1936 British Lions tour to Argentina

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1936 British Lions tour to Argentina
Date15 July – 23 August
Coach(es) Flag of England.svg Doug Prentice
Tour captain(s) Flag of England.svg Bernard Gadney
Test series winners British Isles (1–0)
Top test point scorer(s) Flag of England.svg John Brett (7)
1936 British Lions tour to Argentina
Summary
PWDL
Total
10 1000
Test match
1100
Opponent
PWDL
Flag of Argentina.svg  Argentina
1 1 0 0

The 1936 British Lions tour of Argentina was a series of rugby union matches arranged between the British Lions and various Argentine teams. The tourists played ten matches, nine of which were against club and combined teams while one match took in a full Argentina national team. [1] Despite being sanctioned by the International Rugby Board, no caps were awarded to players from either side.

Contents

This was the third and final international tour to South America by a combined British team, and although classed as the British Lions, it was predominantly English, with a handful of Scottish and Irish players. [2]

The Lions won all the games played, scoring 399 points and conceding only 12.

Background

By 1936 Argentine rugby was in expansion and growth. Four years earlier, the Junior Springboks had visited the country to play several matches. In 1933 two South African players, Wollie Wolheim and Rybeck Elliot returned to Argentina to play for local team Hindú, which was considered by the Argentine Union as a sort of professionalism and Hindú was suspended for one season. [3]

In 1935 eleven players of San Isidro (the most important rugby team of Argentina by then) were suspended by the club executives. The banned players organised some friendly matches under the name "Abelleyra XV" until they established a new institution, San Isidro Club. [4]

The last Lions tour to Argentina came when former player Douglas Prentice, who had led the team during their tour to New Zealand an Australia in 1930 and was the current manager, arrived with twenty-three players. No Welsh players were part of the team despite Wales had won the Home Nations that year. [3]

The British played only one test v. Argentina at Gimnasia y Esgrima, with a record attendance of 15,000, on August 16. The Lions won by 23–0. The Argentine line-up for that game was Héctor Alfonso; R. Elliot, Herbert Talbot, Horacio Pascuali, Emilio Schiavio; Percy Talbot, Noel Cooper; Jorge Cilley, Gilbert Logan, José Frigoli; J.L. Francombe (cap), Tomás Salzman; Bernardo Mitchelstein, Víctor Inchausti, Archie Cameron. [3]

Belgrano was the only team to score a try against The Lions, when the visiting team won by 37–3. [3]

Touring party

Players

Notes

    Match summary

    Complete list of matches played by the British Isles in Argentina: [5] [6] [7]

      Test match

    The Lions v. Argentina national team, played on 16 August at GEBA Lions pumas 1936.jpg
    The Lions v. Argentina national team, played on 16 August at GEBA
    #DateRivalScoreVenueCity
    115 Jul Buenos Aires F.C. 55–0 Gimnasia y Esgrima Buenos Aires
    218 Jul Argentina A 27–0 Gimnasia y Esgrima Buenos Aires
    322 Jul Olivos 27–3 Gimnasia y Esgrima Buenos Aires
    426 JulArgentina B28–0 Gimnasia y Esgrima Buenos Aires
    529 Jul Pacific Railway 62–0 Gimnasia y Esgrima Buenos Aires
    62 Aug Litoral Rugby Union 41–0 Plaza Jewell Rosario
    75 Aug Old Georgian 55–6 Gimnasia y Esgrima Buenos Aires
    89 Aug Belgrano A.C. 37–3 Gimnasia y Esgrima Buenos Aires
    9 16 AugFlag of Argentina.svg  Argentina 23–0 Gimnasia y Esgrima Buenos Aires
    1023 Aug CASIHindúCUBA Combined44–0 Gimnasia y Esgrima Buenos Aires
    Balance
    PlWDLPsPc
    10100039912

    Match details

    Argentina Test

    16 August 1936
    Argentina  Flag of Argentina.svg0–23 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg British Isles
    Report Try: Boyle (2)
    Tallent
    Unwin
    Con: Brett (2)
    Pen: Brett
    Drop: Shaw
    Gimnasia y Esgrima, Buenos Aires
    Attendance: ?
    Referee: Hugh Hughes (South Africa)
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    Kit right arm sky hoops.png
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    Kit shorts.svg
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    Argentina
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    British Isles
    ArgentinaBritish Isles
    Héctor AlfonsoFB15FB Harold Uren
    Riebeck ElliotW14W Jim Unwin
    Herbert TalbotC13C John Tallent
    Horacio PascualliC12C Wilson Shaw
    Eduardo SchiavioW11W Vesey Boyle
    Percy TalbotFH10FH Tom Knowles
    Noel CooperSH9SH Bernard Gadney (c)
    Gilbert LoganN88N8 Peter Hobbs
    José FrigoliF7F Peter Hordern
    Jorge CilleyF6F Bill Weston
    Tomás SalzmanL5L Fred Huskisson
    Jumbo Francombe (c)L4L Charles Beamish
    Ray CameronP3P John Brett
    Virgilio InchaustiH2H Owen Chadwick
    Bernardo MitchelsteinP1P Robin Prescott

    References

    1. "La Unión de Rugby del Río de la Plata". UAR.com. 1937. Retrieved 20 March 2011.[ permanent dead link ]
    2. "1936 Argentina". lionsrugby.com. Retrieved 20 March 2011.
    3. 1 2 3 4 Lions (tercer viaje olvidado) by Ricardo Sabanes on Periodismo Rugby website, 1 Jun 2017
    4. SIC: El alumbramiento, La Nación, 12 July 2005
    5. British & Irish Lions results on Rugby Football History
    6. Early Lions: Squads and results (1888–1938) on BBC Sport, 18 May 2005
    7. Match report Great Britain XV tour - Buenos Aires, 16 August 1936