready to welcome the New Zealanders when the main touring party arrived on 13 August 1907. The New South Wales rugby union side
New South Wales Waratahs
The New South Wales Waratahs are an Australian rugby union football team, representing the majority of New South Wales in the Super 15 Super Rugby competition...
had defeated the All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
14-0 in their second of two matches in 1907 and so were expected to be tough opponents, especially as the professional All Blacks had yet to form combinations and several of the Auckland based players had not yet arrived in Sydney.
The first game was played on the Royal Agricultural Society Ground to a sold out crowd of 20,000. Played under rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
rules, the All Blacks led 6-0 at halftime and closed out the match, winning 12-8. The stars of the first game were Richard Wynyard
Richard Wynyard
John Richard "Dick" Wynyard was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain. Richard was the brother of William Wynyard.-Early years:...
for the All Blacks and Dally Messenger
Dally Messenger
Herbert Henry "Dally" Messenger was an Australian rugby union and rugby league footballer, recognised as one of the greatest ever players in either code. Messenger, or 'The Master' as he was dubbed, represented his country in both rugby football codes, playing two rugby union tests and seven...
for the New South Wales side. The game was deemed to be a great success, as the organisers had not expected a crowd over 12,000.
The second game, a mid-week game, was held in front of a crowd of approximately 3,000. The All Blacks, who had made several changes, defeated the "All Blues" 19-5.
The New Zealanders then won the third match of the series 5-3 in front of a crowd of approximately 8,000. Dally Messenger
Dally Messenger
Herbert Henry "Dally" Messenger was an Australian rugby union and rugby league footballer, recognised as one of the greatest ever players in either code. Messenger, or 'The Master' as he was dubbed, represented his country in both rugby football codes, playing two rugby union tests and seven...
, playing his first game as captain, again starred and was invited to join the touring party.
It is unclear when the decision to invite Messenger was made, with some reports saying that he was recommended to Baskiville in New Zealand by George Gillett
George A. Gillett
George Arthur Gillett was a renowned New Zealand multi-code footballer of the early 20th century and a dual-code rugby international...
when he had to withdraw from the touring party due to injury. Messenger's form against the All Blacks in Sydney was certainly good enough to warrant his inclusion in the touring party. A fourth match had originally been planned in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, as an attempt to foster rugby in the city, but the plans fell through for unknown reasons. Instead the All Blacks left Australia, having earned £600 from the three games. During their short stay the All Blacks had helped kick-start the professional movement in Sydney. While leaving Australia news came through that the New Zealand Rugby Union had issued life bans to all of those involved in the tour.
The financial success of the All Golds' games in Sydney gave valuable momentum to Giltinan and Co.'s scheme to introduce a professional district rugby football competition in Sydney the following season.
1907 in England
While on the long sea voyage from Australia, the men tried to keep fit by training on the deck. During a stop over in Ceylon the team was challenged to a game by the Ceylon rugby union. The All Blacks won the match against 33-8. As a result of this match the New Zealand rugby union side declined to play the Ceylonese on the return leg of their tour, deeming that Ceylon had forfeited their amateur status by playing against Baskerville's men.During the voyage the All Blacks also played a game of cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
against the ships officers and first class passagers and were again were victorious, winning by an innings. McGregor and Messenger proved to be the best bowlers in the touring party.
The arrival of the All Blacks was met with great anticipation in the Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
and Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, areas that had been devoid of international competition for so long. The exciting play of the 1905 All Blacks and the reports that the current side had won three matches in Australia only heightened the expectations of the hosts. The RMS Ortona, carrying the touring side, berthed in Marseilles, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and the squad took a train to Boulogne before they boarded the Empress. They reached England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
on 30 September 1907, arriving in Folkestone
Folkestone
Folkestone is the principal town in the Shepway District of Kent, England. Its original site was in a valley in the sea cliffs and it developed through fishing and its closeness to the Continent as a landing place and trading port. The coming of the railways, the building of a ferry port, and its...
. The side was met by the main officials of the Northern Union. The side stayed the night in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, where the Northern Union officials introduced the side to the press - right in the heart of the English Rugby Union
Rugby Football Union
The Rugby Football Union was founded in 1871 as the governing body for the sport of rugby union, and performed as the international governing body prior to the formation of the International Rugby Board in 1886...
. The next day the side traveled north to Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
where they were met at the station by a crowd of about 6,000, all keen to see the touring All Blacks. After they had arrived the side had two weeks before their first game. They spent the time based in Leeds, training and adapting to both the new rules of the Northern Union and the colder climate. They also watched Leeds
Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League...
and Hunslet
Hunslet Hawks
Hunslet Hawks is a professional rugby league club based in Hunslet, West Yorkshire, England. The club, sometimes known as 'the Parksiders' after their former stadium, are currently champions of Championship One.-History:-Early years:...
play a local derby game - the first time they had seen the new rules in operation.
The first game was held on 9 October 1907 against Bramley
Bramley Buffaloes
Bramley Buffaloes is a rugby league club from the Bramley area of West Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. Previously known simply as Bramley RLFC, the club is a famous name in rugby league, having existed prior to the formation of the Northern Union in 1895...
. Six thousand supporters packed McLaren Field
Barley Mow, Bramley
Barley Mow was a former home ground of the Bramley Rugby League Club in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England who moved there in 1881, just two years after their foundation. The club used the nearby Barley Mow public house as changing rooms....
in Bramley
Bramley, Leeds
Bramley is a district in west Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is an old industrial area and home to a lot of 19th century architecture alongside 20th century council housing in the east and private suburban housing to the west. It has its own railway station which is on the Caldervale and...
to see the touring side win 25-6 in their first game under the Northern Union rules
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
. In their second game against Huddersfield
Huddersfield Giants
Huddersfield Giants are a professional rugby league club from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire who play in the European Super League competition. They play their home games at the Galpharm Stadium which is shared with Huddersfield Town F.C....
the All Blacks, keen for as many players as possible to get a run, selected a team mostly made up of players who were not involved in the first match. They still managed to defeat Huddersfield, winning 19-8 with Lance Todd
Lance Todd
Lancelot Beaumont "Lance" Todd was a New Zealand-born rugby league footballer and manager of the early 20th century. As a player he represented his country in 1907 and 1908 and played in England for the Wigan and Dewsbury clubs...
playing a key role in the match. After the first two matches the touring side met with the Northern Union and discussed the first two games, they also received their first payment - a cheque for £448-15-6. The tour then moved to Lancashire where the team played Widnes
Widnes Vikings
Widnes Vikings RLFC are an English professional rugby league club based in Widnes, Cheshire. They currently play in the Engage Super League, the top tier of European rugby league, after being awarded a license to compete in the top-flight Super League from 2012 onward...
at Naughton Park
Halton Stadium
The Stobart Stadium Halton is a rugby league stadium in Widnes, England. The Widnes Vikings play their home games there as do Everton Reserves...
, resulting in a 26-11 victory. Just two days later the team met the Broughton Rangers
Broughton Rangers
Broughton Rangers was a British rugby football, and subsequently a rugby league club. It was based in Broughton, Salford.-History:Broughton Rangers was founded in 1877 as Broughton and added Rangers for its second season...
, who were at the time a powerhouse of the Northern Union. Regarded as the All Blacks "first big test" the match was played in front of a large crowd of 24,000. The All Blacks took an early lead in the game and, despite a spirited Broughton comeback in a torrential downpour, held out to win 20-14.
The All Blacks next traveled to Wakefield
Wakefield
Wakefield is the main settlement and administrative centre of the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England. Located by the River Calder on the eastern edge of the Pennines, the urban area is and had a population of 76,886 in 2001....
to play Wakefield Trinity
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats are a professional rugby league club that plays in the European Super League and is based in Wakefield. They achieved promotion in 1999 and have remained in the League since. They are known to their fans as Wakey, Trinity, Wildcats, or historically The Dreadnoughts...
. The All Blacks rested several key played for this game and badly underestimated their opponents. The All Blacks fell behind early and only managed to salvage a 5-all draw. Stung by the result, the All Blacks decided to select their best team to take on Leeds
Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League...
. They went on to win 8-2, despite winning only one out of every five scrums. After this match the All Blacks received their second cheque, this one for £1036-10-8 and it was already clear that the tour was going to record a healthy profit. During this second meeting with the Northern Union the All Blacks requested that two more test matches be added to the itinerary, turning it into a three match test series. For the other two matches the Northern Union first contacted the Crystal Palace Football Club. However negotiations fell through and the second test was instead scheduled to take place at Chelsea Football Club's Stamford Bridge
Stamford Bridge (stadium)
Stamford Bridge is a football stadium in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, West London, and is the home of Chelsea Football Club. The stadium is located within the Moore Park Estate also known as Walham Green and is often referred to as simply The Bridge...
. The third match was scheduled for Whaddon Road
Whaddon Road
Whaddon Road is a football stadium in Cheltenham, England. It is the home ground of Cheltenham Town F.C. and shared with Gloucester City A.F.C.. It has a total capacity of 7,066, with a mixture of seating and terracing...
in Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
, the same ground that the amateur All Blacks had played on several years earlier. For the Northern Union this series of matches represented a chance to expand their game into areas of England dominated by rugby union and association football. Also at this time the All Blacks, with an increasing list of injuries, moved their base from Leeds to Ilkley
Ilkley
Ilkley is a spa town and civil parish in West Yorkshire, in the north of England. Ilkley civil parish includes the adjacent village of Ben Rhydding and is a ward within the metropolitan borough of Bradford. Approximately north of Bradford, the town lies mainly on the south bank of the River Wharfe...
, a spa town
Spa town
A spa town is a town situated around a mineral spa . Patrons resorted to spas to "take the waters" for their purported health benefits. The word comes from the Belgian town Spa. In continental Europe a spa was known as a ville d'eau...
in Yorkshire.
The next match was in St Helens
St Helens, Merseyside
St Helens is a large town in Merseyside, England. It is the largest settlement and administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens with a population of just over 100,000, part of an urban area with a total population of 176,843 at the time of the 2001 Census...
where the team visited the birthplace of Richard Seddon
Richard Seddon
Richard John Seddon , sometimes known as King Dick, is to date the longest serving Prime Minister of New Zealand. He is regarded by some, including historian Keith Sinclair, as one of New Zealand's greatest political leaders....
before playing the St Helens RLFC, winning 24-5. They then moved on to Wales to play Merthyr Tydfil
Merthyr Tydfil
Merthyr Tydfil is a town in Wales, with a population of about 30,000. Although once the largest town in Wales, it is now ranked as the 15th largest urban area in Wales. It also gives its name to a county borough, which has a population of around 55,000. It is located in the historic county of...
, the club having only recently converted to the Northern Union code. The side won 27-9 and then returned to Ilkley with a number of injuries. Their next match was against Keighley
Keighley Cougars
Keighley Cougars are a professional rugby league club from Keighley in West Yorkshire, England. As of 2012 they will play in Co-operative Championship having won the Co-operative Championship 1 play off final 32-12 against Workington...
, one of the top teams in the league, on Guy Fawkes Day and Smith, Messenger, Billy Wynyard, Cross and Gilchrist were all unavailable. 8,000 supporters turned up to the match, Keighley's biggest gate at the time, and Keighley led at half time. However the All Blacks fought back and won the match 9-7 to remain unbeaten after two months of football.
The next game was against Wigan
Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011....
, already by this time one of the giants of the game. A massive crowd of 30,000 supporters packed in to see their local side take on the All Blacks. The All Blacks fielded the strongest side they were able to, although several players were missing or playing out of position due to injuries. Despite playing well the All Blacks went down 12-8 to Wigan to record their first loss on the tour after fourteen matches. Their next game was against Barrow
Barrow Raiders
Barrow Raiders are an English professional rugby league team from Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, who are coached by Dave Clark. Formed in 1875 as Barrow Football Club, the club is the oldest of the current professional sports teams in Cumbria....
, their first game in the Cumberland
Cumberland
Cumberland is a historic county of North West England, on the border with Scotland, from the 12th century until 1974. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974 and now forms part of Cumbria....
. The team arrived in Barrow late, having had a train be delayed, and the weather was poor. Barrow were able to frustrate the All Blacks, who could not play open football in the weather, and the All Blacks suffered their second loss in a row, going down 6-3. They next had to travel to Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
where they took on the Hull. The game was a higher scoring affair and the All Blacks were able to come out winners, 18-13. For their next game, against Leigh
Leigh Centurions
Leigh Centurions is an English professional rugby league club based in Leigh, Greater Manchester who play in the Co-operative Championship.The club was founded in 1878 as Leigh Rugby Football Club and is one of the original twenty-two clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in...
, the weather was again poor and the All Blacks were again beaten in the rain, losing 15-9. They lost again in their next match, as 15,000 spectators watched Oldham
Oldham Roughyeds
Oldham Roughyeds is an English professional rugby league club based in Oldham, Greater Manchester. They currently play in the Championship One. Oldham is one of the original twenty-two rugby clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in 1895....
win 8-7 in drenching rain and, in the second half, a snowstorm! By now it was established that in good weather the All Blacks were able to beat anybody, however in the wet weather their backs were not able to handle the ball and matches were a much closer affair. During the next Wednesday game the All Blacks were again defeated in the rain, dominated by the Runcorn forwards they lost 9-0. After a string of defeats and poor weather the sides management decided to re-locate and the side moved to Manchester, seeking slightly better weather.
The side next played a combined Dewsbury
Dewsbury Rams
Dewsbury Rams RLFC is a professional rugby league club based in the West Yorkshire town of Dewsbury. They are arguably most famous for becoming Champions in 1972-73 after finishing the regular season in 8th place. In the playoffs they beat Featherstone away, Warrington away, and then Leeds in the...
and Batley
Batley Bulldogs
Batley Bulldogs are an English professional rugby league club from Batley, West Yorkshire. They currently play in the Co-operative Championship. Batley is one of the original twenty-two rugby football clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in 1895...
side, winning 18-8 in fine conditions, and backed this up by defeating Swinton
Swinton Lions
Swinton Lions is an English professional rugby league club from Swinton, Greater Manchester. The club has won the Championship six times and three Challenge Cups. They currently play in the Championship.-Early years:...
11-2 and Rochdale Hornets
Rochdale Hornets
Rochdale Hornets RLFC is an English professional rugby league club from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England. They currently play in Championship One...
19-0. They were then upset by Bradford F.C., who defeated then 7-2 in gale force winds and driving rain. They backed this up with another loss, going down to Halifax RLFC
Halifax RLFC
Halifax RLFC is one of the most historic rugby league clubs in the game, formed over a century ago, in 1873 in the Yorkshire town of Halifax. Known as 'Fax', the official club colours are blue and white hoops, blue shorts and blue socks . They share The Shay stadium with football club FC Halifax Town...
, the League champions, 9-4. Their next game was again Yorkshire, the first of their matches against County representative sides. The All Blacks were ready for this game and defeated the proud rugby county 23-4. Their next game was against the current Challenge Cup
Challenge Cup
The Challenge Cup is a knockout cup competition for rugby league clubs organised by the Rugby Football League. Originally it was contested only by British teams but in recent years has been expanded to allow teams from France and Russia to take part....
holders, Warrington
Warrington Wolves
Warrington Wolves are a professional rugby league football club based in Warrington, England that competes in Super League. They play at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, having moved there from Wilderspool in 2003....
. Ten thousand supporters watched the Warrington side pip the All Blacks 8-7 despite the New Zealanders being ahead 7-5 at half time. The side spent Christmas Day in Manchester before heading to Leeds to take on Hunslet
Hunslet Hawks
Hunslet Hawks is a professional rugby league club based in Hunslet, West Yorkshire, England. The club, sometimes known as 'the Parksiders' after their former stadium, are currently champions of Championship One.-History:-Early years:...
in a boxing day match. The All Blacks were ahead 9-0 at halftime and were leading 11-8 in the second half when Hunslet had a player sent off, the first of the tour. However Hunslet still managed to score and the final result was an 11-all draw. Two days later they played Salford
Salford City Reds
Salford City Reds are an English rugby league club based in Salford, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1873, they currently play in the Super League. They have won six Rugby Football League Championships and one Challenge Cup...
, and won 9-2 in front of 12,000 people.
Wales
New Year's Day saw the touring party head to Wales for their first international match. Aberdare Athletic Ground was the venue of the first ever rugby leagueRugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
international on 1 January 1908, played between Wales
Wales national rugby league team
The Wales national rugby league team represent Wales in international rugby league football matches. Currently the team is seventh in the RLIF World Rankings. The team were run under the auspices of the Rugby Football League, but an independent body, Wales Rugby League, now runs the team from...
and New Zealand
New Zealand national rugby league team
The New Zealand national rugby league team has represented New Zealand in rugby league football since intercontinental competition began for the sport in 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name...
. The New Zealand Rugby League later recognised this match as New Zealands first ever test match. Aberdare had been chosen for the venue as it could hold a larger capacity than Merthyr, in the end 20,000 Welshmen turned up. The Welsh side contained a former Welsh amateur international
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
as well as several players who had been playing in the Northern Union for years.
Richard Wynyard
John Richard "Dick" Wynyard was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain. Richard was the brother of William Wynyard.-Early years:...
then dropped a pass in front of the try line and the Welsh won the first international rugby league match.
The next day the All Blacks left Wales, heading back to Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
for their second visit, this time to play the Hull Kingston Rovers
Hull Kingston Rovers
Hull Kingston Rovers or Hull KR is an English professional rugby league football club based in Hull, England. The club formed in 1882 and currently competes in Super League, having won promotion from National League One in 2006...
. The All Blacks somewhat rebounded, winning 6-3 in a tightly fought contest. Reaching the business end of the tour, the All Blacks next headed north to play the representative Cumberland side. Here they were defeated 21-9 after resting several key players for the international against England.
England
The All Blacks next played an England XIII at Central ParkCentral Park (Wigan)
Central Park was a rugby league stadium in Wigan, England. It was the home of Wigan RLFC before the club moved to the JJB Stadium in 1999. Its final capacity was 18,000.-History:...
in Wigan
Wigan
Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total...
. 12,000 supporters turned up despite the ground being frozen - necessitating a layer of straw to be placed over the top. The conditions favoured an open game and by half time the score was 11-all. In the end England ran out winners 18-16, meaning the New Zealanders had now lost two internationals. After the match the New Zealanders were invited to visit the Duke of Portland's residence and they were pleased to be able to meet the famous New Zealand racing horse Carbine
Carbine (horse)
Carbine , was an outstanding New Zealand bred Thoroughbred racehorse, who competed in New Zealand and later Australia. During his racing career he won 30 stakes or principal races...
, all of the touring party being given a small lock of the horses hair as a parting gift.
They now moved their base to Blackpool
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
but their form did not improve, losing to the Lancashire county team 20-4. Going into the three test series against the Northern Union it was clear that they were not full of confidence.
Test One
Going into the first test Dally MessengerDally Messenger
Herbert Henry "Dally" Messenger was an Australian rugby union and rugby league footballer, recognised as one of the greatest ever players in either code. Messenger, or 'The Master' as he was dubbed, represented his country in both rugby football codes, playing two rugby union tests and seven...
, Duncan McGregor
Duncan McGregor
Duncan McGregor , was a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He was a member of the legendary 1905 Original All Blacks and went on the 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Rugby Football:...
and Conrad Byrne
Conrad Byrne
Conrad "Con" Augustus Byrne was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Early years:Originally from Nelson, Bryne was a farmer by trade...
were all unavailable due to influenza. Great Britain was boosted by England and Wales having both already played New Zealand, the two teams had then played each other to complete the tri-series. The weather to was poor, thick fog blamed for a low crowd, half of the 16,000 that had been predicted.
After thirty minutes it the game was still scoreless, until Jolley finally broke the deadlock with a drop goal. By half time Great Britain was up 8-0. Hubert Turtill
Hubert Turtill
"Jum" Hurbert Sydney Turtill was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Early years:...
scored soon after halftime and then Dick Wynyard missed an opportunity to level the scores after he had taken an intercept at halfway but failed to reach his support. Robinson then scored to put Great Britain ahead 14-3. Wynyard then scored a late try but it was not enough and the All Blacks were again defeated, losing the first ever test match between New Zealand and Great Britain.
The side then lost again, this time going down 5-3 in a mid week game against York
York City Knights
York City Knights Rugby League Club is a British professional rugby league club hailing from York. They play at the Huntington Stadium, situated to the north of York city centre...
. January had not been a good month for the All Blacks with just one win from seven. Leading up to the second test the All Blacks returned to Wales to play Ebbw Vale
Ebbw Vale
Ebbw Vale is a town at the head of the valley formed by the Ebbw Fawr tributary of the Ebbw River, south Wales. It is the largest town and the administrative centre of Blaenau Gwent county borough...
on 1 February. Here they finally returned to the winning circle, winning 3-2.
Test Two
The second test was the first time that rugby league had been played in London, and as a result the match was deemed to be important for the Northern Unions chances of expanding into the rest of England.In the second test match the All Blacks completely outplayed Great Britain, with Britain being held score less until the last five minutes. The All Blacks win set up the series at 1-all and the spotlight then moved to Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
, the scene of the third and deciding test match.
Test Three
The morning before the third and final test match was filled with rain. The weather may have contributed to the reduced crowd, although the game was being played in the Midlands in an area that was a strong hold of rugby union. The Great Britain selectors had made a series of changes for the third match and had included Billy BattenBilly Batten
William "Billy" Batten, was an English rugby league footballer of the early 20th century. He played at , and for Great Britain, England, Hunslet, and Hull, and was one of the new game's first superstars...
, who was making his international debut. In contrast the All Blacks were unchanged from their win in the second test.
Great Britain began the game on the attack and scored early through a White penalty. Because of the conditions the match developed into a forwards slog. Just before half time Great Britain scored and took a 5-0 lead into the break. However, with the wind at their backs, the All Blacks dominated the second half. They were held out by the British however until, with just seven minutes to go, the All Blacks finally scored through Messenger. The try was converted and the score was 5-all. With a few minutes remaining Angry Cross was sent off. This seemed to inspire the All Black forwards and they pushed hard in a scrum near the British line, resulting in Massa Johnston crashing over to score the winning try. The All Blacks had won the first rugby league test series 2-1.
The players then returned North for their final game in England, a re-match against St Helens RLFC. Albert Baskiville played in his first match of the tour, scoring a try as the All Blacks won 23-10. The players then prepared to return to New Zealand via Australia, although several players opted to stay behind and sign professional contracts with British clubs. George William Smith
George William Smith (New Zealand)
George William Smith was a New Zealand sportsman who excelled at track and field as well as both codes of rugby football.-Jockey:George was an extremely successful jockey and won the 1894 New Zealand Cup, riding Impulse...
signed with Oldham
Oldham Roughyeds
Oldham Roughyeds is an English professional rugby league club based in Oldham, Greater Manchester. They currently play in the Championship One. Oldham is one of the original twenty-two rugby clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in 1895....
for £150 while Lance Todd
Lance Todd
Lancelot Beaumont "Lance" Todd was a New Zealand-born rugby league footballer and manager of the early 20th century. As a player he represented his country in 1907 and 1908 and played in England for the Wigan and Dewsbury clubs...
signed with Wigan
Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011....
for a massive £400 and the captaincy. Duncan McGregor
Duncan McGregor
Duncan McGregor , was a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He was a member of the legendary 1905 Original All Blacks and went on the 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Rugby Football:...
, Joseph Lavery
Joseph Lavery
Joseph Aloysius Lavery was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Rugby football:...
and Jim Gleeson
Jim Gleeson (rugby league)
James Collins "Jim" Gleeson was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Rugby Football:Gleeson was a rugby union scrum-half from the Hawkes Bay.-Rugby League:...
all also opted to stay behind, with McGregor opening a sports shop and playing for Merthyr Tydfil, Lavery signing with Leeds
Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League...
and Gleeson completing his legal studies at the Inns of Court
Inns of Court
The Inns of Court in London are the professional associations for barristers in England and Wales. All such barristers must belong to one such association. They have supervisory and disciplinary functions over their members. The Inns also provide libraries, dining facilities and professional...
. The rest of the All Blacks left Great Britain on 29 February 1908.
1908 in Australia
The All Blacks arrived in Australia on 9 April 1908 lacking match fitness after the sea voyage and being short of backs. Several had stayed in Britain and Messenger was to revert to his home teams to play for New South Wales and Australia against the tourists. The All Blacks called up James BarberJames Barber (rugby league)
James Barber was a New Zealand rugby footballer who represented New Zealand in rugby league.-Rugby Football:Barber originally played rugby union and represented Wellington...
, a provincial scrum half and utility player who had previously represented Wellington. They then spread themselves around the eight New South Wales Rugby League
New South Wales Rugby League
The New South Wales Rugby League is the governing body of rugby league in New South Wales and is a member of the Australian Rugby League. It was formed in Sydney on 8 August 1907 and was known as the New South Wales Rugby Football League until 1984 when forward thinking marketing managers decided...
clubs that were preparing for the upcoming season and helped advise them on the rules of rugby league.
The All Blacks then watched the first round of the 1908 NSWRFL season Australia's first season rugby league, which began on Easter Monday, before heading north to Newcastle. Here they played a Newcastle side
Newcastle Rebels
Newcastle were a rugby league team who played in the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership from 1908–1909, one of the nine foundation clubs. After the formation of several clubs in January 1908, members of the NSWRFL came to Newcastle to hold talks with the local footballing community...
at rugby union, defeating them 53-6. They then played a "Northern Districts" selection and defeated them 37-8 in the first ever game of rugby league played in Newcastle. The visit by the All Blacks boosted the profile of rugby league in Newcastle as the Newcastle Rebels
Newcastle Rebels
Newcastle were a rugby league team who played in the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership from 1908–1909, one of the nine foundation clubs. After the formation of several clubs in January 1908, members of the NSWRFL came to Newcastle to hold talks with the local footballing community...
were at the time playing all their matches away in Sydney. As a result of the visit playing numbers in Newcastle surged and in 1910 the Rebels dropped out of the Sydney competition to form their own league
Newcastle Rugby League
The Newcastle Rugby League is a rugby league competition in Newcastle, Australia. It is one of the oldest rugby league competitions in Australia, founded in 1910...
.
They then returned to Sydney for two matches against New South Wales. The first game was played on 2 May. Sydney had produced a very warm day for the match and the Australian ground suited the open passing of the new Northern Rugby Football Union rules. New South Wales was ahead 14-7 at half time and went on to win the match 18-10. The crowd was impressed with the new code and remained behind after the match to applaud the two teams. This game helped ensure that rugby league would become the dominant winter code in New South Wales. The second game was just as open and the New South Wales side again managed to win 13-10, with the All Blacks being denied a try on full time by a linesman call.
Test One
The first Test, Australia's inaugural rugby league international, was shaping up to be an even encounter, with the All Blacks having regained their match fitness and most of the newly-formed Australian side having been involved in the preceding series against New South Wales. The Australian selectors were determined to include some Queenslanders in the side and three were selected, despite no games of rugby league having yet been played in Queensland. Sydney again produced a nice day and 20,000 supporters turned up to see the first ever test match between the ANZAC nations.The All Blacks took control from the start, despite having Massa Johnston
Massa Johnston
William "Massa" Johnston was a New Zealand rugby union and rugby league international...
wrongly sent off early in the match. By halftime it was 11-2 to the All Blacks. The Second half however was all Australia and they scored twice to make the score 11-10. With full time nearing Messenger had two penalty shots but uncharacteristically missed both and the All Blacks held on to win the first ever test match between the two sides 11-10. Messenger's kicking had been off all game, he had only kicked two despite having fourteen attempts. Albert Baskiville on the other hand had played in his first test match and won much praise with his performance, deserving his try. Precisely 100 years later this match was commemorated on 9 May 2008 in the Centenary Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground
Sydney Cricket Ground
The Sydney Cricket Ground is a sports stadium in Sydney in Australia. It is used for Australian football, Test cricket, One Day International cricket, some rugby league and rugby union matches and is the home ground for the New South Wales Blues cricket team and the Sydney Swans of the Australian...
.
The All Blacks then headed north to Brisbane for a series of matches leading up to the second test match. The All Blacks visit did much to kick start rugby league in Queensland. The matches played by the All Blacks were the first games of rugby league played in the state, despite three Queensland players having already represented the Kangaroos in the first test. Unfortunately Baskiville caught a chill on the sea voyage up from Sydney and he did not play again for the All Blacks, being admitted to hospital. The first game, without Baskiville was held on 16 May against Queensland. The Queensland side included Bill Hardcastle
Bill Hardcastle
William Robert "Bill" Hardcastle born in Wellington, New Zealand was a pioneer New Zealand and Australian rugby union player and an Australian rugby league player. He represented both countries in union and Australia in league...
who had been an All Black in 1897 before moving to Queensland. The All Blacks ran out winners 34-12 in a match that impressed the press and the spectators. The midweek game was against a Brisbane Metropolitan side and the All Blacks ran out winners 43-10. After the match the players rushed to the Victoria Private Hospital to check on Baskiville. They found him unconscious and his condition quickly deteriorated. Albert Baskiville died late in the afternoon and on 20 May. Harry Palmer headed home with his casket accompanied by a group of players representing each province. Baskiville was buried at Karori Cemetery in Wellington. In the meantime the remaining players had to prepare for the remaining two test matches. In the build up they drew 12-all with the same Queensland side that they had earlier beaten 34-12.
Test Two
After the touring New Zealanders played against Queensland twice and Brisbane once, the Second Test match against Australia was played in Brisbane and 6,000 spectators turned up to watch the first test match to be held in the state. The All Blacks, still grieving over the loss of Baskiville, could only field a skeleton team and did not perform a pre-match haka.As they did in the first test the All Blacks dominated early in the match, with Harold Rowe scoring early, and by half time the New Zealanders led 15-2. The Second half was no easier for the Australians and the All Blacks ran out winners 24-12 in one of the most decisive test match displays ever put on by a New Zealand side.
The All Blacks then headed back to Sydney to prepare for their final match of the tour. While they had been in Brisbane the first New Zealand Māori rugby league team
New Zealand Maori rugby league team
-See also:* New Zealand national rugby league team* New Zealand Māori rugby union team* New Zealand Māori cricket team-External links:* Google Books...
had arrived in Sydney on 29 May for a tour of Australia. The side was led by "Opai" Asher
Albert Asher
Arapeta Paurini Wharepapa, or Albert Asher as he was more commonly known, was a New Zealand dual-code international rugby union and professional rugby league footballer of the 1890s, 1900s, '10s and '20s...
and was to prove another boost to the finances of the New South Wales Rugby League.
Test Three
The touring New Zealand Māori rugby league teamNew Zealand Maori rugby league team
-See also:* New Zealand national rugby league team* New Zealand Māori rugby union team* New Zealand Māori cricket team-External links:* Google Books...
were at the Showgrounds supporting the All Blacks for the final test, which drew a crowd of 14,000.
The game developed into a tight, low scoring affair and New Zealand was ahead 6-0 at halftime. They then extended their lead to 9-3 before Australia came back and then ran out winners 14-9, claiming Australia's first test match victory.
The second visit to Australia by the All Blacks had done much to boost the game in the country. They had played the first ever rugby league matches in Newcastle and Brisbane and had boosted the coffers of the New South Wales Rugby League
New South Wales Rugby League
The New South Wales Rugby League is the governing body of rugby league in New South Wales and is a member of the Australian Rugby League. It was formed in Sydney on 8 August 1907 and was known as the New South Wales Rugby Football League until 1984 when forward thinking marketing managers decided...
and the new Queensland Rugby League
Queensland Rugby League
The Queensland Rugby Football League is the governing body for rugby league in Queensland. It is a member of the Australian Rugby League and selects the members of Queensland State of Origin teams....
organisation. The All Blacks then headed home to very little fan fare, and certainly nothing to match the lavish official welcome that had been granted The Original All Blacks in 1905.
Aftermath
On their return home the All Blacks played an exhibition game at Athletic ParkAthletic Park (Wellington)
Athletic Park was a well-known ground used mostly for rugby matches in Wellington, New Zealand. The ground was also the inaugural home of New Zealand's principal knockout football tournament, the Chatham Cup ....
, the first game of rugby league in New Zealand. This match was played on 13 June 1908 and 8,000 people attended to see the "Blacks" defeat the "Reds" 55-20. The match allowed the team to raise £300 for Mrs Baskiville, Albert's mother.
The tour itself had been a great success both financially, the tour made a £5,641 profit and each player received almost £300, and on the field, where the All Blacks had defeated both Great Britain and Australia 2-1. These feats were not to be replicated for many years with the New Zealand Kiwis failing to win another series in Australia until 1952 and in Great Britain until 1971.
Other members of the tour soon returned to join George William Smith
George William Smith (New Zealand)
George William Smith was a New Zealand sportsman who excelled at track and field as well as both codes of rugby football.-Jockey:George was an extremely successful jockey and won the 1894 New Zealand Cup, riding Impulse...
, Lance Todd
Lance Todd
Lancelot Beaumont "Lance" Todd was a New Zealand-born rugby league footballer and manager of the early 20th century. As a player he represented his country in 1907 and 1908 and played in England for the Wigan and Dewsbury clubs...
, Duncan McGregor
Duncan McGregor
Duncan McGregor , was a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He was a member of the legendary 1905 Original All Blacks and went on the 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Rugby Football:...
and Joseph Lavery
Joseph Lavery
Joseph Aloysius Lavery was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Rugby football:...
who were all playing in the Northern Union. Edgar Wrigley
Edgar Wrigley
Edgar Wrigley was a New Zealand rugby footballer who represented his country in both rugby union and rugby league.-Rugby Football:Wrigley played rugby union for the Red Star club in Masterton and between 1903 and 1907 he played 18 games for Wairarapa...
signed with Runcorn for £400 and a guarantee of employment as a plumber. Harold Rowe
Harold Rowe
Harold Francis Rowe was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Rugby Football:...
joined Leeds and Massa Johnston
Massa Johnston
William "Massa" Johnston was a New Zealand rugby union and rugby league international...
joined Lance Todd at Wigan. Hubert Turtill
Hubert Turtill
"Jum" Hurbert Sydney Turtill was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Early years:...
also joined St Helens before being killed in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. William Trevarthen
William Trevarthen
William "Bill" MacVay Trevarthen was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.- Rugby Football :...
and Conrad Byrne
Conrad Byrne
Conrad "Con" Augustus Byrne was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Early years:Originally from Nelson, Bryne was a farmer by trade...
joined Huddersfield, where they were soon joined by Edgar Wrigley. Arthur Kelly
Arthur Kelly (rugby league)
Arthur Frederick Kelly was a rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Rugby Football:...
joined Turtill at St Helens.
For the Northern Union the tour had given the game credibility and its first international test opponents since the breakaway code had been established.
In Australia the tour had helped spark the establishment of the game and helped offset the costs of the New South Wales Rugby League
New South Wales Rugby League
The New South Wales Rugby League is the governing body of rugby league in New South Wales and is a member of the Australian Rugby League. It was formed in Sydney on 8 August 1907 and was known as the New South Wales Rugby Football League until 1984 when forward thinking marketing managers decided...
's expensive first season. Australia was soon to send its own touring party
1908/09 Kangaroo Tour of Great Britain
A Kangaroo tour is a rugby league tour of Great Britain and France by an Australia representative squad. Traditionally Kangaroo tours took place every four years and involved a three-Test Ashes series against Great Britain and a number of tour matches...
to Great Britain, although the side did not make as much of a profit as the All Blacks had.
In New Zealand the code did not manage to successfully establish itself as quickly as it did in Australia. Albert Baskiville had been the tours chief organiser and his death was a huge blow to the game in New Zealand as well as the players personally. Baskiville had also been talking about arranging a tour of the United States of America before his death. In some ways the All Blacks were too successful, the number signing professional contracts meant that there were less players to help establish the game back home. Daniel Fraser
Daniel Fraser (rugby league)
Daniel George Fraser was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Boer War:...
took a role in organising matches and at Victoria Park
Victoria Park, Auckland
Victoria Park is a park and sports ground in Auckland City, New Zealand. It lies on reclaimed bay land in Freemans Bay, a suburb directly west of the Auckland CBD. This origin of the land makes it very flat and level...
on 24 August 1908 8,000 people watched Auckland, captained by Richard Wynyard
Richard Wynyard
John Richard "Dick" Wynyard was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain. Richard was the brother of William Wynyard.-Early years:...
, defeat Wellington 16-14 in the first provincial match in New Zealand. The two sides met in Petone on 12 September and drew 13-all. A New Zealand side toured Australia in 1909, including six of the original touring party. In Auckland Billy Tyler
William Tyler (rugby league)
William "Bill" Thomas Tyler was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Rugby Football:...
and Charlie Dunning
Charles Dunning (rugby league)
Charles Dunning was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Rugby football:...
helped to form the Ponsonby Ponies
Ponsonby Ponies
The Ponsonby Ponies are a rugby league club based in Ponsonby, New Zealand. The club was founded in 1908 and competes in the Auckland Rugby League's Fox Memorial competition.-History:...
club while William Mackrell
William Mackrell
William "Bill" Henry Clifton Mackrell was a New Zealand rugby footballer who represented his country in both rugby union and rugby league. He was part of the 1905 The Original All Blacks tour and the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Rugby Football:Mackrell began...
was involved in establishing the Newton rugby league club and the Auckland Rugby League
Auckland Rugby League
The Auckland Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in the Auckland Region of New Zealand. It is responsible for rugby league in the region and was the owner of Carlaw Park, once the "spiritual home of rugby league in New Zealand".-History:The Auckland Rugby League was...
competition started in 1910. The New Zealand Rugby Football League was formally established on 25 April 1910 in preparation for a Great Britain tour later that same year. The Wellington
Wellington Rugby League
Wellington Rugby League is the local sporting body responsible for the administration of Rugby league in the Greater Wellington region. It is responsible for the local competition of the same name, as well as its representative team, the Wellington rugby league team.- Local Senior Competition :The...
and Canterbury Rugby League
Canterbury Rugby League
Canterbury Rugby League is the regional body that administers rugby league in Canterbury, New Zealand. CRL manages local competitions from senior level down to age group competitions. Canterbury Rugby League also manages the Canterbury rugby league team which represents the region in New Zealand...
competitions were not to start until 1913.
In 2002 a Baskerville Shield
Baskerville Shield
The Baskerville Shield is a trophy awarded to the winner of rugby league test series between Great Britain and New Zealand. It named in honour of Albert Henry Baskerville, who organised the first ever tour by New Zealand of Great Britain in 1907....
was created to be contested each time New Zealand took on Great Britain. In 2007 the team was commemorated by the 2007 All Golds Tour
2007 All Golds Tour
The 2007 All Golds Tour was conducted as part of the celebrations of a century of rugby league in New Zealand. It was a re-creation of the original New Zealand rugby league tour of Great Britain in 1907. The New Zealand Kiwis toured Great Britain and France playing four test matches. They lost the...
which featured an All Golds v Northern Union match as well as a three test series between the New Zealand Kiwis and Great Britain
Great Britain national rugby league team
The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....
. Steve Price played the role of Dally Messenger, playing in the All Golds match. The "All Golds", as they had also come to be known in the media due to their professionalism, then played their first ever match in New Zealand in 2008 when they took on the New Zealand Māori
New Zealand Maori rugby league team
-See also:* New Zealand national rugby league team* New Zealand Māori rugby union team* New Zealand Māori cricket team-External links:* Google Books...
in a match that served as a warm up to the 2008 World Cup
2008 Rugby League World Cup
The 2008 Rugby League World Cup was the thirteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup since the inauguration of the tournament in 1954, and the first since the 2000 event...
for the New Zealand Kiwis.
Professional status
The players on the tour did not consider themselves to be professionals. The members of the tour had all invested £50 and received back an equal share of the tours profits. At this stage none of the players played rugby as a career, although several became professionals after the tour had ended. They compared themselves to past tours such as the 1902 Australian cricket tour of EnglandAustralian cricket team in England in 1902
The Australian cricket team toured England during the 1902 English cricket season. The five-Test series between the two countries has been fondly remembered; in 1967 the cricket writer A.A. Thomson described the series as "a rubber more exciting than any in history except the Australia v West...
which had shared the profits of the tour and were still regarded as amateurs.
The New Zealand Rugby Union considered the players to be professionals and all members of the tour subsequently received a life ban from rugby union.
Name
The team was most often referred to as the All Blacks on the tour, the name which had been given to The Original amateur rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
team on their tour of Great Britain in 1905. Like the Originals they were sometimes referred to in the press as New Zealand or other names such as Maorilanders and Colonials. Less favourable members of the press referred to them as the All Golds or Pro Blacks, highlighting the fact that the team was playing for money. The term All Golds was first coined by the Sydney Morning Herald in 1907 as a headline. However colloquially the players would have probably referred to themselves as the All Blacks or the New Zealand rugby team.
Later on, the New Zealand rugby league team began to be known as the New Zealand Kiwis
New Zealand national rugby league team
The New Zealand national rugby league team has represented New Zealand in rugby league football since intercontinental competition began for the sport in 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name...
instead of the All Blacks. Referring back to the 1907-08 team historians have often called them the Professional All Blacks or All Golds. The New Zealand Rugby League
New Zealand Rugby League
The New Zealand Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league football in New Zealand. The NZRL was founded on the 25 April 1910 in preparation for a tour of Great Britain that same year....
has made an effort to reclaim the name All Golds from the negative connotations it once held and in 1997 fought a legal case over the use of the name with the Australian Rugby League
Australian Rugby League
The Australian Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in Australia. It is made up of state bodies, including the New South Wales Rugby League and the Queensland Rugby League...
during the Super League war
Super League war
The Super League war is the common name given to the corporate dispute that was fought in and out of court during the mid-1990s between the Rupert Murdoch and News Corporation-backed Super League and the Kerry Packer and Optus Vision-backed Australian Rugby League organisations over broadcasting...
. In 2007
2007 All Golds Tour
The 2007 All Golds Tour was conducted as part of the celebrations of a century of rugby league in New Zealand. It was a re-creation of the original New Zealand rugby league tour of Great Britain in 1907. The New Zealand Kiwis toured Great Britain and France playing four test matches. They lost the...
and 2008 an All Golds team took the field to celebrate the centenary of rugby league.
Squad
The side selected was regarded as surprisingly strong, given the secretive circumstances that it was selected, and included a good mix of experience (nine All Blacks and fourteen provincial players) and youth.Backs
Overall the backs possessed experience and pace. They were a strong attacking unit at the time when the All Blacks were well known for their attacking prowess. If the backs had a weakness it was in their defence, as the Northern Union game required stronger defensive skills and more one on one tackling than they were used to.- Herbert Turtill - Fullback: An All Black who played in 1905 against Australia, Turtill was from the Canterbury side and was regarded as well versed in wet weather football.
- Harold RoweHarold RoweHarold Francis Rowe was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Rugby Football:...
- Fullback: An Auckland provincial player who had utility value. - Duncan McGregorDuncan McGregorDuncan McGregor , was a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He was a member of the legendary 1905 Original All Blacks and went on the 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Rugby Football:...
- Three Quarters: Involved in the tour preparations from the outset, McGregor was an All Black who had represented both Canterbury and Wellington. When in England with the 1905 Originals the press had dubbed him "The Flying Scotsman". - George William SmithGeorge William Smith (New Zealand)George William Smith was a New Zealand sportsman who excelled at track and field as well as both codes of rugby football.-Jockey:George was an extremely successful jockey and won the 1894 New Zealand Cup, riding Impulse...
(vice-captain) - Three Quarters: At 35 he was still one of the fastest players in rugby. An Auckland representative and a famous All Black, Smith had toured with the Originals and was also a champion jockey and world class athlete. Smith had been involved in the tour preparations and was keen to earn a professional contract in England. - Dally MessengerDally MessengerHerbert Henry "Dally" Messenger was an Australian rugby union and rugby league footballer, recognised as one of the greatest ever players in either code. Messenger, or 'The Master' as he was dubbed, represented his country in both rugby football codes, playing two rugby union tests and seven...
- Three Quarters: The Australian joined the tour in New South Wales after he had starred for the New South Wales side that played against the touring team. Messenger had been a former Australian representative and had recently signed with the New South Wales Rugby LeagueNew South Wales Rugby LeagueThe New South Wales Rugby League is the governing body of rugby league in New South Wales and is a member of the Australian Rugby League. It was formed in Sydney on 8 August 1907 and was known as the New South Wales Rugby Football League until 1984 when forward thinking marketing managers decided...
as their star attraction. - Albert BaskivilleAlbert Henry BaskervilleAlbert Henry Baskerville was a Wellington postal clerk, a rugby union forward, author of the book "Modern Rugby Football: New Zealand Methods; Points for the Beginner, the Player, the Spectator" and a pioneer of rugby league.-Rugby football:Prior to becoming the administrator of the 1908 tour...
- Wing: A speedy winger, Baskiville played in few matches as he concentrated on managing the tour. However he starred in the Australian tests before his tragic death. - Edgar WrigleyEdgar WrigleyEdgar Wrigley was a New Zealand rugby footballer who represented his country in both rugby union and rugby league.-Rugby Football:Wrigley played rugby union for the Red Star club in Masterton and between 1903 and 1907 he played 18 games for Wairarapa...
- Outside Back: An All Black and Wairarapa representative from the Red Star Club in Masterton, Wrigley was best suited to the Centre or Second Five Eighth positions. - Joseph LaveryJoseph LaveryJoseph Aloysius Lavery was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Rugby football:...
- Centre: A Canterbury representative Lavery had also played for South Island in 1903. - Richard WynyardRichard WynyardJohn Richard "Dick" Wynyard was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain. Richard was the brother of William Wynyard.-Early years:...
- Inside Back: From a strong rugby family, that included his brother William on the tour, Dick had won Auckland selection when he was only 20 and played in the side that won the Ranfurly Shield. - William WynyardWilliam WynyardWilliam "Billy" T. Wynyard was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain. He was the brother of Richard Wynyard.-Early years:...
- Inside Back: Billy had won provincial honours later than his younger brother but by 1907 was well established in the Auckland team. - Lance ToddLance ToddLancelot Beaumont "Lance" Todd was a New Zealand-born rugby league footballer and manager of the early 20th century. As a player he represented his country in 1907 and 1908 and played in England for the Wigan and Dewsbury clubs...
- Inside Back: The regular Five Eighth for the Auckland team, Todd had not yet achieved All Black or inter-island selection due to the abundance of talent in his position. - Edward TyneEdward TyneEdward "Hone" Tyne was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Rugby Football:...
- Half Back: A 1906 Canterbury and South Island representative, Tyne had since moved to Wellington and was selected due to his utility value. - William TylerWilliam Tyler (rugby league)William "Bill" Thomas Tyler was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Rugby Football:...
- Half Back: Another from the Ranfurly Shield winning Auckland Side, Tyler was large for a Half Back and also played Wing-Forward, a position that would quickly be abandoned in the touring team due to the rule changes. - Arthur KellyArthur Kelly (rugby league)Arthur Frederick Kelly was a rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Rugby Football:...
- Half Back: One of the Wellington sides most promising young stars, Kelly was currently suspended by the Rugby Union after playing in Nelson under an assumed name and for expenses. The professional charge was never proven but Kelly was suspended for three years for playing under another name. - Jim GleesonJim Gleeson (rugby league)James Collins "Jim" Gleeson was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Rugby Football:Gleeson was a rugby union scrum-half from the Hawkes Bay.-Rugby League:...
- Half Back: From the Hawkes Bay, Gleeson was selected more for his administration skills than his playing skills and was to become the tours Treasurer.
Forwards
- Tom "Angry" CrossTom Cross (rugby)Tom "Angry" William Cross was a New Zealand rugby footballer who represented New Zealand in both rugby union and rugby league.-Rugby Football:...
- Forward: A man of large physique and an All Black, Cross had represented the South Island, Otago, Canterbury and Wellington and was regarded as exceptionally quick for his size. His nickname "Angry" was originally a play on his last name, but he was also regarded as one of the "hard men" of New Zealand rugby. - William Massa JohnstonMassa JohnstonWilliam "Massa" Johnston was a New Zealand rugby union and rugby league international...
- Forward: Another Otago representative and All Black, Johnston had been playing senior football since he was 15. An original tourist, Johnston had become sick on that tour and had been restricted to only 13 matches. - Eric WatkinsEric WatkinsEric L. Watkins was a New Zealand rugby footballer who represented his country in both rugby union and rugby league.-Early years:...
- Hooker: A Wellington and Wanganui representative, Watkins had also represented the North Island and the All Blacks in 1905. - Hercules Richard "Bumper" WrightHercules Richard WrightHercules Richard "Bumper" Wright was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Early years:...
(captain) - Hooker: The current Petone and Wellington captain, Wright had also represented North Wairarapa. When he was a soldier in the Boer WarBoer WarThe Boer Wars were two wars fought between the British Empire and the two independent Boer republics, the Oranje Vrijstaat and the Republiek van Transvaal ....
, Wright had played for the New Zealand ArmyNew Zealand ArmyThe New Zealand Army , is the land component of the New Zealand Defence Force and comprises around 4,500 Regular Force personnel, 2,000 Territorial Force personnel and 500 civilians. Formerly the New Zealand Military Forces, the current name was adopted around 1946...
Corps team. - Conrad ByrneConrad ByrneConrad "Con" Augustus Byrne was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Early years:Originally from Nelson, Bryne was a farmer by trade...
- Forward: A farmer and Wellington representative, Byrne was considered a rising star at only 23. - Adam LileAdam LileAdam "Addie" Lile was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Early years:...
- Forward: A team mate of Baskivilles, Lile had won North Island selection in 1907. - Daniel GilchristDaniel GilchristDaniel Gilchrist was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Rugby Football:...
- Forward: Despite being on 23 Gilchrist had represented Wellington consistently since 1904. - Arthur CallumArthur CallumArthur "Dick" Callum was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Rugby Football:Callum played rugby union for the Melrose Club and represented Wellington in 1905 and 1907....
- Forward: An insurance agent and club mate of Gilchrist, Callum had played for Wellington in 1905 and 1907. - Charles Pearce - Forward: From Canterbury, Pearce was selected both for his experience and his size. Pearce was a team mate of Lavery and had been a regular member of Canterbury. He had played for the South Island in 1906.
- William TrevarthenWilliam TrevarthenWilliam "Bill" MacVay Trevarthen was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.- Rugby Football :...
- Forward: An Auckland representative, Trevarthen had played for Ohinemuri in 1900 and since 1904 had represented Auckland. - Charles DunningCharles Dunning (rugby league)Charles Dunning was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Rugby football:...
- Forward: Dunning was a builder by trade and had represented both Gisbourne and Auckland, where he had became a key member of the Ranfurly Shield team and represented the North Island. - William MackrellWilliam MackrellWilliam "Bill" Henry Clifton Mackrell was a New Zealand rugby footballer who represented his country in both rugby union and rugby league. He was part of the 1905 The Original All Blacks tour and the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Rugby Football:Mackrell began...
- Forward: An All Black and Auckland forward, Mackrell had toured with the Originals but played only a few games due to injuries.
Administrators
- Daniel FraserDaniel Fraser (rugby league)Daniel George Fraser was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Boer War:...
- Fraser was from the Petone club in Wellington and had also played for the New Zealand Army Corps in South Africa. He joined the tour in New South Wales and acted as the tours Assistant Manager. - Henry J. Palmer - Financial Manager: A leading restaurateur in Wellington with many other business interests, Palmer was involved in organising the tour.
Organisation
As the New Zealand Rugby LeagueNew Zealand Rugby League
The New Zealand Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league football in New Zealand. The NZRL was founded on the 25 April 1910 in preparation for a tour of Great Britain that same year....
was not yet set up, the tour had no official administration body. The touring party legally formed itself into an organisation (The New Zealand All Black Rugby Football team) and each played invested £50 of their own money, quite a sum at that time. The players were paid £1 per week for expenses and then the profits (if any) were to be divided equally at the end of the tour. No bonuses of any kind were paid. Albert Baskiville
Albert Henry Baskerville
Albert Henry Baskerville was a Wellington postal clerk, a rugby union forward, author of the book "Modern Rugby Football: New Zealand Methods; Points for the Beginner, the Player, the Spectator" and a pioneer of rugby league.-Rugby football:Prior to becoming the administrator of the 1908 tour...
acted as the tours secretary and did much of the administrative work. He was supported by Harry Palmer (Manager), Daniel Fraser
Daniel Fraser (rugby league)
Daniel George Fraser was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Boer War:...
(Assistant Manager) and Jim Gleeson
Jim Gleeson (rugby league)
James Collins "Jim" Gleeson was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Rugby Football:Gleeson was a rugby union scrum-half from the Hawkes Bay.-Rugby League:...
(Treasurer).
Disputes while on tour were heard by a Management Committee. This consisted of Jim Gleeson, Harry Palmer, Duncan McGregory, Massa Johnston, Lance Todd, Bumper Wright and Bert Baskiville. This committee had the power to impose fines for indiscretions and even expel someone from the tour party if it was deemed to be necessary.
Hercules Richard Wright
Hercules Richard Wright
Hercules Richard "Bumper" Wright was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Early years:...
was elected the tours captain while George William Smith
George William Smith (New Zealand)
George William Smith was a New Zealand sportsman who excelled at track and field as well as both codes of rugby football.-Jockey:George was an extremely successful jockey and won the 1894 New Zealand Cup, riding Impulse...
was elected vice-captain, a sign of the democratic nature of the tours organisation. These two formed the selection committee alongside Massa Johnston
Massa Johnston
William "Massa" Johnston was a New Zealand rugby union and rugby league international...
.
Match results
| Summary | ||||
| Country | Matches | Won | Drawn | Lost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 46 | 26 | 3 | 17 |
| Great Britain | 35 | 19 | 2 | 14 |
| Australia | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 |
| Ceylon | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tests | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Score | Rules | Attendance | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 August 1907 | New South Wales | Royal Agricultural Society Ground, Sydney Sydney Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people... |
Won | 12-8 | Rugby union Rugby union Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand... |
20,000 | |
| 21 August 1907 | New South Wales | Royal Agricultural Society Ground, Sydney Sydney Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people... |
Won | 19-5 | Rugby union Rugby union Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand... |
3,000 | http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/All_Blacks_Tour_1907/Game_2/NSW_Firsts-vs-New_Zealand.html |
| 24 August 1907 | New South Wales | Royal Agricultural Society Ground, Sydney Sydney Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people... |
Won | 5-3 | Rugby union Rugby union Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand... |
8,000 | http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/All_Blacks_Tour_1907/Game_3/NSW_Firsts-vs-New_Zealand.html |
| 12 September 1907 | All Ceylon | Colombo Racecourse, Colombo Colombo Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo... |
Won | 33-6 | Rugby union Rugby union Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand... |
3,000 | http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/All_Blacks_Tour_1907/Game_4/Ceylon-vs-New_Zealand.html |
| 9 October 1907 | Bramley Bramley Buffaloes Bramley Buffaloes is a rugby league club from the Bramley area of West Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. Previously known simply as Bramley RLFC, the club is a famous name in rugby league, having existed prior to the formation of the Northern Union in 1895... |
McLaren Field Barley Mow, Bramley Barley Mow was a former home ground of the Bramley Rugby League Club in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England who moved there in 1881, just two years after their foundation. The club used the nearby Barley Mow public house as changing rooms.... , Bramley Bramley, Leeds Bramley is a district in west Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is an old industrial area and home to a lot of 19th century architecture alongside 20th century council housing in the east and private suburban housing to the west. It has its own railway station which is on the Caldervale and... |
Won | 25-6 | Northern union Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
6,000 | http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/All_Blacks_Tour_1907/Game_5/Bramley-vs-New_Zealand.html |
| 12 October 1907 | Huddersfield Huddersfield Giants Huddersfield Giants are a professional rugby league club from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire who play in the European Super League competition. They play their home games at the Galpharm Stadium which is shared with Huddersfield Town F.C.... |
Fartown Ground, Huddersfield Huddersfield Huddersfield is a large market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, situated halfway between Leeds and Manchester. It lies north of London, and south of Bradford, the nearest city.... |
Won | 19-8 | Northern union Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
10,000 | http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/All_Blacks_Tour_1907/Game_6/Huddersfield-vs-New_Zealand.html |
| 17 October 1907 | Widnes Widnes Vikings Widnes Vikings RLFC are an English professional rugby league club based in Widnes, Cheshire. They currently play in the Engage Super League, the top tier of European rugby league, after being awarded a license to compete in the top-flight Super League from 2012 onward... |
Naughton Park Halton Stadium The Stobart Stadium Halton is a rugby league stadium in Widnes, England. The Widnes Vikings play their home games there as do Everton Reserves... , Widnes Widnes Widnes is an industrial town within the borough of Halton, in Cheshire, England, with an urban area population of 57,663 in 2004. It is located on the northern bank of the River Mersey where the estuary narrows to form the Runcorn Gap. Directly to the south across the Mersey is the town of Runcorn... |
Won | 26-11 | Northern union Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
8,000 | http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/All_Blacks_Tour_1907/Game_7/Widnes-vs-New_Zealand.html |
| 19 October 1907 | Broughton Rangers Broughton Rangers Broughton Rangers was a British rugby football, and subsequently a rugby league club. It was based in Broughton, Salford.-History:Broughton Rangers was founded in 1877 as Broughton and added Rangers for its second season... |
Wheater’s Field Wheater’s Field Wheater’s Field was a rugby ground in Broughton, Salford, England. It was home to the Broughton Rangers rugby league club of the Northern Union. On 19 October 1907, the stadium hosted a match between Rangers and the New Zealand All Golds. It had a capacity of 20,000 spectators... , Broughton Broughton, Greater Manchester Broughton is an inner city area of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the east bank of the River Irwell and A56 road, in the northeastern part of the City of Salford, north-northwest of Manchester city centre and south of Prestwich. Broughton consists of Broughton Park, Higher... |
Won | 20-14 | Northern union Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
24,000 | |
| 23 October 1907 | Wakefield Trinity Wakefield Trinity Wildcats Wakefield Trinity Wildcats are a professional rugby league club that plays in the European Super League and is based in Wakefield. They achieved promotion in 1999 and have remained in the League since. They are known to their fans as Wakey, Trinity, Wildcats, or historically The Dreadnoughts... |
Belle Vue Belle Vue (Wakefield) Belle Vue is a rugby league stadium in Wakefield, England. It is the home stadium of Wakefield Trinity Wildcats. It is located beside the A638 Doncaster Road, approximately one mile south of Wakefield City Centre.- Description :Currently, the East stand has a covered stand with seating, with some... , Wakefield Wakefield Wakefield is the main settlement and administrative centre of the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England. Located by the River Calder on the eastern edge of the Pennines, the urban area is and had a population of 76,886 in 2001.... |
Drew | 5-5 | Northern union Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
5,000 | http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/All_Blacks_Tour_1907/Game_9/Wakefield_Trinity-vs-New_Zealand.html |
| 26 October 1907 | Leeds Leeds Rhinos Leeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League... |
Elland Road Elland Road Elland Road is an all-seater football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has been the permanent residence of Leeds United A.F.C... , Leeds Leeds Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial... |
Won | 8-2 | Northern union Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
12,000 | http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/All_Blacks_Tour_1907/Game_10/Leeds-vs-New_Zealand.html |
| 30 October 1907 | St Helens RLFC | Knowsley Road Knowsley Road Knowsley Road was a stadium located in Eccleston, St Helens, Merseyside. It was the home of St Helens RLFC from 1890 until its closure in 2010. St Helens Town FC played their home fixtures at Knowsley Road from 2002 until 2010. For a period, the venue also hosted Liverpool FC Reserves... , St Helens St Helens, Merseyside St Helens is a large town in Merseyside, England. It is the largest settlement and administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens with a population of just over 100,000, part of an urban area with a total population of 176,843 at the time of the 2001 Census... |
Won | 24-5 | Northern union Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/All_Blacks_Tour_1907/Game_11/St_Helens-vs-New_Zealand.html | |
| 2 November 1907 | Merthyr Tydfil | Merthyr Tydfil Merthyr Tydfil Merthyr Tydfil is a town in Wales, with a population of about 30,000. Although once the largest town in Wales, it is now ranked as the 15th largest urban area in Wales. It also gives its name to a county borough, which has a population of around 55,000. It is located in the historic county of... |
Won | 27-9 | Northern union Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/All_Blacks_Tour_1907/Game_12/Merthyr-vs-New_Zealand.html | |
| 5 November 1907 | Keighley Keighley Cougars Keighley Cougars are a professional rugby league club from Keighley in West Yorkshire, England. As of 2012 they will play in Co-operative Championship having won the Co-operative Championship 1 play off final 32-12 against Workington... |
Lawkholme Lane Cougar Park Cougar Park is a multi-purpose stadium in Keighley, England. It is used mostly for rugby league matches, as the home stadium of Keighley Cougars and football as the new home of Silsden F.C.. Its capacity is 7,800 people. It also hosted a match during the 1995 Rugby League World Cup... , Keighley Keighley Keighley is a town and civil parish within the metropolitan borough of the City of Bradford in West Yorkshire, England. It is situated northwest of Bradford and is at the confluence of the River Aire and the River Worth... |
Won | 9-7 | Northern union Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
8,000 | http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/All_Blacks_Tour_1907/Game_13/Keighley-vs-New_Zealand.html |
| 9 November 1907 | Wigan Wigan Warriors Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011.... |
Central Park Central Park (Wigan) Central Park was a rugby league stadium in Wigan, England. It was the home of Wigan RLFC before the club moved to the JJB Stadium in 1999. Its final capacity was 18,000.-History:... , Wigan Wigan Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total... |
Lost | 8-12 | Northern union Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
30,000 | http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/All_Blacks_Tour_1907/Game_14/Wigan-vs-New_Zealand.html |
| 13 November 1907 | Barrow Barrow Raiders Barrow Raiders are an English professional rugby league team from Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, who are coached by Dave Clark. Formed in 1875 as Barrow Football Club, the club is the oldest of the current professional sports teams in Cumbria.... |
Cavendish Park, Barrow-in-Furness Barrow-in-Furness Barrow-in-Furness is an industrial town and seaport which forms about half the territory of the wider Borough of Barrow-in-Furness in the county of Cumbria, England. It lies north of Liverpool, northwest of Manchester and southwest from the county town of Carlisle... |
Lost | 3-6 | Northern union Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
7,000 | http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/All_Blacks_Tour_1907/Game_15/Barrow-vs-New_Zealand.html |
| 16 November 1907 | Hull | The Boulevard The Boulevard (Stadium) The Boulevard was a multi-purpose stadium in Hull, England. The venue was saved from demolition and reopened on 25 October 2007 as the home of greyhound racing in the city. It can also be used as a community stadium hosting amateur rugby league matches... , Kingston upon Hull Kingston upon Hull Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of... |
Won | 18-13 | Northern union Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/All_Blacks_Tour_1907/Game_16/Hull_FC-vs-New_Zealand.html | |
| 20 November 1907 | Leigh Leigh Centurions Leigh Centurions is an English professional rugby league club based in Leigh, Greater Manchester who play in the Co-operative Championship.The club was founded in 1878 as Leigh Rugby Football Club and is one of the original twenty-two clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in... |
Mather Lane, Leigh Leigh, Greater Manchester Leigh is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. It is southeast of Wigan, and west of Manchester. Leigh is situated on low lying land to the north west of Chat Moss.... |
Lost | 9-15 | Northern union Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/All_Blacks_Tour_1907/Game_17/Leigh-vs-New_Zealand.html | |
| 23 November 1907 | Oldham Oldham Roughyeds Oldham Roughyeds is an English professional rugby league club based in Oldham, Greater Manchester. They currently play in the Championship One. Oldham is one of the original twenty-two rugby clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in 1895.... |
Watersheddings Watersheddings Watersheddings is an area of Oldham, in Greater Manchester, England.Lying on the A672 approximately 2 miles north east of Oldham town centre it is home to Oldham Cricket Club whose ground situated on Broadbent Road is called "The Pollards".... , Oldham Oldham Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amid the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock, south-southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of the city of Manchester... |
Lost | 7-8 | Northern union Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
15,000 | http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/All_Blacks_Tour_1907/Game_18/Oldham-vs-New_Zealand.html |
| 27 November 1907 | Runcorn | Runcorn Runcorn Runcorn is an industrial town and cargo port within the borough of Halton in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. In 2009, its population was estimated to be 61,500. The town is on the southern bank of the River Mersey where the estuary narrows to form Runcorn Gap. Directly to the north... |
Lost | 0-9 | Northern union Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
5,000 | http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/All_Blacks_Tour_1907/Game_19/Runcorn-vs-New_Zealand.html |
| 30 November 1907 | Dewsbury Dewsbury Rams Dewsbury Rams RLFC is a professional rugby league club based in the West Yorkshire town of Dewsbury. They are arguably most famous for becoming Champions in 1972-73 after finishing the regular season in 8th place. In the playoffs they beat Featherstone away, Warrington away, and then Leeds in the... and Batley Batley Bulldogs Batley Bulldogs are an English professional rugby league club from Batley, West Yorkshire. They currently play in the Co-operative Championship. Batley is one of the original twenty-two rugby football clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in 1895... |
West Yorkshire West Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972.... |
Won | 18-8 | Northern union Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/All_Blacks_Tour_1907/Game_20/Dewsbury-Batley-vs-New_Zealand.html | |
| 4 December 1907 | Swinton Swinton Lions Swinton Lions is an English professional rugby league club from Swinton, Greater Manchester. The club has won the Championship six times and three Challenge Cups. They currently play in the Championship.-Early years:... |
Chorley Road, Swinton Swinton, Greater Manchester Swinton is a town within the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. Located on the A6 road it stands on gently sloping ground on the southwest side of the River Irwell, and within the bounds of the orbital M60 motorway. It is west-northwest of Salford, and west-northwest of Manchester... |
Won | 11-2 | Northern union Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/All_Blacks_Tour_1907/Game_21/Swinton-vs-New_Zealand.html | |
| 7 December 1907 | Rochdale Hornets Rochdale Hornets Rochdale Hornets RLFC is an English professional rugby league club from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England. They currently play in Championship One... |
Athletic Grounds, Rochdale Rochdale Rochdale is a large market town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amongst the foothills of the Pennines on the River Roch, north-northwest of Oldham, and north-northeast of the city of Manchester. Rochdale is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan... |
Won | 19-0 | Northern union Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/All_Blacks_Tour_1907/Game_22/Rochdale_Hornets-vs-New_Zealand.html | |
| 10 December 1907 | Bradford F.C. | Greenfield Park Avenue (stadium) Park Avenue is a sports ground on Horton Park Avenue in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. It was used for both cricket and football. It held 306 first class and 48 list A cricket matches between 1881 and 1996, and was home to former Football League club Bradford Park Avenue, to which it lent its... , Bradford Bradford Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897... |
Lost | 2-7 | Northern union Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
4,000 | |
| 14 December 1907 | Halifax RLFC Halifax RLFC Halifax RLFC is one of the most historic rugby league clubs in the game, formed over a century ago, in 1873 in the Yorkshire town of Halifax. Known as 'Fax', the official club colours are blue and white hoops, blue shorts and blue socks . They share The Shay stadium with football club FC Halifax Town... |
Thrum Hall Thrum Hall Thrum Hall was a rugby league stadium on Hanson Lane in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England. It was the home of Halifax RLFC.-Stadium:The site, measuring 55,000 square yards and included a cricket pitch, greyhound track and bowling greens... , Halifax Halifax, West Yorkshire Halifax is a minster town, within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale in West Yorkshire, England. It has an urban area population of 82,056 in the 2001 Census. It is well-known as a centre of England's woollen manufacture from the 15th century onward, originally dealing through the Halifax Piece... |
Lost | 4-9 | Northern union Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
11,000 | http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/All_Blacks_Tour_1907/Game_24/Halifax-vs-New_Zealand.html |
| 18 December 1907 | Yorkshire | Belle Vue Belle Vue (Wakefield) Belle Vue is a rugby league stadium in Wakefield, England. It is the home stadium of Wakefield Trinity Wildcats. It is located beside the A638 Doncaster Road, approximately one mile south of Wakefield City Centre.- Description :Currently, the East stand has a covered stand with seating, with some... , Wakefield Wakefield Wakefield is the main settlement and administrative centre of the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England. Located by the River Calder on the eastern edge of the Pennines, the urban area is and had a population of 76,886 in 2001.... |
Won | 23-4 | Northern union Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/All_Blacks_Tour_1907/Game_25/Yorkshire-vs-New_Zealand.html | |
| 21 December 1907 | Warrington Warrington Wolves Warrington Wolves are a professional rugby league football club based in Warrington, England that competes in Super League. They play at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, having moved there from Wilderspool in 2003.... |
Wilderspool Ground Wilderspool Stadium Wilderspool Stadium is a rugby league stadium located in Warrington, England. The ground was Warrington RLFC's old ground before moving to the Halliwell Jones Stadium. It holds just over 9,000, after substantial decreases for crowd safety... , Warrington Warrington Warrington is a town, borough and unitary authority area of Cheshire, England. It stands on the banks of the River Mersey, which is tidal to the west of the weir at Howley. It lies 16 miles east of Liverpool, 19 miles west of Manchester and 8 miles south of St Helens... |
Lost | 7-8 | Northern union Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
10,000 | http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/All_Blacks_Tour_1907/Game_26/Warrington-vs-New_Zealand.html |
| 26 December 1907 | Hunslet Hunslet Hawks Hunslet Hawks is a professional rugby league club based in Hunslet, West Yorkshire, England. The club, sometimes known as 'the Parksiders' after their former stadium, are currently champions of Championship One.-History:-Early years:... |
Parkview Ground Parkside, Hunslet Parkside was a rugby league stadium in Hunslet, Leeds, England. It was home to Hunslet rugby league club and the source of their nickname the Parksiders.... , Hunslet Hunslet Hunslet is an inner-city area in south Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is south east of the city centre and has an industrial past.Hunslet had many engineering companies based in the district, such as John Fowler & Co... |
Drew | 11-11 | Northern union Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/All_Blacks_Tour_1907/Game_27/Hunslet-vs-New_Zealand.html | |
| 28 December 1907 | Salford Salford City Reds Salford City Reds are an English rugby league club based in Salford, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1873, they currently play in the Super League. They have won six Rugby Football League Championships and one Challenge Cup... |
The Willows, Salford | Won | 9-2 | Northern union Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
12,000 | http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/All_Blacks_Tour_1907/Game_28/Salford-vs-New_Zealand.html |
| 1 January 1908 | Wales Wales national rugby league team The Wales national rugby league team represent Wales in international rugby league football matches. Currently the team is seventh in the RLIF World Rankings. The team were run under the auspices of the Rugby Football League, but an independent body, Wales Rugby League, now runs the team from... |
Aberdare Athletic Ground Aberdare Athletic Ground The Aberdare Athletic Ground was a mixed sports venue in Aberdare, Wales, which was predominantly used for football. For some years it was the home of Aberdare Athletic F.C., who were members of the Football League between 1921 and 1927.... , Aberdare Aberdare Aberdare is an industrial town in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Dare and Cynon. The population at the census was 31,705... |
Lost | 8-9 | Northern union Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
20,000 | |
| 4 January 1908 | Hull Kingston Rovers Hull Kingston Rovers Hull Kingston Rovers or Hull KR is an English professional rugby league football club based in Hull, England. The club formed in 1882 and currently competes in Super League, having won promotion from National League One in 2006... |
Kingston upon Hull Kingston upon Hull Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of... |
Won | 6-3 | Northern union Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
10,000 | http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/All_Blacks_Tour_1907/Game_30/Hull_Kingston_Rovers-vs-New_Zealand.html |
| 8 January 1908 | Cumberland | Lost | 9-21 | Northern union Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/All_Blacks_Tour_1907/Game_31/Cumberland-vs-New_Zealand.html | ||
| 11 January 1908 | England XIII England national rugby league team The England national rugby league team represent England in international rugby league football tournaments. The team has now seen a revival, having largely formed from the Great Britain team, who also represented Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The team is run under the auspices of the Rugby Football... |
Central Park Central Park (Wigan) Central Park was a rugby league stadium in Wigan, England. It was the home of Wigan RLFC before the club moved to the JJB Stadium in 1999. Its final capacity was 18,000.-History:... , Wigan Wigan Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total... |
Lost | 16-18 | Northern union Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
12,000 | http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/Dates/11_January_1908/England-vs-New_Zealand.html |
| 18 January 1908 | Lancashire | Lost | 4-20 | Northern union Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/All_Blacks_Tour_1907/Game_33/Lancashire-vs-New_Zealand.html | ||
| 25 January 1908 | Northern Union Great Britain national rugby league team The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions".... |
Headingley Headingley Stadium Headingley Stadium is a sporting complex in the Leeds suburb of Headingley in West Yorkshire, England. It is the home of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, rugby league team Leeds Rhinos and rugby union team Leeds Carnegie .... , Leeds Leeds Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial... |
Lost | 6-14 | Northern union Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
8,182 | |
| 29 January 1908 | York York City Knights York City Knights Rugby League Club is a British professional rugby league club hailing from York. They play at the Huntington Stadium, situated to the north of York city centre... |
Fishergate Fishergate Fishergate is one of the centre wards of York, England. It is situated directly south of the city walls, on the east bank of the River Ouse, north of Fulford. On its north west corner is the confluence point of the Foss and the Ouse. This area is protected from floods by the Foss Barrier... , York York York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence... |
Lost | 3-5 | Northern union Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/All_Blacks_Tour_1907/Game_35/York-vs-New_Zealand.html | |
| 1 February 1908 | Ebbw Vale Ebbw Vale RLFC Ebbw Vale Rugby League Football Club was a professional rugby league club based in Ebbw Vale, Wales playing in the Welsh League and Northern Union. Based at Bridge End Field, Ebbw Vale were one of the first professional Welsh teams, and the last to disband in 1912 after the failure of the Welsh... |
Bridge End Field Eugene Cross Park Eugene Cross Park is a rugby and cricket ground in Ebbw Vale, Wales. In November 1919 the Ebbw Vale Welfare Association was formed and bought the "Bridgend Field". The of land became known as the Welfare Ground, and in 1973 its name was changed to its present title in honour of Sir Eugene Cross,... , Ebbw Vale Ebbw Vale Ebbw Vale is a town at the head of the valley formed by the Ebbw Fawr tributary of the Ebbw River, south Wales. It is the largest town and the administrative centre of Blaenau Gwent county borough... |
Won | 3-2 | Northern union Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
10,000 | http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/All_Blacks_Tour_1907/Game_36/Ebbw_Vale-vs-New_Zealand.html |
| 8 February 1908 | Northern Union Great Britain national rugby league team The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions".... |
Stamford Bridge Stamford Bridge (stadium) Stamford Bridge is a football stadium in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, West London, and is the home of Chelsea Football Club. The stadium is located within the Moore Park Estate also known as Walham Green and is often referred to as simply The Bridge... , London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
Won | 18-6 | Northern union Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
14,000 | |
| 15 February 1908 | Northern Union Great Britain national rugby league team The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions".... |
Whaddon Road Whaddon Road Whaddon Road is a football stadium in Cheltenham, England. It is the home ground of Cheltenham Town F.C. and shared with Gloucester City A.F.C.. It has a total capacity of 7,066, with a mixture of seating and terracing... , Cheltenham Cheltenham Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held... |
Won | 8-5 | Northern union Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
4,000 | |
| 22 February 1908 | St Helens RLFC | St Helens St Helens, Merseyside St Helens is a large town in Merseyside, England. It is the largest settlement and administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens with a population of just over 100,000, part of an urban area with a total population of 176,843 at the time of the 2001 Census... |
Won | 21-10 | Northern union Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/All_Blacks_Tour_1907/Game_39/St_Helens-vs-New_Zealand.html | |
| 22 April 1908 | Newcastle Newcastle Rebels Newcastle were a rugby league team who played in the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership from 1908–1909, one of the nine foundation clubs. After the formation of several clubs in January 1908, members of the NSWRFL came to Newcastle to hold talks with the local footballing community... |
Newcastle Showgrounds Newcastle Entertainment Centre Newcastle Entertainment Centre is a multi-purpose Australian arena located within the Newcastle Showgrounds and was opened in 1992 at a cost of A$12m.... , Newcastle Newcastle, New South Wales The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas... |
Won | 53-6 | Rugby union Rugby union Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand... |
http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/All_Blacks_Tour_1907/Game_40/Newcastle_Firsts-vs-New_Zealand.html | |
| 25 April 1908 | Northern Districts Newcastle Rebels Newcastle were a rugby league team who played in the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership from 1908–1909, one of the nine foundation clubs. After the formation of several clubs in January 1908, members of the NSWRFL came to Newcastle to hold talks with the local footballing community... |
Newcastle Showgrounds Newcastle Entertainment Centre Newcastle Entertainment Centre is a multi-purpose Australian arena located within the Newcastle Showgrounds and was opened in 1992 at a cost of A$12m.... , Newcastle Newcastle, New South Wales The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas... |
Won | 37-8 | Northern union Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
700 | http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/All_Blacks_Tour_1907/Game_41/Northern_Districts-vs-New_Zealand.html |
| 2 May 1908 | New South Wales | Royal Agricultural Society Ground, Sydney Sydney Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people... |
Lost | 10-18 | Northern union Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
18,000 | http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/All_Blacks_Tour_1907/Game_42/NSW_Firsts-vs-New_Zealand.html |
| 6 May 1908 | New South Wales | Royal Agricultural Society Ground, Sydney Sydney Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people... |
Lost | 10-13 | Northern union Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
8,000 | http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/All_Blacks_Tour_1907/Game_43/NSW_Firsts-vs-New_Zealand.html |
| 9 May 1908 | Australia | Royal Agricultural Society Ground, Sydney Sydney Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people... |
Won | 11-10 | Northern union Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
20,000 | |
| 16 May 1908 | Queensland | Brisbane Exhibition Ground Brisbane Exhibition Ground The Brisbane Exhibition Ground , is a showground established in Brisbane during 1875 especially for Ekka . The Exhibition ground is owned and operated by the Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland... , Brisbane Brisbane Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of... |
Won | 34-12 | Northern union Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/All_Blacks_Tour_1907/Game_45/QLD_Firsts-vs-New_Zealand.html | |
| 20 May 1908 | Brisbane | Brisbane Exhibition Ground Brisbane Exhibition Ground The Brisbane Exhibition Ground , is a showground established in Brisbane during 1875 especially for Ekka . The Exhibition ground is owned and operated by the Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland... , Brisbane Brisbane Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of... |
Won | 43-10 | Northern union Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/All_Blacks_Tour_1907/Game_46/Brisbane_Firsts-vs-New_Zealand.html | |
| 23 May 1908 | Queensland | Brisbane Exhibition Ground Brisbane Exhibition Ground The Brisbane Exhibition Ground , is a showground established in Brisbane during 1875 especially for Ekka . The Exhibition ground is owned and operated by the Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland... , Brisbane Brisbane Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of... |
Drew | 12-12 | Northern union Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/All_Blacks_Tour_1907/Game_47/QLD_Firsts-vs-New_Zealand.html | |
| 30 May 1908 | Australia | Brisbane Exhibition Ground Brisbane Exhibition Ground The Brisbane Exhibition Ground , is a showground established in Brisbane during 1875 especially for Ekka . The Exhibition ground is owned and operated by the Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland... , Brisbane Brisbane Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of... |
Won | 24-12 | Northern union Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
6,000 | |
| 6 June 1908 | Australia | Royal Agricultural Society Ground, Sydney Sydney Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people... |
Lost | 9-14 | Northern union Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
14,000 |