1933–34 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain | |||||
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Tour captain(s) | Frank McMillan | ||||
Top point scorer(s) | Dave Brown 285 | ||||
Top try scorer(s) | Alan Ridley 17 | ||||
Top test point scorer(s) | ![]() ![]() | ||||
Top test try scorer(s) | 7 players with one try each ( ![]() ![]() | ||||
Summary |
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Total |
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Test match |
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Opponent |
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Tour chronology | |||||
Previous tour | 1929–30 | ||||
Next tour | 1937–38 |
The1933–34 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain was the fifthKangaroo tour, and took theAustralia national rugby league team around the north of England, to London and Paris. The tour also featured the 11thAshes series which comprised threeTest matches and was the first to be won byGreat Britain in a clean sweep. The squad's outbound journey was marred by tragedy when Sydney University centreRay Morris contracted meningitis en route and died in hospital. The tour match played atStade Pershing inParis on New Year's Day 1934 was the first rugby league international played in France.
Frank McMillan was named as captain-coach of the touring squad after his Queensland counterpartHerb Steinohrt declared himself unavailable to tour (it would not be untilWally Lewis led the1986 Kangaroos that another Queensland player would captain a Kangaroo Tour of Great Britain and France).George Bishop andErnie Norman were selected but ruled out of the tour before the squad left Sydney.Vic Hey and"Mick" Glasheen took their places.
Les Heidke was suffering from leg ulcers before the squad left Sydney andDan Dempsey was brought in to take his place. The Queenslanders in the squad all contributed £10 to enable Heidke to make the tour as a private citizen and to perhaps recover in time to play. Heidke sailed with the squad from Sydney on theSS Manduna bound for Melbourne where they boarded theSS Jervis Bay for England. At sea Heidke's condition did not improve and he was put off the ship in Perth and headed home.
Exhibition matches were played inColombo, Sri Lanka and in Egypt.Sydney University centreRay Morris contracted an ear infection at sea. In the Mediterranean his condition worsened and he was put off the ship in Malta and hospitalised inValletta. Two days later he died of meningitis.[1]
The three Ashes series tests took place at the following venues. Two of the tests were played at Swinton.
Swinton | Leeds |
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Station Road | Headingley |
Capacity: 60,000 | Capacity: 40,000 |
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The Australian team enjoyed an eleven match winning streak on the tour matches leading into the first Test. For the first sixty-five minutes of the match there was no score in the muddy conditions, then Lions fullbackJim Sullivan proved the difference with two penalty goals.[3]
11 November 1933 |
The Lions![]() | 7 – 5 | ![]() |
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Tries: Jack Woods Goals: Jim Sullivan (2) | Tries: Dave Brown Goals: Dave Brown (1) |
16 December 1933 |
The Lions![]() | 19 – 16 | ![]() |
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Tries: Barney Hudson Jack Feetham Stan Smith Goals: Jim Sullivan (5) | Tries: Vic Hey Wally Prigg Goals: Dave Brown (5) |
In winning the match which was played in thick fog, England became the first team to post a 3–0 clean sweep in an Anglo-Australian Test series.
N° | Opposing Team | F | A | Date | Venue | Attendance | Status |
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1 | ![]() | 13 | 9 | 26 Aug 1933 | City Road,St. Helens | 8,880 | Tour match |
2 | ![]() | 16 | 7 | 30 Aug 1933 | Mather Lane,Leigh | 4,590 | Tour match |
3 | ![]() | 20 | 0 | 2 Sep 1933 | Craven Park,Hull | 7,831 | Tour match |
4 | ![]() | 53 | 6 | 6 Sep 1933 | Barley Mow,Bramley | 1,902 | Tour match |
5 | ![]() | 38 | 6 | 9 Sep 1933 | Watersheddings,Oldham | 15,281 | Tour match |
6 | ![]() | 13 | 0 | 13 Sep 1933 | Headingley,Leeds | 10,309 | Tour match |
7 | ![]() | 24 | 5 | 16 Sep 1933 | Craven Park,Barrow | 12,221 | Tour match |
8 | ![]() | 33 | 7 | 20 Sep 1933 | Wilderspool,Warrington | 16,576 | Tour match |
9 | ![]() | 10 | 4 | 23 Sep 1933 | Central Park,Wigan | 15,712 | Tour match |
10 | ![]() | 39 | 6 | 27 Sep 1933 | Wheldon Road,Castleford | 4,250 | Tour match |
11 | ![]() | 16 | 5 | 30 Sep 1933 | Thrum Hall,Halifax | 10,358 | Tour match |
12 | ![]() | 0 | 4 | 7 Oct 1933 | Station Road,Swinton | 34,000 | Test match |
13 | ![]() | 7 | 5 | 11 Oct 1933 | Birch Lane,Bradford | 3,328 | Tour match |
14 | ![]() | 15 | 2 | 14 Oct 1933 | Wilderspool,Warrington | 16,431 | Tour match |
15 | ![]() | 22 | 18 | 18 Oct 1933 | Parkside, Hunslet | 6,227 | Tour match |
16 | ![]() | 9 | 16 | 21 Oct 1933 | The Willows,Salford | 15,761 | Tour match |
17 | ![]() | 31 | 0 | 26 Oct 1933 | Naughton Park,Widnes | 6,691 | Tour match |
18 | ![]() | 17 | 6 | 28 Oct 1933 | Belle Vue,Wakefield | 5,596 | Tour match |
19 | ![]() | 10 | 7 | 30 Oct 1933 | Birch Lane,Bradford | 3,328 | Tour match |
20 | ![]() | 5 | 7 | 1 Nov 1933 | Clarence Street,York | 3,158 | Tour match |
21 | ![]() | 4 | 10 | 4 Nov 1933 | Station Road,Swinton | 13,341 | Tour match |
22 | ![]() | 5 | 7 | 11 Nov 1933 | Headingley,Leeds | 29,618 | Test match |
23 | ![]() | 14 | 7 | 14 Nov 1933 | Lawkholme Lane,Keighley | 3,800 | Tour match |
24 | ![]() | 13 | 5 | 18 Nov 1933 | Fartown,Huddersfield | 7,522 | Tour match |
25 | ![]() | 20 | 5 | 22 Nov 1933 | White City,London | 10,541 | Tour match |
26 | ![]() | 19 | 0 | 25 Nov 1933 | Belle Vue,Manchester | 5,527 | Tour match |
27 | ![]() | 15 | 7 | 29 Nov 1933 | Headingley,Leeds | 5,295 | Tour match |
28 | ![]() | 20 | 11 | 2 Dec 1933 | Knowsley Road,St. Helens | 5,735 | Tour match |
29 | ![]() | 26 | 4 | 5 Dec 1933 | Athletic Grounds, Rochdale | 3,603 | Tour match |
30 | ![]() | 16 | 17 | 9 Dec 1933 | Recreation Ground,Whitehaven | 5,800 | Tour match |
31 | ![]() | 16 | 19 | 16 Dec 1933 | Station Road,Swinton | 10,900 | Test match |
32 | ![]() | 15 | 7 | 23 Dec 1933 | Clarence Street,York | 6,500 | Tour match |
33 | ![]() | 19 | 5 | 25 Dec 1933 | The Boulevard,Hull | 16,341 | Tour match |
34 | ![]() | 51 | 19 | 30 Dec 1933 | Wembley,London | 10,000 | International |
35 | ![]() | 63 | 13 | 31 Dec 1933 | Stade Pershing,Paris | 5,000 | International |
36 | ![]() | 38 | 5 | 10 Jan 1934 | Watersheddings,Oldham | 4,000 | Tour match |
37 | ![]() | 14 | 19 | 13 Jan 1934 | Redheugh Park,Gateshead | 15,576 | International |