1903 British Lions tour to South Africa

Last updated

1903 British Lions tour
to South Africa
Date9 July – 12 September
Coach(es) Johnny Hammond
Tour captain(s) Flag of Scotland.svg Mark Morrison
Test series winnersFlag of the Cape Colony 1876-1910.svg  South Africa (1–0)
Top test point scorer(s) Flag of Scotland.svg John Gillespie (4)

The 1903 British Isles tour to South Africa was the fifth tour by a British Isles rugby team and the third to South Africa. It is retrospectively classed as one of the British Lions tours, as the Lions naming convention was not adopted until 1950.

Contents

Led by Scotland's Mark Morrison and managed by Johnny Hammond the tour took in 22 matches. Of the games three were test matches, played against the South Africa national rugby union team. The British Isles drew the first two test matches and lost the final encounter.

Having lost only one game out of 40 matches in the previous two tours of South Africa, the British Isles team were truly tested by the South African rugby nation on this tour. Of the 22 games played, the tourist won eleven, drew three and lost eight. Unlike past teams, the British Isles three-quarter line was not seen as the team's strongest asset and more reliance was placed in the pack. Of the backs, only Reg Skrimshire, the only Welsh player selected, was judged to have shown any true flair; while the pack failed to live up to expectations, even when led by Scottish power-house David Bedell-Sivright.

The tour included Louis Leisler Greig, who later became well known as a royal equerry, friend of George VI and became a prominent member of the far right January Club.

Touring party

Results

1903 British Lions tour to South Africa
Summary
PWDL
Total
22 110308
Opponent
PWDL
Flag of the Cape Colony 1876-1910.svg  South Africa
3 0 2 1

  Test matches

DateOpponentLocationResultScore
19 JulyWestern Province Country Cape Town Lost7–13
211 JulyWestern Province Towns Cape Town Lost3–12
313 July Western Province Cape Town Lost4–8
418 JulyPort Elizabeth Port Elizabeth Won13–0
520 July Eastern Province Port Elizabeth Won12–0
622 JulyGrahamstown Grahamstown Won28–7
725 JulyKing William's Town King William's Town Won37–3
827 JulyEast London East London, Eastern Cape Won7–5
91 August Griqualand West Kimberley Lost0–11
104 August Griqualand West Kimberley Lost6–8
118 August Transvaal Johannesburg Lost3–12
1211 AugustPretoria Pretoria Won15–3
1313 AugustPietermaritzburg Pietermaritzburg Won15–0
1415 AugustDurban Durban Won22–0
1519 AugustWitwatersrand Johannesburg Won12–0
1622 August Transvaal Johannesburg Lost4–14
17 26 AugustFlag of the Cape Colony 1876-1910.svg  South Africa Johannesburg Draw10–10
1829 AugustOrange River County Bloemfontein Won17–16
192 September Griqualand West Kimberley Won11–5
20 5 SeptemberFlag of the Cape Colony 1876-1910.svg  South Africa Kimberley Drew0–0
2110 September Western Province Cape Town Drew3–3
22 12 SeptemberFlag of the Cape Colony 1876-1910.svg  South Africa Cape Town Lost0–8

The matches

After playing the first two Tests in white shirts, South Africa wore a green jersey (supplied by Old Diocesan's Club) for the first time in their final Test at Newlands. [4]

First Test

26 August
South Africa  Flag of the Cape Colony 1876-1910.svg10–10 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg British Isles
Try: Dobbin
Frew
Con: Heatlie (2)
Try: Cave
Skrimshire
Con: Gillespie (2)
Wanderers Ground, Johannesburg
Attendance: 5,000
Referee: Bill Davidson (Scotland)

Second Test

5 September
South Africa  Flag of the Cape Colony 1876-1910.svg0–0 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg British Isles
Athletic Ground, Kimberley
Attendance: 5,000
Referee: PW Day (South Africa)

Third Test

12 September
South Africa  Flag of the Cape Colony 1876-1910.svg8–0 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg British Isles
Try: Barry
Reid
Con: Heatlie
Newlands Stadium, Cape Town
Attendance: 6,000
Referee: JH Anderson (South Africa)

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