1919 Kangaroo tour of New Zealand

Last updated May 15, 2025

The 1919 Kangaroo Tour of New Zealand was the first full tour of New Zealand by the Australia national rugby league team and the Australian's first tour since the end of World War 1.^[1] The Australians played nine matches on tour, including a four test series against the New Zealand national rugby league team. The tour began on 23 August and finished on 4 October.^[2]

Leadership

The tour captain of the 24 man squad to New Zealand was Balmain halfback Arthur "Pony" Halloway.

Touring squad

* Tests and (as sub) included in games total.

Player	Club	Position(s)	Games (as sub)	Tests (as sub)	Tries	Goals	F/Goals	Points
Frank Burge	Glebe	Prop , Second-row , Lock	7	4	10	17	0	64
Les Cubitt	Eastern Suburbs	Centre , Wing	8	4	23	0	0	69
Charles Fraser	Balmain	Fullback , Five-eighth	5	2	4	7	0	26
Herb Gilbert	Western Suburbs	Centre	5 (2)	2	5	0	0	15
Arthur Halloway (c)	Balmain	Halfback	8	3	2	3	0	12
Harold Horder	South Sydney	Wing	6	4	12	8	0	52
Albert Johnston	Newtown	Five-eighth	4	4	2	0	0	6
John Kerwick	South Sydney	Prop , Second-row	3	–	1	0	0	3
Reg Latta	Balmain	Lock , Second-row	3	–	0	0	0	0
Ray Norman	Eastern Suburbs	Centre , Wing	6	1	7	8	0	37
Claud O'Donnell	Souths Brisbane (QLD)	Second-row , Hooker	6	2	0	0	0	0
Arthur Oxford	South Sydney	Hooker , Prop , Second-row	6	3	0	18	0	36
Bill Paten	Ipswich (QLD)	Centre , Wing	5	1	1	0	0	3
Norm Potter	Wests Brisbane (QLD)	Second-row	1	–	0	1	0	2
Clarrie Prentice	Western Suburbs	Loose forward , Hooker	6	2	2	2	0	10
Jack Robinson	Balmain	Wing , Centre	5	2	12	0	0	36
Felix Ryan	Newtown	Second-row , Prop	6	3	4	0	0	12
Bill Schultz	Balmain	Lock , Prop	6	3	1	0	0	3
Tom Sweeney	Gympie (QLD)	Fullback	6	2	1	1	0	5
Duncan Thompson	Ipswich (QLD)	Halfback	2	1 (1)	0	0	0	0
Clarrie Thorogood	Queensland	Centre , Wing	4	1 (1)	1	0	0	3
Dick Townsend	Newtown	Hooker , Second-row , Prop	4	2	0	0	0	0
Dick Vest	Western Suburbs	Wing , Centre	5	1	11	0	0	33
Jack Watkins	Eastern Suburbs	Prop , Second-row , Lock	5	4	1	0	0	3

Tour

First test

23 August 1919

New Zealand	21 – 44	Australia
Tries: Karl Ifwersen (2) Jack Lang Goals: Craddock Dufty (5) Field Goals: Craddock Dufty (1)	^[3]	Tries: Les Cubitt (2) Harold Horder (2) Frank Burge Herb Gilbert Albert Johnston Jack Robinson Felix Ryan Jack Watkins Goals: Arthur Oxford (6) Frank Burge (1)

Basin Reserve, Wellington
Attendance: 8,000
Referee: Albert House

New Zealand	Position	Australia
Craddock Dufty	FB	Tom Sweeney
George Iles	WG	Harold Horder
Karl Ifwersen (c)	CE	Herb Gilbert
George Bradley	CE	Les Cubitt
Alec Morris	WG	Jack Robinson
Jack Lang	FE	Albert Johnston
George Neal	HB	Arthur Halloway (c)
William Scott	PR	Jack Watkins
Bill King	HK	Arthur Oxford
Bert Avery	PR	Frank Burge
Bill Williams	SR	Felix Ryan
Sam Lowrie	SR	Claud O'Donnell
Stan Walters	LF	Clarrie Prentice
	Coach

Second test

30 August 1919

New Zealand	26 – 10	Australia
Tries: Stan Walters (3) Bert Avery George Iles Bill Williams Goals: Karl Ifwersen (3) Craddock Dufty (1)	^[4]	Tries: Harold Horder (2) Goals: Harold Horder (2)

Sydenham Park, Christchurch
Attendance: 7,200
Referee: Arthur Brunsden

New Zealand	Position	Australia
Craddock Dufty	FB	Tom Sweeney
George Iles	WG	Harold Horder
Karl Ifwersen (c)	CE	Les Cubitt
George Bradley	CE	Herb Gilbert
Jim Sanders	WG	Bill Paten
Alec Morris	FE	Albert Johnston
Mike Pollock	HB	Arthur Halloway (c)
William Scott	PR	Jack Watkins
Bert Avery	HK	Arthur Oxford
Stan Walters	PR	Frank Burge
Bill Williams	SR	Felix Ryan
Sam Lowrie	SR	Claud O'Donnell
Keith Helander	LF	Clarrie Prentice
	Int.	Clarrie Thorogood
	Coach

Third test

6 September 1919

New Zealand	23 – 34	Australia
Tries: Dougie McGregor (2) Bert Avery Craddock Dufty Stan Walters Goals: Karl Ifwersen (3) George Bradley (1)	^[5]	Tries: Les Cubitt (2) Harold Horder (2) Jack Robinson (2) Frank Burge Albert Johnston Goals: Harold Horder (5)

The Domain, Auckland
Attendance: 24,300
Referee: Bill Murray

New Zealand	Position	Australia
Craddock Dufty	FB	Charles Fraser
George Iles	WG	Harold Horder
Karl Ifwersen (c)	CE	Les Cubitt
Bill Davidson	CE	Clarrie Thorogood
Dougie McGregor	WG	Jack Robinson
George Bradley	FE	Albert Johnston
William Walsh	HB	Arthur Halloway (c)
William Scott	PR	Jack Watkins
Bert Avery	HK	Dick Townsend
Stan Walters	PR	Frank Burge
Bill Williams	SR	Felix Ryan
Sam Lowrie	SR	Claud O'Donnell
Tom Haddon	LF	Bill Schultz
	Int.	Duncan Thompson
	Coach

Fourth test

13 September 1919

New Zealand	2 – 32	Australia
Tries: Goals: Karl Ifwersen (1)	^[6]	Tries: Harold Horder (3) Frank Burge (2) Dick Vest (2) Les Cubitt Goals: Frank Burge (3) Harold Horder (1)

The Domain, Auckland
Attendance: 15,000
Referee: Archie Ferguson

New Zealand	Position	Australia
Craddock Dufty	FB	Charles Fraser
Dougie McGregor	WG	Harold Horder
Karl Ifwersen (c)	CE	Ray Norman
George Bradley	CE	Les Cubitt
George Iles	WG	Dick Vest
Jack Lang	FE	Albert Johnston (c)
Ike Stewart	HB	Duncan Thompson
Nelson Bass	PR	Jack Watkins
Bert Avery	HK	Dick Townsend
Tom Haddon	PR	Arthur Oxford
Bill Williams	SR	Frank Burge
Wally Somers	SR	Claud O'Donnell
Stan Walters	LF	Bill Schultz
	Int.	Jack Robinson
	Coach

18 September 1919

Waikato	5 – 58	Australia
Tries: W. Warring Goals: William Peckham (1)	Report	Tries: Dick Vest (4), Reg Latta (2), Jack Robinson (2), Herb Gilbert, Arthur Halloway, Ray Norman, Bill Paten, Clarrie Prentice, Felix Ryan Goals: Ray Norman (3) Arthur Halloway (1) John Kerwick (1) Norm Potter (1) Clarrie Prentice (1) Tom Sweeney (1)

Steele Park, Hamilton
Attendance: 1,500
Referee: A. Thompson

Waikato: Tonga Mahuta, Brownie Paki, A. Rayner, W. Paki, Inglis Littlewood, S. Wilson, William Peckham, Morrison, W. Warring, S. Rayner, W. Donaldson, M. Allan, W. Rayner. Reserves – . Coach –

Australia: Tom Sweeney, Bill Paten, Dick Vest, Ray Norman, Jack Robinson, Clarrie Thorogood, Arthur Halloway (c), Felix Ryan, Clarrie Prentice, John Kerwick, Norm Potter, Dick Townsend, Reg Latta. Reserves – Herb Gilbert

20 September 1919

Auckland Province	8 – 32	Australia
Tries: Bert Avery, G. Davidson Goals: Karl Ifwersen (1)	Report	Tries: Frank Burge (4), Herb Gilbert (2), Les Cubitt, Jack Robinson Goals: Charles Fraser (2) Ray Norman (2)

The Domain, Auckland
Attendance: 18,000
Referee: A. Ball

Auckland Province: Bill Davidson, Dougie McGregor, Thomas McClymont, Karl Ifwersen (c), G. Davidson, Ike Stewart, W. Ghent, Stan Walters, S. Lowry, Bill Williams, Bert Avery, Robert Mitchell, Nelson Bass. Reserves – Frank Delgrosso. Coach –

Australia: Charles Fraser, Harold Horder, Les Cubitt, Jack Robinson, Dick Vest, Ray Norman, Arthur Halloway (c), Bill Schultz, Claud O'Donnell, Dick Townsend, Reg Latta, Jack Watkins, Frank Burge. Reserves – Herb Gilbert

27 September 1919

Hawke's Bay	4 – 67	Australia
Tries: Goals: N. McCarthy (2/3)	Report	Tries: Les Cubitt (6), Charles Fraser (3), Frank Burge, Herb Gilbert, John Kerwick, Ray Norman, Felix Ryan, Clarrie Thorogood Goals: Arthur Oxford (11/14) Frank Burge (0/2)

McLean Park, Napier
Attendance: 5,000
Referee: George Proxtor

Hawke's Bay: J. Fulford, Keely, P. Jackson, Pompey, C. Manning, N. McCarthy, Seymour, Fitzgerald, J. Beach, Crowley, F. Selby, E. Downing, Pat Burrows. Reserves – T. Bullivant. Coach –

Australia: Tom Sweeney, Les Cubitt, Ray Norman, Herb Gilbert, Clarrie Thorogood, Charles Fraser, Arthur Halloway (c), Felix Ryan, Clarrie Prentice, John Kerwick, Arthur Oxford, Frank Burge, Jack Watkins. Reserves –

30 September 1919

Hawke's Bay	7 – 73	Australia
Tries: Seymour Goals: N. McCarthy (2)	Report	Tries: Les Cubitt (6), Jack Robinson (4), Dick Vest (3), Charles Fraser, Arthur Halloway, Ray Norman, Bill Schultz Goals: Charles Fraser (3) Arthur Halloway (1) Ray Norman (1) Claud O'Donnell (1) Arthur Oxford (1) Clarrie Prentice (1)

Tomoana Showgrounds, Hastings
Attendance: 1,000

Hawke's Bay: J. Fulford, Keely, P. Jackson, Clarrie Thorogood, Bill Paten, N. McCarthy, Seymour, Fitzgerald, J. Beach, Crowley, F. Selby, E. Downing, Pat Burrows. Reserves – . Coach –

Australia: Tom Sweeney, Jack Robinson, Les Cubitt, Ray Norman, Dick Vest, Charles Fraser, Arthur Halloway (c), Bill Schultz, Clarrie Prentice, Arthur Oxford, Claud O'Donnell, Jack Watkins, Reg Latta. Reserves –

4 October 1919

Wellington	5 – 93	Australia
Tries: Alec Morris Goals: Alec Morris (1)	Report	Tries: Les Cubitt (5), Harold Horder (3), Arthur Halloway (2), Jack Robinson (2), Dick Vest (2), Jack Watkins (2), Frank Burge, Ray Norman, Clarrie Prentice, Felix Ryan, Tom Sweeney Goals: Frank Burge (13) Ray Norman (2)

Newtown Park, Wellington
Attendance: 1,000
Referee: c. Murphy

Wellington: Henderson, Meares, George Bradley, Whatley, Alec Morris, Mike Pollock, C. Kruse, Childe, Daske, Dawe, Joe Scott, Pheffer, Green. Reserves – . Coach –

Australia: Tom Sweeney, Harold Horder, Dick Vest, Jack Robinson, Les Cubitt, Ray Norman, Arthur Halloway (c), Bill Schultz, Clarrie Prentice, Felix Ryan, Frank Burge, John Kerwick, Jack Watkins. Reserves –

Statistics

Leading Try Scorer

23 by Les Cubitt

Leading Point Scorer

69 by Les Cubitt (23 tries)

Largest Attendance

24,300 - Third test vs New Zealand at The Domain, Auckland

Largest non-test Attendance

18,000 - Auckland Proivince vs Australia at The Domain, Auckland

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] History of Rugby League

[2] A Centenary of the Kangaroos in Canterbury

[3] 1st Test Report

[4] 2nd Test Report

[5] 3rd Test Report

[6] 4th Test Report

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

v t e Kangaroo Tours
Great Britain and France	1908–09 1911–12 1921–22 1929–30 1933–34 1937–38 1948–49 1952–53 1956–57 1959–60 1963–64 1967–68 1973 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 2001 2003
New Zealand	1919 1935 1937 1949 1953 1961 1965 1969 1971 1980 1985 1989 1993
Papua New Guinea	1991
World Cup	1954 1960 1970 1972 1975 1985–1988 1989–1992 1995 2000 2013 2021
Tri-Nations	1999 2004 2005
Four Nations	2009 2011 2016
Related	List of rugby league tours