2018 New Zealand rugby league tour of England

Last updated
2018 Kiwi tour
Date27 October 2018 – 11 November 2018
Summary
PWDL
Total
3102
Test match
3102
Opponent
PWDL
Flag of England.svg  England
3 1 0 2
Tour chronology
Previous tour 2015

The 2018 New Zealand rugby league tour of England was a tour by the New Zealand national rugby league team. [1] [2] The New Zealand national rugby league team played a three match test series against England for the Baskerville Shield, losing 2-1.

Contents

Background

Official Rankings as of July 2018 [3]
RankChange*TeamPts%
2Steady2.svgFlag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand 72.7
3Steady2.svgFlag of England.svg  England 70.4

New Zealand and England previously played against each other in a mid-season international on 23 June 2018 at Mile High Stadium in Denver, Colorado. England won 36-18.

New Zealand was last in England for the 2016 Rugby League Four Nations. During that tournament New Zealand defeated England 17-16 in Huddersfield. [4] They last played a three match test series against England during the 2015 New Zealand rugby league tour of Great Britain, losing the series 2-1. [5] With the completion of these three tests, New Zealand and England played each other four times in 2018.

Squads

New Zealand

A wider squad was named on 3 September 2018 consisting of the best New Zealand eligible players in the running to play in the upcoming tour. [6] The final touring squad of 23 players was named on 1 October. [7]

On 4 October, Corey Harawira-Naera withdrew from the touring 23-man squad due to a groin injury. Agnatius Paasi and Peta Hiku were subsequently added to the squad. [8]

Ages are as of 27 October 2018, the day of the first test.

Pos.PlayerDate of birth (age)GamesPointsClub
Prop Leeson Ah Mau 20 December 1989 (aged 28)30 St. George Illawarra colours.svg St. George Illawarra Dragons
Centre Gerard Beale 18 July 1990 (aged 28)00 Auckland colours.svg New Zealand Warriors
Prop , Lock Adam Blair 20 March 1986 (aged 32)20 Auckland colours.svg New Zealand Warriors
Prop Jesse Bromwich 3 May 1989 (aged 29)34 Melbourne colours.svg Melbourne Storm
Second-row , Lock Kenny Bromwich 22 September 1991 (aged 27)30 Melbourne colours.svg Melbourne Storm
Lock , Second-row James Fisher-Harris 5 January 1996 (aged 22)20 Penrith Panthers square flag icon with 2020 colours.svg Penrith Panthers
Centre Peta Hiku 4 December 1992 (aged 25)00 Auckland colours.svg New Zealand Warriors
Fullback , Five-eighth Jahrome Hughes 8 October 1994 (aged 24)00 Melbourne colours.svg Melbourne Storm
Wing Jamayne Isaako 5 June 1996 (aged 22)10 Brisbane colours.svg Brisbane Broncos
Halfback , Five-eighth Shaun Johnson 9 September 1990 (aged 28)322 Auckland colours.svg New Zealand Warriors
Lock , Second-row Isaac Liu 26 April 1991 (aged 27)34 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Sydney Roosters
Centre Joseph Manu 29 June 1996 (aged 22)30 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Sydney Roosters
Centre Esan Marsters 17 August 1996 (aged 22)34 Wests Tigers colours.svg Wests Tigers
Wing Ken Maumalo 16 July 1994 (aged 24)312 Auckland colours.svg New Zealand Warriors
Halfback Kodi Nikorima 3 April 1994 (aged 24)34 Brisbane colours.svg Brisbane Broncos
Prop Agnatius Paasi 30 November 1991 (aged 26)00 Auckland colours.svg New Zealand Warriors
Second-row Isaiah Papali'i 20 September 1998 (aged 20)12 Auckland colours.svg New Zealand Warriors
Second-row Kevin Proctor 28 February 1989 (aged 29)30 Gold Coast Titans colours.svg Gold Coast Titans
Wing Jordan Rapana 15 August 1989 (aged 29)20 Canberra colours.svg Canberra Raiders
Hooker , Lock Brandon Smith 31 May 1996 (aged 22)30 Melbourne colours.svg Melbourne Storm
Second-row Joseph Tapine 4 May 1994 (aged 24)24 Canberra colours.svg Canberra Raiders
Prop , Lock Martin Taupau 3 February 1990 (aged 28)20 Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly Warringah Sea Eagles
Prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves 20 January 1989 (aged 29)30 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Sydney Roosters
Fullback , Wing Dallin Watene-Zelezniak (captain)17 August 1995 (aged 23)38 Penrith Panthers square flag icon with 2020 colours.svg Penrith Panthers

Pre-tour matches

13 October 2018 New Zealand Flag of New Zealand.svg 26 – 24 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland
17 October 2018 England  Flag of England.svg44 – 6Flag of France.svg  France Leigh Sports Village, Leigh

Baskerville Shield

Venues

Hull Liverpool Leeds
KCOM Stadium Anfield Elland Road
Capacity: 25,400Capacity: 54,074Capacity: 37,792
KC Stadium before Hull v Burnley.jpg Panorama of Anfield with new main stand (29676137824).jpg Elland Road Stadium Leeds.jpg

First test

27 October 2018
14:30 BST (UTC+01)
England  Flag of England.svg18 – 16Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand
Tries: Connor, Gildart, Tomkins
Goals: Connor (3/4)
Report
Tries: Marsters, Watene-Zelezniak
Goals: Johnson (4/4)
KCOM Stadium, Kingston-upon-Hull [9]
Attendance: 17,649 [10]
Referee: Robert Hicks (England) [11]

Notes:


Second test

4 November 2018
14:30 GMT (UTC+00)
England  Flag of England.svg20 – 14Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand
Tries: Makinson (3), Connor
Goals: Tomkins (1/1), Connor (1/4)
Report
Tries: Maumalo, Watene-Zelezniak
Goals: Johnson (3/3)
Anfield, Liverpool [9] [13] [14]
Attendance: 26,234 [15]
Referee: Gerard Sutton (Australia) [16]

Third test

11 November 2018
15:15 GMT (UTC+00)
England  Flag of England.svg0 – 34Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand
Report
Tries: Maumalo (2), J. Bromwich, Liu, Nikorima, Tapine
Goals: Johnson (4/5), Papali'i (1/1)
Elland Road, Leeds [9] [13]
Attendance: 32,186
Referee: Gerard Sutton (Australia) [18]

Notes:

References

  1. "Kiwis announce 2018 tour".
  2. "Rugby League Online Ticketing - Web". rugbyleague.tickethour.co.uk.
  3. "Latest World Rankings". Rugby League International Federation. 12 July 2018. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  4. "England to face New Zealand in three-match series in the autumn of 2018". www.rugby-league.com.
  5. "Tickets on sale for England v New Zealand 2018 International Series". www.rugby-league.com.
  6. "Kiwis and Junior Kiwis Wider Squads Announced". NZRL.co.nz. 3 September 2015. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
  7. "Experienced Players Return For Kiwis Campaign". NZRL.co.nz. 1 October 2018.
  8. "Paasi withdraws from Tonga squad to join Kiwis". nrl.com. 8 October 2018.
  9. 1 2 3 "Kiwis to face England in three-match Series in 2018". Scoop. 23 November 2017. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
  10. "Tweet". Twitter. England Rugby League. 27 October 2018.
  11. "Hicks to Officiate First Test". rugby-league.com. 23 October 2018. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
  12. "Whitehead named man of the match".
  13. 1 2 "Kick-off changes to Autumn International fixtures". rugby-league.com. 7 June 2018. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
  14. "England v New Zealand - Fixture amendment". rugby-league.com. 29 August 2018. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  15. "Tweet". Twitter. England Rugby League. 4 November 2018.
  16. "Gerard Sutton to officiate second England test". rugby-league.com. 30 October 2018. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
  17. "Hat-trick hero Makinson man of the match".
  18. "Gerard Sutton to referee final test at Elland Road". rugby-league.com. 6 November 2018. Retrieved 11 November 2018.