1909 New Zealand rugby league tour of Australia

Last updated March 02, 2019

The 1909 New Zealand rugby league tour of Australia was a tour by the New Zealand national rugby league team. The New Zealand national rugby league team lost to Australia 1-2 in the three match test series.

The New Zealand national rugby league team has represented New Zealand in rugby league since 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name. The team's colour's are majority black with white and the players perform a haka before every match they play as a challenge to their opponents. The New Zealand Kiwis are currently second in the RLIF World Rankings. Since the 1980s, most New Zealand representatives have been based overseas, in the professional National Rugby League and Super League competitions. Before that players were selected entirely from clubs in domestic New Zealand leagues.

The Australian national rugby league team have represented Australia in senior men's rugby league football competition since the establishment of the 'Northern Union game' in Australia in 1908. Administered by the Australian Rugby League, the Kangaroos are ranked first in the RLIF World Rankings. The team is the most successful in Rugby League World Cup history, having contested all 15 and winning 11 of them, failing to reach the final only once, in the inaugural tournament in 1954. Only four nations have beaten Australia in test matches, and Australia have an overall win percentage of 67%.

Background

Following the pioneering 1907-08 All Golds tour, rugby league was developing in both New Zealand and Australia. A successful 1908 New Zealand Māori rugby league tour of Australia had taken place and helped the NSWRFL establish itself in Sydney. This tour, the second by a New Zealand national side, took place during the 1909 NSWRFL season.

Rugby league football is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field. One of the two codes of rugby, it originated in Northern England in 1895 as a split from the Rugby Football Union over the issue of payments to players. Its rules progressively changed with the aim of producing a faster, more entertaining game for spectators.

The 1908 New Zealand Māori rugby league tour of Australia was a tour made by a group of New Zealand Māori rugby footballers who played rugby league matches in Queensland and New South Wales. The tour had a large role in helping the New South Wales Rugby League establish itself in Sydney. As a result, the tour is a significant part of rugby league history. Financial and legal issues disrupted the end of the tour and an exhibition match held under rugby union rules was held to help pay for the teams return voyage to New Zealand.

The 1909 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the second season of Sydney's top-level rugby league football competition, Australia's first. Eight teams contested during the season for the premiership and the Royal Agricultural Society Challenge Shield; seven teams from Sydney and one team from Newcastle, New South Wales.

Squad

The team was managed by Daniel Fraser while James Barber captained the side.^[1] Albert Asher was invited to tour with the side but declined, opting to remain in Auckland and organise the upcoming Māori tour of Australia.^[2] Charlie Pearce and Daniel Gilchrist were also named but withdrew.^[3] The full squad was;

Arapeta Paurini Wharepapa, or Albert Asher as he was more commonly known, was a New Zealand dual-code international rugby union and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1890s, 1900s, 1910s and 1920s. At representative level Asher played rugby union for New Zealand, North Island and Auckland playing on the Wing and played rugby league at representative level for Australasia, New Zealand, Auckland and the New Zealand Māori rugby league team. One of his brothers, Ernie, was also a rugby league international while another, John, became a Ngati Pukenga and Ngati Pikiao leader. Katherine Te Rongokahira Parata was a sister.

Charlie James Pearce was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.

Daniel Gilchrist was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.

James Barber: Tour captain, played in all 3 tests on tour. Barber had been bought into the All Golds for the 1908 Australian leg and had since been involved in rugby league in Wellington.
William Trevarthen: 3 tests. A 1907-08 All Gold, Trevarthen was part of the Auckland side. After the tour he accepted a contract with Huddersfield.
Adam Lile: 3 tests. A 1907-08 All Gold, Lile was instrumental in developing rugby league in Taranaki.
Conrad Byrne: 3 tests, 5 points. A 1907-08 All Gold, Byrne served as test captain during the tour and later joined North Sydney in 1910.
Harold Rowe: 3 tests, 5 points. A 1907-08 All Gold, Rowe signed with Leeds in September 1909.
George Spencer: 1 test. A former All Black, Spencer had switched codes in 1908.
John Spencer: 3 tests. Brother of George and another former All Black, the Spencer's are the only brothers to represent both the All Blacks and the Kiwis.
Con Sullivan: 1 test. Sullivan broke his leg on the tour. He would later play for North Sydney and represent New South Wales, Australia and Australasia.
Charlie Pearce: A 1907-08 All Gold, Pearce later represented both Wellington and Canterbury.
Ernie Buckland: 3 tests. Part of the Taranaki Rugby League Team of the Century (1908–2008).
Arthur Carlaw: 2 tests. From the Ponsonby United club in Auckland, Carlaw Park was named after his brother, James.
Paddy George: From Wellington.
Gordon Hooker: 2 tests. Part of the Taranaki Rugby League Team of the Century (1908–2008).
Thomas Houghton: 1 test. Born in England, Houghton had earlier played for St Helens R.F.C. and Liverpool City.
Albert House: 3 tests, 4 points. From Wellington.
Bert King: 3 tests, 9 points. From Wellington.
Henry Knight: 2 tests. From Wellington.
Ronald MacDonald: 3 tests, 3 points. From Auckland.

Wellington Rugby League is the local sporting body responsible for the administration of Rugby league in the Greater Wellington region. It is responsible for the local competition of the same name, as well as its representative team, the Wellington rugby league team.

William "Bill" MacVay Trevarthen was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain. A relative of his, Thomas Trevarthan, later played for New Zealand in the 1930s.

The Auckland rugby league team is the team which traditionally represents all of the clubs which play in the Auckland Rugby League competition. As well as a senior men's team there are also Auckland representative teams throughout the various age groups such as under 15s, under 17s, under 19s and under 21s.

Fixtures

Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Score	Attendance
5 June 1909	New South Wales	Sydney	Loss	21-26
June 1909	New South Wales	Sydney	Loss	20-27
12 June 1909	Australia	Royal Agricultural Society Showground, Sydney	Won	19-11	7,000
June 1909	Newcastle	Newcastle	Won
June 1909	Queensland	Brisbane	Won
June 1909	Queensland	Brisbane	Won
26 June 1909	Australia	Brisbane Exhibition Ground, Brisbane	Loss	5-10	6,000
3 July 1909	Australia	Royal Agricultural Society Showground, Sydney	Loss	5-25	6,500

Henry Knight and Billy Cann were sent off by referee Charles Hutchinson in the second half after an altercation. The two shook hands as they left the field. It was the last test between Australia and New Zealand on Australian soil until 1948^[3]

Billy Cann Australian rugby league player

Wiliam A. "Billy" Cann (1882–1958) was an Australian rugby league footballer of the 1900s who later wrote for The Sydney Morning Herald. A New South Wales state and Australia national representative lock forward, he has been named as one of the nation's finest footballers of the 20th century. Cann played his club football for South Sydney with whom he won the 1914 NSWRFL Premiership. In 1907 he played for New South Wales in the very first rugby match run by the newly created 'New South Wales Rugby Football League' which had just split away from the established New South Wales Rugby Football Union. Cann was also a long-term administrator at Souths and a football journalist.

The Australians were awarded the Black and White Challenge Cup for winning the series and the New Zealanders left Australia on the steamer Ulimaroa the same day.^[3]

Related Research Articles

The 1907–1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Australia and Great Britain was made by a group of New Zealand rugby footballers who played matches in Australia, Ceylon, England and Wales between 1907 and 1908. Most of the matches were played under the rules of the Northern Union, a sport that is today known as rugby league. As such, the team were the immediate predecessors of the New Zealand national rugby league team. The tour had a large role in establishing rugby league in both Australia and New Zealand, and also gave birth to international rugby league. The tour party has come to be known as the professional All Blacks or All Golds, although at the time they were commonly referred to as the All Blacks—a named popularised by the New Zealand rugby union team that toured the Northern Hemisphere in 1905.

Hercules Richard "Bumper" Wright (1881–1963) was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.

Tom Cross (rugby) New Zealand rugby union player

Tom "Angry" William Cross was a New Zealand rugby footballer who represented New Zealand in both rugby union and rugby league.

Conrad "Con" Augustus Byrne was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.

Adam "Addie" Lile was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.

James Barber was a New Zealand rugby footballer who represented New Zealand in rugby league.

The 1908 New Zealand rugby league season was the first season that rugby league had been played in New Zealand. Auckland played Wellington in a two match series that was won by Auckland 1-0. Otago and Southland also participated in a two match series which was drawn 1-all. Auckland and Taranaki then drew a two match series.

George Spencer (1878–1950) was a New Zealand rugby football player who represented New Zealand in both rugby union and rugby league. His brother, John, also was a dual-international.

John Clarence Spencer (1880–1936) was a New Zealand rugby football player who represented New Zealand in both rugby union and rugby league. His brother, George, also was a dual-international.

The 1909 New Zealand rugby league season was the second season of rugby league that had been played in New Zealand.

The 1912 New Zealand rugby league season was the fifth season of rugby league that had been played in New Zealand.

The 1913 New Zealand rugby league season was the sixth season of rugby league that had been played in New Zealand.

The 1960 New Zealand rugby league season was the 53rd season of rugby league that had been played in New Zealand.

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The 1977 New Zealand rugby league season was the 70th season of rugby league that had been played in New Zealand.

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Arthur Carlaw was a New Zealand rugby league player who played a role in the establishment of the sport in New Zealand and represented New Zealand.

References

↑ "WHY THEY LOST THE FIRST THREE GAMES IN AUSTRALIA". The Evening Post . LXXVII (145). 1909-06-12. p. 3. Retrieved 2009-11-20.
↑ Coffey, John and Bernie Wood Auckland, 100 years of rugby league, 1909-2009, 2009. ISBN 978-1-86969-366-4.
1 2 3 John Coffey and Bernie Wood, The Kiwis: 100 Years of International Rugby League, Hodder Moa, Auckland, 2007, p.p. 36-38.

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[1] "WHY THEY LOST THE FIRST THREE GAMES IN AUSTRALIA". The Evening Post . LXXVII (145). 1909-06-12. p. 3. Retrieved 2009-11-20.

[akl100-2] Coffey, John and Bernie Wood Auckland, 100 years of rugby league, 1909-2009, 2009. ISBN 978-1-86969-366-4.

[kiwi100-3] 1 2 3 John Coffey and Bernie Wood, The Kiwis: 100 Years of International Rugby League, Hodder Moa, Auckland, 2007, p.p. 36-38.

v t e New Zealand Kiwis tours and tournaments
Australia	1907 1908 1909 1911 1912 1913 1919 1921 1925 1930 1938 1948 1952 1956 1957 1959 1963 1967 1968 1972 1975 1978 1982 1986 1987 1991 1993 1995 2005 2006 2008 2010 2011 2014 2016
Great Britain	1907-08 1926-27 1939 1947-48 1951-52 1954 1955-56 1960 1961 1965 1970 1971 1972 1975 1980 1985 1989 1993 1995 1998 2002 2004 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2016 2018
France	1939 1947-48 1951-52 1954 1955-56 1960 1961 1965 1970 1971 1972 1975 1980 1985 1989 1993 2000 2002 2004 2005 2007 2009 2013
Papua New Guinea	1978 1982 1986 1987 1990 1994
World Cups	1954 1957 1960 1968 1970 1972 1975 1977 1995 2000 2008 2013 2017
Other	1907 (Ceylon) 1954 (USA)
Related	Kangaroo Tour Lions Tour