The 1911–12 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain was the second ever

Kangaroo tour Kangaroo Tour is the name given to Australian national rugby league team tours of Great Britain and France, tours to New Zealand and the one-off tour to Papua New Guinea (1991). The first Kangaroo Tour was in 1908. Traditionally, Kangaroo Tours to ...

and was actually a tour by an "

Australasian Australasian is the adjectival form of Australasia, a geographical region including Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continen ...

" squad that included four New Zealand players in addition to 24 Australian representatives. It took place over the British winter of 1911–12 and this time, to help promote the game of Rugby league in New Zealand, the

Northern Rugby Football Union Northern may refer to the following: Geography * North, a point in direction * Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe * Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States * Northern Province, Sri Lanka * Northern Range, a ra ...

invited a combined Australian and New Zealand team. They became the first tourists to win

the Ashes The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. The term originated in a satirical obituary published in a British newspaper, ''The Sporting Times'', immediately after Australia's 1882 victory at The Oval, its first Te ...

. and the last to do so on British soil for over half a century. The tour was a success in performance and organisation. Matches were well attended, the squad's touring payments were maintained throughout and the players all shared in a bonus at the tour's end.

Touring squad

Prior to the tour a three-way series of matches between

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

and

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

was organised as a basis of selection for the tour. The New South Welshmen dominated the touring side, with four New Zealanders and only one Queenslander selected. However counted amongst the New South Welshmen was

Con Sullivan Con Sullivan (1886–1964) was a New Zealand international rugby league footballer who played in the 1900s and 1910s for various Australasian representative sides. Playing career Sullivan started his career playing rugby in Wellington where h ...

, who had moved to Australia from New Zealand a few years before. Due to family and business commitments, rugby league great Dally Messenger declined to tour with the 1911–12 Kangaroos. His friend and teammate

Sandy Pearce :''Sid Pearce directs here, for his son, the rugby league footballer of the same name, see Joe Pearce'' Sidney Charles Pearce (born 30 May 1883 and died 14 November 1930 Double Bay, New South Wales), better known as Sandy, was a pioneer Austral ...

also chose not to go. Chris McKivat who had captained the 1908 Wallabies to Olympic Gold was at age 32 a natural selection as tour captain. The Heads/Middleton reference describes McKivat as being revered on that tour – a magnificent general, tough, durable and an inspiration to the men around him. It quotes Johnny Quinlan the tour co-manager ''"He always set a splendid example in conduct and training – a natural leader"'' Tour vice-captain was Paddy McCue. Tour managers were Charles H Ford and John Quinlan. The team sailed to England on the ''RMS Orvieto''. The tourists were paid £4/5/ per week and received a bonus of £178 each.

New South Wales

All eight teams of the

New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership The New South Wales Rugby League premiership was the first rugby league football club competition established in Australia and contributor to today's National Rugby League. Run by the New South Wales Rugby League (initially named the New Sout ...

were represented in the touring squad. *

Bob Stuart Robert Charles Stuart (28 October 1920 – 11 May 2005) was a New Zealand rugby union player and administrator. He was given a lifetime service award by the International Rugby Board immediately after the 2003 Rugby World Cup. Biography Born i ...

, forward for Annandale * Bob Craig, forward for Balmain *

Charles "Chook" Fraser Charles "Chook" Fraser (1893–1981) was an Australian rugby league footballer and later coach. He was a versatile Rugby league positions#The three-quarters, three-quarter for the Australia national rugby league team, Australian national team. ...

, fullback for Balmain *

Arthur "Pony" Halloway Arthur 'Pony' Halloway (1885–1961), was a pioneering Australian rugby league footballer and coach. Born in Sydney, New South Wales he played for the Glebe (rugby league team), Glebe Dirty Reds (1908), Balmain Tigers (1909–1911 and 1915–192 ...

, half for Balmain *

Charles McMurtrie Charles Herbert "Jeff" McMurtrie (1 May 1881 – 9 August 1951) was a pioneer Australian rugby union and rugby league footballer who represented his country at both sports. He competed in rugby union at the 1908 Summer Olympics and was an ea ...

, forward for Balmain *

Dan Frawley Dan Frawley (1882–1967) was a pioneer Australian rugby league footballer, a national representative player. He played his career as a with the Eastern Suburbs club in Sydney and is considered one of the nation's finest footballers of t ...

, three-quarter for Eastern Suburbs * Bob Williams, forward for Eastern Suburbs * Peter Burge, forward for Glebe * (c) Chris McKivat, half for Glebe *

Billy Farnsworth Andrew William Farnsworth (14 January 1887 – 30 October 1966) was an Australian pioneer rugby league footballer who played in the 1910s whose club career was played in Sydney with Newtown. He represented at state level for both New South Wal ...

, half for Newtown *

Viv Farnsworth Viv Farnsworth (1889–1953) was an Australian professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1910s and 1920s. He played for Newtown Jets, Newtown, Western Suburbs Magpies, Wests, New South Wales state rugby league team, New South Wales a ...

, three-quarter for Newtown * Paddy McCue, forward for Newtown * Joe Murray, forward for Newtown * Webby Neill, fullback for Newtown *

Bill Noble Bill Noble (1884–1937) was a pioneer Australian international representative rugby league footballer. He played club football in the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership's very first season with Newtown in 1908. In 1909 he was a ...

, forward for Newtown * Charlie Russell, three-quarter for Newtown * Tom Berecry, North Sydney *

Albert Broomham Albert Frederick Broomham (1885–1948) was a pioneer Australian rugby league footballer who played in the 1900s and 1910s. He represented New South Wales rugby league team, New South Wales and Australia national rugby league team, Australia. ...

, North Sydney *

, forward for North Sydney * W. A. Cann, forward for South Sydney *

Steve Darmody Steve Darmody (1890–1969) was a pioneer Australian who saw active service in the British army in WWI. He had been an Australian national representative rugby league player and toured with the Australian national team on their 1911–12 Kangar ...

, South Sydney *

Herb Gilbert Herbert R. Gilbert (18 September 1888 – 5 January 1972) was an Australian rugby league and rugby union player – a dual-code international. He represented the Wallabies in three Tests in 1910 and the Kangaroos in seven Tests from 1911 to 19 ...

, three-quarter for South Sydney *

Howard Hallett Howard Hallett (1890–1970) was an Australian rugby league footballer and coach for South Sydney of the New South Wales Rugby League premiership. Hallett primarily played at . He represented for New South Wales and Australia and is considered ...

, fullback for South Sydney *

Tedda Courtney Ed "Tedda" Courtney (1885–1957) was a pioneer Australian rugby league footballer and coach. He played club football for North Sydney, Western Suburbs and representative football for the New South Wales state and Australian national sides. ...

, forward for Western Suburbs

New Zealand

The New Zealand players that accompanied the Australians on tour have been listed in the Australian Rugby League's Kangaroos players register. *

George A. Gillett George Arthur Gillett (23 April 1877 – 12 September 1956) was a New Zealand multi-code footballer of the early 20th century and a dual-code rugby international. Gillett died in 1956 in Onehunga. Early years Born in Leeston, Gillett received h ...

(forward) * Arthur Francis (forward) * Charlie Savory (forward) * Frank Woodward (half)

Queensland

Robert "Harold" Nicholson of Queensland was also selected for the tour but withdrew.

Tour schedule

Played: 35 Won: 28 Drew: 2 Lost: 5 Ashes: Australia 2–0

Test matches

First Ashes Test

Test No. 12 1911 Kangaroos

In this match, Australia's Charles Fraser became Australia's youngest Test player at 18 years and 301 days, a record which would stand until 2007.

Second Ashes Test

Test No. 13 McKivat lead the way for Australia dominating the rucks and scoring a vital try. Renowned Australian journalist Claude Corbett was acting as one of the touch judges and referee Renton, over-ruled his goal decision on one of the Australian conversion attempts.Alan Whiticker, ''Captaining the Kangaroos'' (2004) New Holland p44

Third Ashes Test

Test No. 14 Great Britain only needed to win the third Test to tie the series and keep the Ashes but were reduced to 12 men early in the encounter after an injury to Dick Ramsdale. Great Britain led 8–0 early but had no answer to the Australian attack as they ran in nine tries. This would be the first (and final) time the Kangaroos would win The Ashes on British soil until the 1963–64 Kangaroo tour.

References

External links

*
Ashes series 1911 at ''rugbyleagueproject.org''
{{DEFAULTSORT:1911-12 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain Australia national rugby league team tours Rugby league tours of Great Britain Kangaroo tour of Great Britain Kangaroo tour of Great Britain Kangaroo tour of Great Britain Kangaroo tour of Great Britain Kangaroo tour of Great Britain Kangaroo tour of Great Britain Kangaroo tour of Great Britain Kangaroo tour of Great Britain Kangaroo tour of Great Britain Kangaroo tour of Great Britain