1990 Kangaroo Tour of Great Britain and France
Encyclopedia
The 1990 Kangaroo Tour
was the seventeenth Kangaroo Tour, where the Australian national rugby league team
travelled to Europe and played eighteen matches against British and French rugby league teams, in addition to three Test matches. It followed a tour of 1986 and the next was staged in 1994.
Australia continued its dominance, winning both Test series against Great Britain
and France
, suffering only one loss (against Great Britain in the first Test), and remaining undefeated against British clubs in a streak stretching back to 1978.
making his third Kangaroo Tour, though his first as coach. Mal Meninga
was making a record third consecutive tour and his first as captain. Keith Barnes
was team manager, along with Les Stokes.
Other staff included trainers Shaun McRae
, Brian Hollis and the boxing trainer Johnny Lewis as team conditioner. Nathan Gibbs
was team doctor and had made the controversial decision during the selection medicals to rule Kangaroo stalwart Wally Lewis
unfit for the tour and thus unable to make a third consecutive tour alongside Meninga.
scored a length-of-the-field try to seal the match for Australia and force the series into a decider.
Kangaroo Tour
Kangaroo Tour is the name given to Australian national rugby league team tours of Great Britain and France. The first Kangaroo Tour was in 1908. Traditionally, Kangaroo Tours took place every four years and involved a three-Test Ashes series against Great Britain and a number of tour matches...
was the seventeenth Kangaroo Tour, where the Australian national rugby league team
Australian national rugby league team
The Australian national rugby league team have represented Australia in senior men's rugby league football competition since the establishment of the game in Australia in 1908. Administered by the Australian Rugby League, the Kangaroos' are ranked number one in the RLIF World Rankings...
travelled to Europe and played eighteen matches against British and French rugby league teams, in addition to three Test matches. It followed a tour of 1986 and the next was staged in 1994.
Australia continued its dominance, winning both Test series against 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"....
and France
France national rugby league team
The France national rugby league team represent France in international rugby league tournaments. They are also sometimes referred to as "Les Tricolores" or more commonly "Les Chanticleers"...
, suffering only one loss (against Great Britain in the first Test), and remaining undefeated against British clubs in a streak stretching back to 1978.
The squad's leadership
The team was coached by Bob FultonBob Fulton
Robert "Bob" Fulton AM is an Australian rugby league football identity. Fulton played, coached, selected for and has commentated on the game with great success at the highest levels and has been named amongst Australia's greatest rugby league players of the 20th century.As a player Fulton won...
making his third Kangaroo Tour, though his first as coach. Mal Meninga
Mal Meninga
Malcolm Norman Meninga AM is an Australian former rugby league test captain and current coach of Queensland's State of Origin team. As a player he was a legendary goal-kicking centre, counted amongst the finest footballers of the 20th century...
was making a record third consecutive tour and his first as captain. Keith Barnes
Keith Barnes
William Keith Barnes OAM is an Australian former rugby league footballer and coach. He was a fullback for the Australian national team and for the Balmain Tigers. He played in 14 Tests between 1959 and 1966, as national captain on 12 occasions. He was known as "Golden Boots" due to his...
was team manager, along with Les Stokes.
Other staff included trainers Shaun McRae
Shaun McRae
Shaun McRae is a rugby league coach, who is currently the director of rugby at hull fc after a spell with the Salford City Reds.-Career:...
, Brian Hollis and the boxing trainer Johnny Lewis as team conditioner. Nathan Gibbs
Nathan Gibbs
Nathan Gibbs, M.B.B.S. is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer. He played for the South Sydney Rabbitohs and Parramatta Eels in the New South Wales Rugby League competition....
was team doctor and had made the controversial decision during the selection medicals to rule Kangaroo stalwart Wally Lewis
Wally Lewis
Walter James "Wally" Lewis AM is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer and coach. Currently a commentator of the sport, he is widely regarded as the greatest rugby league player of all time...
unfit for the tour and thus unable to make a third consecutive tour alongside Meninga.
Test matches
Great Britain were poised to reclaim The Ashes after twenty years with an intercept try by Paul Loughlin late in the match. Winger Paul Eastwood missed a simple conversion attempt that would have given his team the lead with time running out. However the match remained tied at 10 all until in the final minutes when Mal MeningaMal Meninga
Malcolm Norman Meninga AM is an Australian former rugby league test captain and current coach of Queensland's State of Origin team. As a player he was a legendary goal-kicking centre, counted amongst the finest footballers of the 20th century...
scored a length-of-the-field try to seal the match for Australia and force the series into a decider.
External links
- 1990 Kangaroo Tour of Great Britain and France at rl1908.com
- 1990 Kangaroo Tour at rlhalloffame.org.uk
Further reading
- Andrews, Malcolm (2006) The ABC of Rugby League Austn Broadcasting Corpn, Sydney
- McGregor, Adrian (1991) Simply The Best, The 1990 Kangaroos, Uni of Queensland Press pages 225-225
- Belcher, GaryGary BelcherGary Belcher is an Australian rugby league football commentator and former player of the 1980s and '90s. An Australian international and Queensland State of Origin representative goal-kicking fullback, he played club football in the Brisbane Rugby League premiership for Souths and in the NSWRL...
(1991) Kangaroo Confidential Gary BelcherGary BelcherGary Belcher is an Australian rugby league football commentator and former player of the 1980s and '90s. An Australian international and Queensland State of Origin representative goal-kicking fullback, he played club football in the Brisbane Rugby League premiership for Souths and in the NSWRL...
's Tour Diary, pages 138-150 - Cochrane, Brett & Kerr, James (1991) Twenty Eight Heroes, Cochrane & Kerr, Sydney