The Great Britain women's rugby league tour of Australia was their second tour to Australia, following on from a two to one test series victory in 1996. It was also their third overall, having visited New Zealand in 1998. The tour was the fourth by a national women's rugby league team into Australia, with visits by New Zealand in 1995 and 1999 in addition to Great Britain's 1996 tour. Three of the five matches were full internationals.
Great Britain entered into this tour with a record of four wins from five matches against Australia, having won the 1996 three-match series by two to one, and both matches played in the 2000 World Cup.
Australia had played one match since the 2000 World Cup, a loss to New Zealand in Auckland. The team would be selected from small club competitions in two centres – Brisbane and Canberra. The Sydney club competition of the 1990s had collapsed by 2001, with a twelve-team rugby union competition cited as one reason for the decline in playing numbers.[1]
Players from both sides were obligated to self-fund their travel and accommodation expenses for the tour, and several engaged in fund raising activities.[2] Great Britain players were asked to find £1,000 in sponsorship as well as raising or making an individual contribution of £1,300.[3] Collectively, the squad raised over £60,000.[4]
Great Britain squad
An extended squad of 34 players met for a training camp on the weekend of 8 and 9 December 2001.[5] The final Great Britain squad of 25 players went into camp prior to departing London on Sunday, 7 July 2002.[6] The team arrived in Sydney on Tuesday, 9 July ahead of their first match, the First Test.[7]
Team leadership
Great Britain was led by joint captains Brenda Dobek and Lisa McIntosh, and by coach Jackie Sheldon.[8][9][10] In the absence of the joint-captains in the tour game against Queensland, Gemma Walsh was captain.[11] Support staff included assistant coaches John Mitchell (Bradford Thunderbirds) and Dylan Reynard (Milford Storm), physiotherapist Elaine Kirton (Whitehaven), and managers Andrew McDonald (Keighley Albion Cats) and Roland Davis.[5]
Great Britain players were assigned a jersey number for the duration of the tour. For example, Paula McCourt appeared in jersey number 21 in the three Tests, as well as the matches against Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory.
The match report for the Queensland game listed 19 players, with six on the interchange bench. The tally of appearances reflects this extension beyond the then standard 17 players.
Samantha Brook was selected in the squad but withdrew from the tour due to deep vein thrombosis (DVT).[4]
Natalie Parsons, at age 17, was the second youngest member of the squad.[12]
Australia squad
The Australian squad was selected after the national championships on the June long weekend. This tournament featured two teams from Queensland, the Australian Capital Territory, and despite the lack of a club competition in Sydney, New South Wales.[13][14] Ten members of the Queensland A team were included in the squad, and one member from the Queensland Barbarians team.[14] Three members of the Australian Capital Territory team were selected to in both the Australian squad and to play for NSW in the interstate game, held in Brisbane on 23 June 2002.[15]
Team leadership
Australia was led by captain Natalie Dwyer and coach Terry Boland.[13] Karyn Murphy was unavailable to play in the series due to injury, but filled the role of assistant coach.[16]
Tries:2 Sally Milburn',20',24' Goals:1 Brenda Dobek
ANZ Stadium, Brisbane Attendance: 10,000 Referee: Marilyn McKenna Touch judges: Alicia Newham, Vicki Café[10] Player of the Match: Tahnee Norris (Aus) and Sally Milburn (GB)[17]
Tries:1 Sally Milburn 15' Goals:nil Brenda Dobek 0/2 Drop goals:1 Brenda Dobek 1/2 5'
Canberra Stadium Attendance: 7,500 Referee: Marcus Jennett Player of the Match: Natalie Dwyer (Aus) and Jane Banks (GB)[17]
Players of the series
A player of the series award was selected for one player from each side.[17]
Natalie Dwyer (Australia)
Teresa Bruce (Great Britain)
References
↑ White, Veronica (2001). "Australian Women's Rugby League Annual Report 2001". 18th Annual Report of the Australian Rugby League. 18. Australian Rugby League: 29.
↑ "In national colours". Cooma Monaro Express. 24 Jul 2002.
↑ "Help us in our World Cup bid - RL women". Yorkshire Evening Post. 7 Jun 2002.
1 2 Potter, Sarah (6 Jun 2002). "Confident Brook tackles despair head-on - Rugby league". London Times. p.45.
1 2 "Rugby League: GB suad at Oakbank". West Yorkshire and North Yorkshire Counties Publications. 7 Dec 2001.
↑ Parsons, Mike (4 Jul 2002). "Banks is biting at the bit". Cheshire, Greater Manchester, and Merseyside Counties Publications.
↑ Lawrenson, David (11 Jul 2002). "Six days to acclimatise". Cheshire, Greater Manchester, and Merseyside Counties Publications.
1 2 Davis, Roland (15 July 2002). "Pride of Lionesses". Rugby Leaguer & League Express: 24.
1 2 Davis, Roland (8 Nov 2023) [2002]. "Pride of Lionesses". facebook. Rugby Leaguer & League Express. Retrieved 12 Jan 2025.
1 2 Cadigan, Neil, ed. (18 July 2002). "Curtain Raiser – Women's Test Match – Australia v Great Britain". Big League. 83 (19). Pacific Client Publishing: 27.
1 2 Davis, Roland (22 July 2002). "Lionesses ease to victory". Rugby Leaguer & League Express: 35.
↑ "Gym fixes it for Natalie's Ashes tour". West Yorkshire and North Yorkshire Counties Publications. 22 May 2002.
1 2 Zalunardo, Paul (11 Jul 2002). "Captaincy role again for Dwyer". Illawarra Mercury. p.50.
1 2 "Forward battle". Queensland Times. 17 Jun 2002. p.35.
↑ Hardy, Karen (12 Jun 2002). "Three ACT women get the nod from selectors". Canberra Times. p.30.
↑ Hintz, Paddy (20 Jul 2002). "Murphy's Law for rugby league's unluckiest twins". Courier Mail. p.41.
1 2 3 4 Williams, Terry, ed. (8 August 2002). "Academy News - Women's Test Series". Sydney League News. 8 (21): 6.
↑ Davis, Roland (22 July 2002). "Roos bounce back". Rugby Leaguer & League Express: 35.
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