1908/09 Kangaroo Tour to 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. In the later twentieth century the tours were shortened, sometimes only involving one Test encounter and tours came to no longer include France.

The first Kangaroo tour was in 1908 to England. The game of rugby league was not yet twelve months old in Australia however a New Zealand side had already toured to Britain (the All Golds in 1907), Australia had encountered New Zealand during the 1908 season and the pioneer Australian leaders of the game were keen to match up against the Northern Union founders of the code.

Tour summary

Matches played: 45 Won: 17 Drew: 6 Lost: 22

The Ashes: Great Britain 2-0

Tour manager: James GiltinanTour secretary: W Noble

Tour captain: Denis LutgeTest captains: Dally Messenger, Alex Burdon

The tour

The Kangaroos sailed on "RMS Macedonia" and worked as stokers to keep their fitness levels up as well as doing daily sessions in the ship's gymnasium and boxing ring. The jerseys were coloured sky blue and maroon, combining the state colours of NSW and Queensland respectively. When tour captain, Lutge was injured early in the tour, Messenger became captain in the 1st and 2nd Test Matches. After he was injured, Alec Burdon assumed the captaincy for the 3rd Test. One of the players Pat Walsh sailed to Britain separately on the ship, "Salamis" and brought the live Kangaroo Mascot with him.

The seven-month tour proved to be a true test of survival and was almost a disaster due to small gate-takings. A crippling cotton mills strike in northern England made it difficult for many fans to afford their way through the turnstiles and there was some criticism of what the Australian wanted to charge as entrance fee. The Australians at one stage suffered a two-month losing streak and moral ebbed during one of the meanest northern winters on record. [Andrews, "ABC of Rugby League" p299] .

Deane,Walsh,Frawley, Devereux and Rosenfeld all stayed behind to play in the wintry Northern Union competition when the Australian's boarded the "RMS Seuvic" for the journey home. On the return journey Messenger met and fell in love with Annie Macauley whom he would marry.

Test matches

rugbyleaguebox
bg = #eeeeee
team1 = Australia
team2 = Great Britain
score = 22 -22
report =
points1 = Jim Devereux (9 - 3t) Arthur Butler (3 - 1t) Dally Messenger (10 - 5g)
points2 = (6 - 2t) W Batten (3 - 1g) J Thomas (7 - 1t, 2g) E Brooks (3 - 1g) G Tyson (3 - 1g) A Robinson
date = 12 Dec 1908
stadium = Park Royal Ground, London
attendance = 2,000
referee= J Smith
Great Britain led 14-5 at half-time and stretched to 17-5 before Australia began their fightback spearheaded by Devereaux's three ties. They led 22-20 in the dying minutes before Great Britain snatched a draw with a penalty goal.

AUSTRALIA: Mick Bolewski, Bill Heidke, Sid Deane, Dally Messenger (c), Jim Devereaux, Arthur Halloway, Arthur Butler, Larry O'Malley, Jim Abercrombie, Alex Burdon, Pat Walsh, Sandy Pearce, Tedda Courtney.

GREAT BRITAIN: H Gifford, W Batten, B Jenkins (c), G Dickenson, George Tyson, E Brooks, J Thomas, A Mann, W Jukes, J Higson, A Robinson, A Smith, W Longworth.

rugbyleaguebox
bg = #eeeeee
team1 = Australia
team2 = Great Britain
score = 5 - 15
report =
points1 = Dally Messenger (5 - 1t, 1g)
points2 = (3 - 1g) J Thomas (9 - 1t, 3g) J Lomas (3 - 1g) G Tyson
date = 23 Jan 1909
stadium = St James' Park, Newcastle upon Tyne
attendance = 22,000
referee= W McCutcheon
AUSTRALIA: Mick Bolewski, Dan Frawley, Albert Rosenfeld, Dally Messenger (c), Andy Morton, Arthur Conlan, Arthur Butler, Larry O'Malley, Jim Abercrombie, Tom McCabe, Pat Walsh, Sandy Pearce, Tedda Courtney.

GREAT BRITAIN: H Gifford, George Tyson, J Lomas (c), B Jenkins, W Batten, E Brooks, J Thomas, W Jukes, J Higson, A Robinson, A Smith, W Longworth, R Silcock, A Smith.

rugbyleaguebox
bg = #eeeeee
team1 = Australia
team2 = Great Britain
score = 5 - 6
report =
points1 = Jim Devereux (2 - 1g) Dan Frawley (3 - 1t)
points2 = (3 - 1g) J Thomas (3 - 1g) G Tyson
date = 10 Feb 1909
stadium = Villa Park, Birmingham
attendance = 9,000
referee= E Smirk
A heavy pitch limited scoring opportunities and Great Britain went to the half-time break with a three nil lead. Australia's defence was solid throughout the second half and when Frawley scored for Devereaux to convert they took the lead. However Oldham winger George Tyson scored late in the match and secured [The Ashes for Great Britain for the first time.

AUSTRALIA: C Hedley, Bill Heidke, Dan Frawley, Jim Devereaux, Mick Bolewski, Sid Deane, Arthur Anlezark, Larry O'Malley, Robert Graves, Alex Burdon (c), Pat Walsh, Sandy Pearce, Tedda Courtney.

GREAT BRITAIN: F Young, W Batten, B Jenkins, J Lomas (c), George Tyson, J Brooks, J Thomas, F Boylen, A Mann, W Longworth, A Smith, R Padbury, W Jukes.

References

ources

* Whiticker, Alan (2004) "Captaining the Kangaroos", New Holland, Sydney
* Whiticker, Alan & Hudson, Glen (2006) "The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players", Gavin Allen Publishing, Sydney
* Andrews, Malcolm (2006) "The ABC of Rugby League" Austn Broadcasting Corpn, Sydney
* Heads, Ian and Middleton, David (2008) "A Centenary of Rugby League", MacMillan Sydney