1955 British Lions tour to South Africa
Encyclopedia
In 1955 the British Lions
rugby union
team toured Southern and Eastern Africa. The Lions drew the test series against , each team winning two of the four matches. They won the first test by a single point and the third by three points and lost the second and fourth matches by wider margins. As well as South Africa, the tour included a match against South West Africa (later to become ), two games against Rhodesia
(later to become Zimbabwe
) and one versus East Africa
.
Overall the tourists played twenty-five matches winning nineteen, losing five and drawing one. The Lions lost their opening fixture against Western Transvaal and were also beaten by Eastern Province and Border later in the tour. They drew with Eastern Transvaal.
It was the Lions' second tour after World War II
and the first to South Africa after that war.
The touring party was captained by Robin Thompson
of Ireland. The manager was Jack A. E. Siggins and the assistant manager was D. E. Davies.
Jack Siggins had the honour of being invited, by the Rugby Football Union of East Africa
(RFUEA), officially to open the newly constructed RFUEA Ground
at Ngong Road in Nairobi just prior to the Lions last match of that tour against East Africa
.
Dickie Jeeps later played for England but was uncapped at the time of the 1955 tour.
that that Idi Amin
(later to become the infamous military dictator
of Uganda
) was selected as a replacement by East Africa
for their match against the 1955 British Lions
. The story is entirely unfounded, he does not appear on the team photograph or on the official team list and replacements were not allowed in international rugby until 13 years after this event is supposed to have taken place.
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
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 toured Southern and Eastern Africa. The Lions drew the test series against , each team winning two of the four matches. They won the first test by a single point and the third by three points and lost the second and fourth matches by wider margins. As well as South Africa, the tour included a match against South West Africa (later to become ), two games against Rhodesia
Rhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
(later to become Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe national rugby union team
The Zimbabwe national rugby union team is the rugby union team representing Zimbabwe. They are considered to be a third tier rugby union nation...
) and one versus East Africa
East Africa rugby union team
Established in 1950, The East Africa rugby union team is a multi-national rugby union team drawing players from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, though the vast majority of these came from Kenya which has traditionally been the strongest rugby playing nation in this part of the world...
.
Overall the tourists played twenty-five matches winning nineteen, losing five and drawing one. The Lions lost their opening fixture against Western Transvaal and were also beaten by Eastern Province and Border later in the tour. They drew with Eastern Transvaal.
It was the Lions' second tour after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the first to South Africa after that war.
The touring party was captained by Robin Thompson
Robin Thompson
Robin Thompson was a rugby union international for Ireland and a former British and Irish Lions captain.Robin Thompson won two Ulster Schools Senior Cup medals with RBAI and played for Ulster Schools...
of Ireland. The manager was Jack A. E. Siggins and the assistant manager was D. E. Davies.
Jack Siggins had the honour of being invited, by the Rugby Football Union of East Africa
Rugby Football Union of East Africa
The Rugby Football Union of East Africa is an umbrella union for the Kenya Rugby Football Union, Tanzania Rugby Football Union and Uganda Rugby Football Union. It owes its existence to the fact that, prior to independence, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda were either a protectorate or mandate of the...
(RFUEA), officially to open the newly constructed RFUEA Ground
RFUEA Ground
The RFUEA Ground is a rugby union stadium located on the Ngong Road in Nairobi, Kenya. It was purpose built to be the home of the national team and to serve as the headquarters of the Rugby Football Union of Kenya...
at Ngong Road in Nairobi just prior to the Lions last match of that tour against East Africa
East Africa rugby union team
Established in 1950, The East Africa rugby union team is a multi-national rugby union team drawing players from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, though the vast majority of these came from Kenya which has traditionally been the strongest rugby playing nation in this part of the world...
.
Backs
- Douglas "Doug" George Santley Baker (Old Merchant TaylorsOld Merchant Taylors' FCThis article concerns the rugby club. For a list of eminent Old Merchant Taylors' please see Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood#Old Merchant Taylors ...
and ) - Jeff ButterfieldJeff ButterfieldJeffrey Butterfield was an England, British and Irish Lions, Northampton and Barbarians Rugby player and businessman....
(NorthamptonNorthampton SaintsNorthampton Saints are a professional rugby union club from Northampton, England. The Northampton Saints were formed in 1880. They play in green, black and gold colours. They play their home games at Franklin's Gardens, which has a capacity of 13,591....
and ) - Angus CameronAngus Cameron (rugby union)Angus Cameron was a Scottish international rugby union player.He was capped for seventeen times between 1948-56. He also played for Glasgow High School Former Pupils RFC.His brother Donald was also capped for Scotland....
(Glasgow HSFP and ) - Phil DaviesW. P. C. DaviesWilliam Philip Cathcart Davies , played rugby union at centre for Evesham RUFC, Cheltenham RUFC, Cambridge University, Harlequins, England and the British Lions....
(HarlequinsHarlequin F.C.The Harlequin Football Club is an English rugby union team who play in the top level of English rugby, the Aviva Premiership. Their ground in London is Twickenham Stoop...
and ) - Gareth GriffithsGareth Griffiths (rugby player)Gareth Meredith Griffiths is a former international rugby union player.Griffiths made his debut for Wales on 17 January 1953 versus England and was selected for the 1955 British Lions tour to South Africa. He played club rugby for Cardiff RFC.- References :...
(CardiffCardiff RFCCardiff Rugby Football Club is a rugby union football club based in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The club was founded in 1876 and played their first few matches at Sophia Gardens, but soon relocated to Cardiff Arms Park where they have been based ever since...
and ) - Dickie JeepsDickie JeepsRichard Eric Gautrey Jeeps , known as Dickie Jeeps, was an English rugby union player who played for Northampton and represented and captained both the England national rugby union team and the British Lions in the 1950s and 1960s...
(NorthamptonNorthampton SaintsNorthampton Saints are a professional rugby union club from Northampton, England. The Northampton Saints were formed in 1880. They play in green, black and gold colours. They play their home games at Franklin's Gardens, which has a capacity of 13,591....
) - Trevor LloydTrevor LloydTrevor Lloyd is a former international rugby union player.Lloyd hailed from Port Talbot, where he started playing club rugby with the Aberavon Quins RFC, he made his debut for Wales on 14 March 1953 versus Ireland and was selected for the 1955 British Lions tour to South Africa...
(MaestegMaesteg RFCMaesteg Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team from the town of Maesteg, South Wales. The club presently play in the Welsh Rugby Union Division One West and is a feeder club for the Ospreys.-Club history:...
and ) - Cliff MorganCliff MorganCliff Morgan is a former Welsh rugby union player who played for Cardiff RFC and earned 29 caps for Wales between 1951 and 1958.-Rugby career:...
(CardiffCardiff RFCCardiff Rugby Football Club is a rugby union football club based in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The club was founded in 1876 and played their first few matches at Sophia Gardens, but soon relocated to Cardiff Arms Park where they have been based ever since...
and ) - Haydn MorrisHaydn MorrisHaydn Morris is a former Cardiff, and British and Irish Lions international rugby union wing three-quarter....
(CardiffCardiff RFCCardiff Rugby Football Club is a rugby union football club based in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The club was founded in 1876 and played their first few matches at Sophia Gardens, but soon relocated to Cardiff Arms Park where they have been based ever since...
and ) - Tony O'ReillyTony O'ReillySir Anthony Joseph Francis O'Reilly is an Irish businessman and former international rugby union player. He is known for his involvement the Independent News & Media Group, which he led from 1973 to 2009, and as former CEO and Chairman of the H.J. Heinz Company. He was the leading shareholder of...
(Old BelvedereOld BelvedereOld Belvedere is a senior rugby club in Dublin, Ireland, based at Anglesea Road. Old Belvedere R.F.C. was founded in 1930. Originally an exclusive club for past pupils of Belvedere College the club became 'open' to all players on 22 April 1976....
and ) - Alexander Cecil PedlowCecil PedlowAlexander Cecil Pedlow is a retired Irish rugby union player. He represented Ireland and the Lions, earning two caps for them on the 1955 tour to South Africa. He retired in 1963.-External links:**...
(Queen's University RFCQueen's University RFCQueen's University Rugby Football Club is the rugby union team of Queen's University Belfast. Founded in 1869, it is the second oldest rugby union club in Northern Ireland . They originally played as Queen's College, Belfast and have won the Ulster Senior Cup a record 21 times...
and ) - James Patrick Quinn (New BrightonNew Brighton F.C. (rugby union)New Brighton Football Club are a rugby union team based in Moreton, Merseyside, UK. They currently play in the South Lancashire/Cheshire Div One in the English league system....
and ) - Arthur SmithArthur Smith (rugby player)Arthur Robert Smith was a wing of extraordinary ability and intelligence. He captained both Scotland and the British Lions. He won 33 caps for Scotland and was never dropped until his retirement in 1962, although he did miss the odd match due to injury...
(Cambridge UniversityCambridge University R.U.F.C.The Cambridge University Rugby Union Football Club, or CURUFC, is the rugby union club of Cambridge University, and plays Oxford University in the annual Varsity Match at Twickenham stadium every December. CURUFC players wear light blue and white hooped jerseys with a red lion crest...
and ) - Frank Douglas Sykes (NorthamptonNorthampton SaintsNorthampton Saints are a professional rugby union club from Northampton, England. The Northampton Saints were formed in 1880. They play in green, black and gold colours. They play their home games at Franklin's Gardens, which has a capacity of 13,591....
and ) - Alun ThomasAlun ThomasAlun Gruffydd Thomas was a rugby union centre who played international rugby for Wales between 1952 and 1955. At club level he represented Cardiff, Swansea and Llanelli, and was also selected for invitational tourists The Barbarians...
(LlanelliLlanelli RFCLlanelli Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club founded in 1875 and its senior team is one of the leading club sides in Wales. The club began the 2008-09 season at their historic home ground of Stradey Park in Llanelli, but moved in November 2008 to the new Parc y Scarlets in adjacent...
and ) - John "Johnny" Edward Williams (Old Millhillians and )
Forwards
- Tom ElliotTom ElliotTom Elliot was a Scottish international rugby union player, who played for and the Lions. He was a prop alongside Hugh McLeod, and was described by Bill McLaren as "a tough rugged son of the soil"....
(GalaGala RFCGala Rugby Football Club are a rugby union team based in Galashiels in the Scottish Borders, founded in 1875, they play their home games at Netherdale....
and ) - James Thomson Greenwood (DunfermlineDunfermline RFCDunfermline Rugby Football Club are a rugby union team from Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland.Established in 1893 the club play their home games at McKane Park.They currently play in Scottish National Leagues division 1.Their strip is royal blue and white....
and ) - Reginald "Reg" Higgins (LiverpoolLiverpool St Helens F.C.Liverpool St Helens Football Club are a rugby union team formed from the merger of Liverpool Football Club and St. Helens RUFC. The club currently plays in North 1 West....
and ) - Hugh Ferns McLeod (HawickHawick RFCHawick Rugby Football Club is a semi-professional rugby union side, currently playing in the Premiership Division One and Border League. The team are based at Mansfield Park at Hawick in the Scottish Borders....
and ) - Bryn MeredithBryn MeredithBrinley "Bryn" Victor Meredith was a rugby union international. Meredith was a mobile hooker, he was selected 34 times for Wales between 1954 and 1962, but missed 2 matches for health and family bereavement reasons....
(Newport and ) - Courtney MeredithCourtney MeredithCourtney Meredith was a Welsh international rugby union prop who played club rugby for Neath. He won fourteen caps for Wales and also played for invitational club the Barbarians. Meredith was a powerful prop, and was much praised by second row players for his tight packing, which allowed them the...
(NeathNeath RFCNeath Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club which plays in the Welsh Premier Division. The club's home ground is The Gnoll, Neath. The first team is known as the Welsh All Blacks because of the team colours: black with only a white cross pattée as an emblem...
and ) - Ernest James Stewart MichieErnie MichieErnest "Ernie" James Stewart Michiewas a Scottish international rugby union player, who played for and the Lions. He played at second row , and his nickname was "Fourteen"....
(Aberdeen UniversityAberdeen University Rugby Football ClubAberdeen University Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland.-History:Acknowledged as the equal oldest rugby club in the North East of Scotland, 1871, AURFC has had a long and successful history producing both Scotland and British Lions players...
and ) - Thomas "Tom" Eymard Reid (GarryowenGarryowen Football ClubGarryowen Football Club , usually referred to as Garryowen, is a rugby union club from Limerick, Ireland. Historically it has been one of the most successful clubs in Irish rugby union leagues.-Name:...
and ) - Russell John RobinsRussell RobinsRussell John Robins is a former Welsh rugby union and professional rugby league footballer of the 1940s and '50s who at representative level has played rugby union for British Lions, and Wales, and at club level for Pontypridd RFC, playing at Lock, Flanker, or Number eight, i.e...
(PontypriddPontypridd RFCPontypridd Rugby Football Club, known as Ponty, are a rugby union team from Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, currently playing in the British and Irish Cup, Principality Premiership, and are the current SWALEC Cup champions....
and ) - Robin RoeRobin RoeReverend Robin Roe CBE MC was an Irish clergyman known for his work as an army chaplain, and a rugby union player.- Early life and education :...
(Lansdowne and ) - Clem ThomasClem ThomasRichard Clement Charles "Clem" Thomas was a international rugby union player. A flanker, he represented Cambridge University R.U.F.C. in the Varsity Match in 1949 and played for Brynamman, Swansea, London Welsh and Harlequins. He earned 26 caps for Wales, between 1949 and 1959 and captained Wales...
(SwanseaSwansea RFCSwansea Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team which plays in the Welsh Premier Division. Its home ground is St Helens Rugby and Cricket Ground in Swansea. The team is sometimes known as The Whites because of the primary colour of the team strip...
and ) - Robin ThompsonRobin ThompsonRobin Thompson was a rugby union international for Ireland and a former British and Irish Lions captain.Robin Thompson won two Ulster Schools Senior Cup medals with RBAI and played for Ulster Schools...
(InstoniansInstoniansInstonians is the name of the umbrella organisation that incorporates rugby union, men's and ladies' hockey and cricket sections. There is also a golf society that plays under the Instonians name....
and ) (Captain) - Rhys Williams (LlanelliLlanelli RFCLlanelli Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club founded in 1875 and its senior team is one of the leading club sides in Wales. The club began the 2008-09 season at their historic home ground of Stradey Park in Llanelli, but moved in November 2008 to the new Parc y Scarlets in adjacent...
and ) - Billy WilliamsBilly Williams (rugby player)William Owen Gooding 'Billy' Williams was a Welsh international rugby union player. A prop forward, he played club rugby for Gowerton, Swansea and the Royal Navy...
(SwanseaSwansea RFCSwansea Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team which plays in the Welsh Premier Division. Its home ground is St Helens Rugby and Cricket Ground in Swansea. The team is sometimes known as The Whites because of the primary colour of the team strip...
and ) - Dyson Stayt 'Tug' Wilson (Metropolitan Police and )
Dickie Jeeps later played for England but was uncapped at the time of the 1955 tour.
The Idi Amin myth
There is a frequently repeated urban legendUrban legend
An urban legend, urban myth, urban tale, or contemporary legend, is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories that may or may not have been believed by their tellers to be true...
that that Idi Amin
Idi Amin
Idi Amin Dada was a military leader and President of Uganda from 1971 to 1979. Amin joined the British colonial regiment, the King's African Rifles in 1946. Eventually he held the rank of Major General in the post-colonial Ugandan Army and became its Commander before seizing power in the military...
(later to become the infamous military dictator
Military dictatorship
A military dictatorship is a form of government where in the political power resides with the military. It is similar but not identical to a stratocracy, a state ruled directly by the military....
of Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
) was selected as a replacement by East Africa
East Africa rugby union team
Established in 1950, The East Africa rugby union team is a multi-national rugby union team drawing players from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, though the vast majority of these came from Kenya which has traditionally been the strongest rugby playing nation in this part of the world...
for their match against the 1955 British Lions
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
. The story is entirely unfounded, he does not appear on the team photograph or on the official team list and replacements were not allowed in international rugby until 13 years after this event is supposed to have taken place.
Results
| Score | Opposition | |
|---|---|---|
| Lions | 6-9 | Western Transvaal Leopards (rugby team) The Leopards, are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. They play out of Potchefstroom at Olën Park as well as the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg... |
| Lions | 24-14 | Griqualand West Wildeklawer Griquas The GWK Griquas are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. Their home ground is Hoffe Park Stadium, known for sponsorship reasons as GWK Park in Kimberley, and they draw their players from Northern Cape Province. They were previously known as... |
| Lions | 32-6 | Northern Universities |
| Lions | 31-3 | Orange Free State Free State Cheetahs The Free State Cheetahs , currently named the Toyota Free State Cheetahs, for sponsorship reasons, are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. They are governed by the Free State Rugby Union and are based at the 37,076-capacity Vodacom Park in... |
| Lions | 9-0 | South West Africa Namibia national rugby union team The Namibian rugby union team, nicknamed the Welwitschias or Biltongboere, represents Namibia at rugby union. Although they are a tier-three nation in the International Rugby Board tier system, the team have participated in all three Rugby World Cup competitions since their first appearance in 1999... |
| Lions | 11-3 | Western Province Western Province (rugby team) DHL Western Province is a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. The team has won the Currie Cup on 32 occasions and has the most supporters of any Currie Cup team... |
| Lions | 22-3 | South Western Districts Eagles (rugby team) The South Western Districts Eagles, are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. They play out of George at Outeniqua Park.... |
| Lions | 0-20 | Eastern Province Mighty Elephants The Eastern Province Kings are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup and Vodacom Cup tournaments and are governed by the Eastern Province Rugby Union... |
| Lions | 34-6 | North Eastern Districts |
| Lions | 36-13 | Transvaal Golden Lions The Golden Lions is a provincial rugby team based in Johannesburg, South Africa. The team was originally known as Transvaal, before changes to the political landscape in South Africa forced a name change to the Gauteng Lions, before again being changed to the Golden Lions. For sponsorship reason... |
| Lions | 27-14 | Rhodesia Zimbabwe national rugby union team The Zimbabwe national rugby union team is the rugby union team representing Zimbabwe. They are considered to be a third tier rugby union nation... |
| Lions | 16-12 | Rhodesia Zimbabwe national rugby union team The Zimbabwe national rugby union team is the rugby union team representing Zimbabwe. They are considered to be a third tier rugby union nation... |
| Lions | 23-22 | (Johannesburg) |
| Lions | 21-14 | Central Universities |
| Lions | 11-0 | Boland Boland Cavaliers The Boland Cavaliers , are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament... |
| Lions | 20-17 | Western Province Universities |
| Lions | 9-25 | (Cape Town) |
| Lions | 17-17 | Eastern Transvaal Falcons (rugby team) The Falcons, or Valke in Afrikaans, are a South African rugby union team in Gauteng province that participates in the annual Currie Cup and Vodacom Cup tournaments.... |
| Lions | 14-11 | Northern Transvaal Blue Bulls The Blue Bulls, for sponsorship reasons known as the Vodacom Blue Bulls, or more popularly by their Afrikaans name die Blou Bulle, are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament... |
| Lions | 9-6 | (Pretoria) |
| Lions | 11-8 | Natal Natal Sharks The Natal Sharks are a South African rugby union team that participate in the annual Currie Cup and Super Rugby tournaments. The Sharks home stadium is Kings Park. They draw most of their players from the KwaZulu-Natal Province. The Sharks are the current representative team of the Natal rugby... |
| Lions | 15-12 | Junior Springboks |
| Lions | 12-14 | Border Border Bulldogs The Border Bulldogs are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. They are governed by the Border Rugby Union and are based in East London.... |
| Lions | 8-22 | (Port Elizabeth) |
| Lions | 39-12 | East Africa East Africa rugby union team Established in 1950, The East Africa rugby union team is a multi-national rugby union team drawing players from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, though the vast majority of these came from Kenya which has traditionally been the strongest rugby playing nation in this part of the world... |