1956 New Zealand rugby league tour of Australia | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Manager | Ron McGregor | ||||
Coach(es) | Bill Telford | ||||
Tour captain(s) | Tommy Baxter | ||||
Top point scorer(s) | Des White 88 | ||||
Top try scorer(s) | Rex Percy 12 | ||||
Top test point scorer(s) | Des White 10 ![]() | ||||
Top test try scorer(s) | Vern Bakalich 2 ![]() | ||||
Summary |
| ||||
Total |
| ||||
Test match |
| ||||
Opponent |
| ||||
![]() |
| ||||
Tour chronology | |||||
Previous tour | 1952 by ![]() ![]() 1955 by ![]() 1955-56 to ![]() ![]() | ||||
Next tour | 1956 by ![]() ![]() 1958 by ![]() ![]() 1959 by ![]() ![]() |
The 1956 New Zealand rugby league tour of Australia was the eighteenth tour by New Zealand's national rugby league team, and the thirteenth tour to visit Australia. The fifteen-match tour included three Test Matches.
The touring team began with a pair of wins but then lost the next two, against Newcastle and the First Test in Sydney. Five strong performances in Queensland followed, with wins by wide margins in high-scoring matches. In contrast, the Second Test was a low-scoring match, Australia winning 8 to 2 to secure their first Trans-Tasman series win since 1935. New Zealand lost the Third Test, and thus the series three-nil, and also the two tour matches that followed.
The team was captained by Tommy Baxter. [1]
The touring team was managed by Ron McGregor. [2]
The Rugby League News published a Team Photo, Player Details (Occupation, Age, Height and Weight) and pen portraits of the tourists: Backs and Forwards which listed their provincial team.
Player | Pos. | Age [3] | Weight | Province | Tests on Tour | Games | Tries | Goals | FG | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ron Ackland | Centre | 21 | 13. 4 (84) | ![]() | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
Vern Bakalich | Wing | 26 | 12. 2 (77) | ![]() | 3 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
Tommy Baxter | Centre | 26 | 12. 12 (82) | ![]() | 2 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Sel Belsham | Halfback | 25 | 11. 2 (71) | ![]() | 3 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
John Bond | Prop, Second-row | 24 | 14. 8 (93) | ![]() | 0 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
Ossie Butt | Prop, Second-row | 22 | 14. 4 (91) | ![]() | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Jock Butterfield | Hooker, Second-row | 24 | 14. 0 (89) | ![]() | 3 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Pat Creedy | Fullback | 28 | 12. 5 (78) | ![]() | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 11 |
Cyril Eastlake | Utility Back | 25 | 11. 7 (73) | ![]() | 3 | 11 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 18 |
Arnold Green | Wing, Centre | 22 | 10. 11 (68) | ![]() | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
Reese Griffiths | Wing, Centre | 18 | 12. 3 (78) | ![]() | 0 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
Tom Hadfield | Wing, Centre | 21 | 12. 0 (76) | ![]() | 1 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
Cliff Johnson | Second-row | 27 | 15. 2 (96) | ![]() | 3 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
John Lasher | Hooker | 23 | 12. 12 (82) | ![]() | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
Duncan MacRae | Prop | 22 | 15. 4 (97) | ![]() | 3 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Henry Maxwell | Prop | 24 | 15. 10 (100) | ![]() | 3 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
George Menzies | Five-eighth | 25 | 11. 5 (72) | ![]() | 3 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
Gordon Moncur | Wing | 23 | 11. 2 (71) | ![]() | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Frank Mulcare | Lock | 27 | 13. 0 (83) | ![]() | 3 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
Mauriohooho Murray | Second-row | 23 | 14. 5 (91) | ![]() | 0 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
Rex Percy | Lock | 22 | 13. 7 (86) | ![]() | 0 | 8 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 36 |
Jim Riddell | Second-row | 26 | 13. 8 (86) | ![]() | 3 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Keith Roberts | Halfback | 24 | 11. 12 (75) | ![]() | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
Bill Sorensen | Five-eighth, Centre | 24 | 13. 4 (84) | ![]() | 3 | 12 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 40 |
Des White | Fullback | 29 | 11. 13 (76) | ![]() | 3 | 10 | 0 | 44 | 0 | 88 |
John Yates | Prop, Second-row | 25 | 15. 2 (96) | ![]() | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
May 30 | Western Division ![]() | 16–19 | ![]() | Lithgow | |
Tries: 2 Laurie Bennett Alex Whitby Goals: 5 Barry Russell (5) | Result [4] | Tries: 5 Vern Bakalich (2) Ron Ackland Jock Butterfield Frank Mulcare Goals: 2 Pat Creedy (2) | Attendance: 6,620 Gate: AU£ 1,062 Referee: Eric McIlhatton |
Western NSW: FB: Barry Russell (age 22), WG: William Miller (23) ( |
June 2 | New South Wales ![]() | 17–26 | ![]() | Sydney Cricket Ground | |
Tries: 3 Don Adams Graham Laird Peter O'Connor Goals: 4 Ron Willey (4) | Program Database | Tries: 4 Bill Sorensen (3) Frank Mulcare Goals: 7 Des White (7) | Attendance: 35,492 Gate: AU£ 5,008 Referee: C. Brown |
New South Wales: FB: Ron Willey (age 28) ( |
June 4 | Newcastle ![]() | 20–5 | ![]() | Newcastle Sports Ground | |
Tries: 4 Fred Brown Doug Hawke Don Adams Brian Carlson Goals: 4 Russ Naughton (4) | Result [5] | Tries: 1 Henry Maxwell Goals: 1 Des White | Attendance: 12,500 Gate: AU£ 2,247 Referee: G. Hallwood |
Newcastle: FB: Russ Naughton ( |
June 9 2.30pm |
Australia ![]() | 12–9 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Tries: 4 Don Adams (2) Dick Poole Ian Moir Goals: 0 | Program Result [6] [7] Database | Tries: 3 Sel Belsham Vern Bakalich Bill Sorensen Goals: 0 |
Sydney Cricket Ground Attendance: 46,766 Gate: AU£ 15,905 Referee: John Casey |
Australia: FB: Ken McCrohon (23) ( |
June 11 | Brisbane ![]() | 8–26 | ![]() | Brisbane Exhibition Ground | |
Night game | Tries: 2 J. Duncan (2) Goals: 1 Brian Davies | Result [8] | Tries: 6 Bill Sorensen Tom Hadfield Cyril Eastlake John Yates Arnold Green Pat Creedy Goals: 4 Bill Sorensen (2) Pat Creedy (2) | Attendance: 14,367 Gate: AU£ 2,020 Referee: John Casey |
Brisbane: FB: Ken McCrohon ( |
June 13 | Toowoomba ![]() | 25–33 | ![]() | Toowoomba | |
Tries: 5 Leo Johnson Athol Halpin Des McGovern Tom Payne Bob Buckley Goals: 5 Don Furner (5) | Result [9] | Tries: 7 Rex Percy (2) Ron Ackland (2) Tom Hadfield Bill Sorensen Henry Maxwell Goals: 6 Des White (6) | Attendance: 6,142 Gate: AU£ 1,327 Referee: Frank Ballard |
Toowoomba: FB: Athol Halpin ( |
June 16 | Queensland ![]() | 26–40 | ![]() | Brisbane | |
Tries: 6 Des McGovern Alex Watson Bob Buckley Tom Tyquin Don Furner Gary Parcell Goals: 4 Cyril Connell Jr (3) Don Furner | Database | Tries: 8 George Menzies (2) Vern Bakalich Tom Hadfield Tommy Baxter Frank Mulcare Mauriohooho Murray Ron Ackland Goals: 8 Des White (8) | Attendance: 28,261 Gate: AU£ 4,138 Referee: John Casey |
Queensland: FB: Ken McCrohon (age 23) ( |
June 17 | Central Queensland ![]() | 22–60 | ![]() | Rockhampton | |
Tries: 6 G. Little (2) Allan Rycen Ollie Smith Bob Banks P. Millroy Goals: 2 Ken Jenkins (2) | Tries: 14 Rex Percy (6) Reese Griffiths (3) Vern Bakalich (2) Bill Sorensen Tom Hadfield Mauriohooho Murray Goals: 9 Des White (9) | Attendance: 5,800 Gate: AU£ 1,451 Referee: N. Castley |
Central Queensland: FB: Ray Robinson ( |
June 20 | North Queensland ![]() | 8–53 | ![]() | Townsville | |
Tries: 2 Danny Clifford Ken Woodward Goals: 1 Albert Roberts | Tries: 15 Keith Roberts (4) John Lasher (3) Arnold Green (2) Bill Sorensen (2) Gordon Moncur Reese Griffiths Henry Maxwell Cyril Eastlake Goals: 4 Bill Sorensen (3) Cyril Eastlake | Attendance: 4,000 Gate: AU£ 963 Referee: H. Gilbert |
North Queensland: FB: Bevan Hoyle (Townsville), WG: Albert Roberts (Townsville), CE: Len Blaik (Townsville), CE: Ron Tait ( |
June 23 |
Australia ![]() | 8–2 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Tries: 2 Dick Poole Alex Watson Goals: 1 Gordon Clifford | Result [10] Database | Tries: 0 Goals: 1 Des White |
Brisbane Attendance: 28,361 Gate: AU£ 9,827 Referee: Darcy Lawler |
Australia: FB: Gordon Clifford ( |
June 24 | Wide Bay ![]() | 5–29 | ![]() | Maryborough | |
Tries: 1 L. Hooper Goals: 1 A. Brunkie | Tries: 7 Arnold Green (3) John Bond (2) Keith Roberts Rex Percy Goals: 4 Des White (4) | Attendance: 1,326 Gate: AU£ 349 Referee: Vic Vercoe |
Wide Bay: FB: A. Brunkie, WG: L. Kavanagh, CE: W. Beck, CE: P. Clarke, WG: W. Hannen, FE: B. Sherwood, HB: G. Norris, LK: L. Hooper, SR: R. Marles, SR: T. Drysdale, PR: R. King, HK: Keith Weston, PR: M. Ziebath. |
June 27 | Northern Division ![]() | 14–15 | ![]() | Narrabri | |
Tries: 4 J. Gurd (2) C. Kelly A. Collinson Goals: 1 C. Robinson | Tries: 3 Rex Percy (2) Bill Sorensen Goals: 3 Cyril Eastlake (3) | Attendance: 2,040 Gate: AU£ 566 Referee: K. Hilton |
Northern NSW: FB: C. Robinson, WG: J. Gurd, CE: R. Lumsden (Urunga), CE: J. Daly, WG: J. Wood, FE: A. Davidson, HB: C. Kelly, LK: G. Smith, SR: Arthur Collinson (Port Macquarie), SR: Guy Brazier (Dorrigo), PR: Lloyd Hudson ( |
June 30 2.30pm |
Australia ![]() | 31–14 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Tries: 7 Don Adams (3) Alex Watson (2) Keith Holman Darcy Henry Goals: 5 Norm Pope (5) | Program Database | Tries: 2 Vern Bakalich Cliff Johnson Goals: 4 Des White (4) |
Sydney Attendance: 46,735 Gate: AU£ 14,806 Referee: Darcy Lawler |
Australia: FB: Norm Pope (24) ( |
July 1 | Southern Division ![]() | 25–10 | ![]() | Wollongong | |
Tries: 5 L. Johnson M. Grenfell D. Spence J. Lumsden M. Graham Goals: 5 D. Russell (5) | Result [11] | Tries: 2 Rex Percy Mauriohooho Murray Goals: 2 Cyril Eastlake (2) | Attendance: 6,804 Gate: AU£ 1,016 Referee: Jerry Lane |
Southern Division: FB: Darcy Russell ( |
July 4 | Southern NSW | 16–11 | ![]() | Cootamundra | |
Tries: 4 D. Goldspink (2) Burns B. Clay Goals: 2 J. O'Connell (2) | Result [12] | Tries: 1 Arnold Green Goals: 4 Des White (4) | Attendance: 6,000 Gate: AU£ 322 Referee: H. T. Grew |
Southern NSW: FB: J. O'Connell, WG: D. Goldspink, CE: W. Garvin, CE: Brian Clay ( |
Acronym | Item | Years | Database App | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Direct Online Access | ||||
RLN | Rugby League News | 1920-1973 | Trove | Match Program in Sydney, Team Lists, Team Photos, Articles |
RLP | Rugby League Project | 1907–present | RLP Website | Test Match teams & scorers. |
CQH | The Central Queensland Herald | 1930-1956 | Trove | Short match reports. |
CT | The Canberra Times | 1926-1995 | Trove | Short match reports. |
Offline Resources | ||||
EECYB | E.E. Christensen's Official Rugby League Year Book | 1946-1978 | Copies at State Library of NSW | Teams, Point Scorers, Report. 1953 Yearbook covers the 1952 tour. |
QRLG | Queensland Rugby League Gazette | 1950-1955 | Copies at State Library of Qld | Program for matches in Brisbane. Collection is predominantly of representative matches. |
RRLG | Rockhampton Rugby League Gazette | 1951-1968 | Copies at State Library of Qld | Program for matches in Rockhampton. Collection includes club as well as Rockhampton and Central Queensland representative matches. |
- | Ipswich Versus International Teams [13] | 1913-1975 | Copies at SLQ & NLA | Match Report, Given Names & Club of Ipswich Players |
- | The Bulimba Cup Era [14] | 1925-1972 | Copies at SLQ & NLA | Clubs of Ipswich, Toowoomba and Brisbane players. This book includes Bulimba Cup match reports and team lists. |
- | A History of Mackay Rugby League [15] | 1919-2015 | Author's Website | Given Names & Club of Mackay Players |
- | More Than The Foley Shield [16] | 1908-2014 | Author's Website | Match report, team photos. Given Names & Club of North Queensland Players |
Women's rugby league is the female-only version of rugby league.
The 1951 French rugby league tour of Australia and New Zealand was the first ever tour of Australasia by any French sports team in history. Puig Aubert captained the France national rugby league team who played 28 matches in total in both Australia and New Zealand, winning 21 of them in what is regarded as the high point in the history of rugby league in France. The Australian Test series resulted in a 2–1 victory to France; however, the tourists then lost their match against the New Zealand national rugby league team. Welcoming the team home to Marseille, more than 150,000 people turned out for a street parade.
The Australia women's national rugby league team, also known as the Australian Jillaroos, or Harvey Norman Jillaroos for sponsorship reasons, represents Australia in women's rugby league. They played their first formal international in 1995 under the administration of the Australian Women's Rugby League. The AWRL affiliated with the Australian Rugby League in the late 1990s, with AWRL reports included in ARL annual reports. Since the advent of the Australian Rugby League Commission in February 2012, the team has been administered by that body and the National Rugby League.
The Great Britain women's national rugby league team, also known as the Great Britain Lionesses, represents Great Britain in Women's rugby league. They are administered by the Rugby Football League. The Great Britain Lionesses have placed third in every Women's Rugby League World Cup in which they have competed. In 2006, the RFL announced that after the 2007 All Golds Tour the Great Britain team would no longer compete on a regular basis, and that players would be able to represent England, Wales and Scotland at Test level. It is planned that the Great Britain team will come together in future only for occasional tours, same as the Great Britain Lions.
The 1920 Great Britain Lions tour was the third British national rugby league team or 'Lions' tour of Australasia, where it was winter and matches were played against the Australian and New Zealand national sides, as well as several local teams. In Australia, the three-Test match series was won by the hosts. In New Zealand another three-Test series was played and won by the visitors. The tour was a success and brought in a handsome profit.
The 1989 Kangaroo Tour of New Zealand was a mid-season tour of New Zealand by the Australia national rugby league team. The Australians played six matches on tour, including a three test series against the New Zealand national rugby league team. The tour began on 4 July and finished on 23 July.
The 1993 Trans-Tasman Test series was an international rugby league test series played in Australia between Australia and New Zealand. The series, which started on 20 June in Auckland and finished on 30 June in Brisbane, consisted of three test matches. The three Tests attracted a total of 74,494 fans.
The 1985 Kangaroo Tour of New Zealand was a mid-season tour of New Zealand by the Australia national rugby league team. The Australians played six matches on tour, including the final two games of a three-game test series against the New Zealand with the first test taking place in Brisbane on 18 June. The NZ tour began on 19 June and finished on 10 July.
Women's rugby league is a popular women's sport in Australia. The sport has a high level of participation in the country both recreational and professional. Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) is the national governing body of the sport in Australia, organising the Australian Women's Rugby League, the Australian women's national team, and the nine state governing bodies of the game, among other duties. Women's participation of modern rugby league has been recorded since the early 1920s. It has since become one of Australia's most popular women's team sports.
The 1980 Kangaroo Tour of New Zealand was a mid-season tour of New Zealand by the Australia national rugby league team. The Australians played seven matches on tour, including a two test series against the New Zealand national rugby league team. The tour began on 1 June and finished on 17 June.
The 1969 Kangaroo Tour of New Zealand was a mid-season tour of New Zealand by the Australia national rugby league team. The Australians played six matches on tour, including two tests against the New Zealand national rugby league team. The tour began on 28 May and finished on 10 June.
The 1950 Great Britain Lions tour was a tour by the Great Britain national rugby league team of Australia and New Zealand which took place between May and August 1950. The tour involved a schedule of 25 games: 19 in Australia including a three-test series against Australia for the Ashes, and a further 6 in New Zealand including two test matches against New Zealand. A scheduled fixture in Forbes, New South Wales, against a Western Districts team, was abandoned when the chartered plane could not land due to bad weather. Captained by Ernest Ward, the Lions returned home having won 19 and lost 6 of their games. The team won the first test match of the tour but lost the second and third to lose the Ashes Test series to Australia. The team also lost both Test Matches in and against New Zealand. Despite being a British team – five of the squad were Welsh – the team played, and were often referred to by both the press at home and away, as England.
The 1948 New Zealand rugby league tour of Australia was the fourteenth tour by New Zealand's national rugby league team, and the eleventh tour to visit Australia. The eight-match tour included two Test Matches, which were the first played by New Zealand in Australia since 1909.
Captained by Pat Smith, the Kiwis returned home having won six and lost two of their games. The team won the first test match of the tour but lost the second.
The 1954 Great Britain Lions tour was a tour by the Great Britain national rugby league team of Australia and New Zealand which took place between May and August 1954. Captained by Dickie Williams, the tour involved a schedule of 32 games: 22 in Australia and 10 in New Zealand, with two three-match Test Series against both nations.
The tour began inauspiciously, with Great Britain losing four of their first seven matches, including the First Test against Australia in Sydney. Moving into the Queensland leg, the Lions' results improved, and they won all nine of their matches in the state. This included victory in the Second Test in Brisbane.
A common feature of many of the tour matches was rough play, punches being throw in and out of tackles. The July 10 match against New South Wales was abandoned by the referee seventeen minutes into the second half due to persistent brawling by the players.
One week after the abandoned game, Australia won the Third Test to claim the Ashes by a 2–1 margin.
Moving to New Zealand, Great Britain lost the Second Test, but recovered to win the Third Test and the series, by a 2–1 margin.
The tour concluded with three matches in five days back in Australia at Sydney, Canberra and Maitland.
Despite being a British team – five of the squad were Welsh, two from Scotland and hooker Tom McKinney from Northern Ireland – the team played, and were often referred to by both the press at home and away, as England.
The 1952 New Zealand rugby league tour of Australia was the sixteenth tour by New Zealand's national rugby league team, and the twelfth tour to visit Australia. The thirteen-match tour included three Test Matches.
Captained by Travers Hardwick and coached by Jim Amos, the Kiwis completed a successful tour, winning ten of the thirteen matches. The team recovered from losing the First Test Match, to win – in the space of five days – the Second and Third Tests and claim the series by a two-one margin.
The 1953 American All Stars rugby league tour of Australia and New Zealand was a tour by a group of twenty men who had not previously played the sport of Rugby League. Most of the team were current or former College Gridiron footballers with Stanford University, the University of California, Los Angeles, or the University of Southern California. Some of the party had played rugby union at their colleges, during gridiron off-seasons.
The 1956 New Zealand Māori rugby league tour of Australia was the fourth overseas tour by a Māori rugby league team. The previous three tours were also to Australia. There had been tours in both 1908 and 1909 during the code’s formative years. The third tour occurred in 1922.
In the rival code, New Zealand Māori Rugby Union teams had undertaken taken three tours since the conclusion of World War II:— to Fiji in 1948 and 1954, and to Australia in 1949.
In Rugby League, Māori teams had played touring teams in 1946, 1949, 1953, 1954 and 1955.
This Māori tour, which began on August 1, followed a tour by the New Zealand national team which had concluded in early July. Two players, Henry Maxwell and Mauriohooho (Joe) Murray participated in both tours. Simon Yates was on the Māori tour, whilst his brother John Yates had been on the Kiwis tour.
The October 1955 issue of the Rugby League News mentioned the prospect of a Māori tour to Australia. The December 1955 issue included a draft itinerary.
The 1956–57 Kangaroo tour was the ninth Kangaroo tour, in which the Australian national rugby league team travelled to Great Britain and France and played twenty-eight matches, including the Ashes series of three Test matches against Great Britain and three Test matches against the French. It followed the tour of 1952-53 and the next was staged in 1959-60.
The 1952–53 Kangaroo tour was the eighth Kangaroo tour, in which the Australian national rugby league team travelled to Great Britain and France and played forty matches, including the Ashes series of three Test matches against Great Britain and three Test matches against the French. It followed the tour of 1948-49 and the next was staged in 1956-57.
The 1948–49 Kangaroo tour was the seventh Kangaroo tour, in which the Australian national rugby league team travelled to Great Britain and France and played thirty-seven matches, including the Ashes series of three Test matches against Great Britain, an international match against Wales and two Test matches against the French. It followed the tour of 1937-38 and a cessation of overseas international tours due to World War II. The next was staged in 1952-53.