 Alan Ayre-Smith in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Birth name | Alan Ayre-Smith | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 19 August 1876 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Richmond, Yorkshire, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 3 November 1957 (aged 81) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | Durham University Guy's Hospital | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Alan Ayre-Smith (19 August 1876 – 3 November 1957) [1] was an English international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Guy's Hospital. Ayre-Smith played international rugby for the British Isles team on its 1899 tour of Australia.
From an old Sunderland family, Ayre-Smith was born in Richmond, Yorkshire in 1876 to Dr Robert Ayre-Smith and Catherine Jane Clarke (daughter of George Clark the founder of George Clark & NEM, both from Sunderland. He married Meta Turnbull and had one son and two daughters. [2] Ayre-Smith was educated at Durham University, and gained his degree in Chemistry and Physics. [3] He completed his medical training at Guy's Hospital in London. In 1900, as part of the British efforts during the Boer War, he traveled to South Africa and worked as a dresser in the Imperial Yeomanry Hospital under Dr Alfred Fripp. [4] In later life he practiced medicine in Sunderland becoming the senior surgeon at the Sunderland Royal Hospital and the official doctor to Sunderland A.F.C.
Ayre-Smith played club rugby for Guy's Hospital, and in 1899 he was selected to join Matthew Mullineux's British Isles team on the first official tour of Australia. Ayre-Smith played in 17 of the 20 tour matches and represented Britain in all four Test Matches against Australia. [5] He played in the opening game of the tour, against Central Southern at Goulburn, New South Wales, before the team headed to Sydney. There he played against the New South Wales Waratahs, but missed the game against Metropolitan. Ayre-Smith was back in the team for the First Test, which the British Isles lost, 3–13. Ayre-Smith played in six of the seven invitational games between the First and Second Tests, where he was dropped from the game against Queensland, but scored his first try of the tour in the encounter with Rockhampton. Mullineux reacted to the First Test defeat, by dropping himself from the team, and moving Charlie Adamson in to his vacated half-back position for the Second Test. This was seen as the turning point of the tour and Ayre-Smith was not only part of a winning British team in the Second Test, but also scored his one and only international try during the game. Ayre-Smith played in both the final Test games, both played in Sydney and both resulting in British victories. [6] [7]
The British & Irish Lions is a rugby union team selected from players eligible for the national teams of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. The Lions are a test side and most often select players who have already played for their national team, although they can pick uncapped players who are eligible for any of the four unions. The team tours every four years, with these rotating between Australia, New Zealand and South Africa in order. The most recent test series, the 2021 series against South Africa, was won 2–1 by South Africa.
William John Smith is an Australian former rugby league footballer. He was the leading halfback in Australian rugby league during the late 1960s, and a keystone of the latter part of the St. George Dragons' eleven consecutive premiership victories between 1956 and 1966. He represented Australia in eighteen Tests and eight World Cup games between 1964 and 1970. He captained Australia in a World Cup game against Great Britain in 1970.
Robert Robertson Craig was an Australian rugby union and pioneer professional rugby league footballer who represented his country at both sports - a dual-code rugby international. He was a member of the Australian rugby union team, which won the gold medal at the 1908 Summer Olympics. Prior to his rugby career he won state championships in swimming and soccer and played top-level water polo.
The 1899 British Isles tour to Australia was the fourth rugby union tour by a British Isles team and the second to Australia; though the first tour in 1888 was a private venture, making the 1899 tour the first official undertaking of Australia. It is retrospectively classed as one of the British Lions tours, as the Lions naming convention was not adopted until 1950.
Matthew Mullineux MC was an English rugby union scrum-half who, although not capped for England, was selected for two British Lions tours. He gained one cap during the 1896 tour to South Africa and captained the 1899 tour of Australia. An Anglican minister, he later became a chaplain in the British Army, and was awarded the Military Cross for his actions during the First World War.
Alexander Boswell Timms was an Australian-born international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Edinburgh Wanderers and Edinburgh University. Timms played international rugby for Scotland and was selected for the British Isles team on its 1899 tour of Australia.
Frank Moxon Stout MC also referred to as Frank Moxham Stout, was an English international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Gloucester and Richmond. Stout played international rugby for England and was selected for the British Isles on two tours in 1899 and 1903. On the 1899 tour of Australia, he acted as on field captain for three of the Tests.
Gerald "Gerry" Percy Doran also known as Blucher Doran, was an Irish international rugby union wing who played club rugby for Lansdowne. Doran played international rugby for Ireland and in 1899 he was selected for the British Isles team on its tour of Australia. Doran's older brother Eddie and younger brother, Bertie, also played international rugby for Ireland.
Arthur Esmonde Martelli was an Irish international rugby union fullback back who played club rugby for Dublin University. Martelli played international rugby for the British Isles team on its 1899 tour of Australia. He was described by British Isles tour manager, Matthew Mullineux, as having 'an excellent drop, punt and place kick'.
John Wallace Jarman was an English international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Bristol. Jarman played international rugby for England and was selected for the British Isles on their 1899 tour of Australia.
Frederick Charles Belson was an English international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Clifton and Bath, and county rugby for Somerset. Belson played international rugby for the British Isles on their 1899 tour of Australia.
Blair Inskip Swannell was an English-born international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Northampton, and internationally for the British Isles and later Australia. He was invited to tour with the British Isles on their 1899 tour of Australia and then their 1904 tour of Australia and New Zealand. He played a total of seven Test matches on these tours, and scored one Test try – against Australia during the 1904 tour. After settling in Australia, Swannell played a single game for his new home when they faced New Zealand. He was viewed as a violent player, and this made him unpopular with other players. Former Australian captain Herbert Moran said of him that "... his conception of rugby was one of trained violence".
Guy Vincent Evers was an English international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Moseley. Evers played international rugby for the British Isles on their 1899 tour of Australia
Elliot Tenbosch Nicholson was an English international rugby union wing who played club rugby for Birkenhead Park. Nicholson played international rugby for England and was selected for the British Isles team on its 1899 tour of Australia.
George Ralph Gibson was an English international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Northern. Gibson played international rugby for England and was selected to represent the British Isles on their 1899 tour of Australia. He was described by Matthew Mullineux, the British Isles captain, as a "capital worker".
George Cookson was an English international rugby union half-back who played club rugby for Manchester. Cookson was selected for the British Isles on the 1899 tour of Australia playing in all four Test matches.
Charles Edward Thompson was an English international rugby union fullback who played club rugby for Manchester and county rugby for Lancashire. Thompson was selected for the British Isles team on its 1899 tour of Australia, but despite representing Great Britain, never played international rugby for England.
John Stanley Francomb (1873–1915) was an English international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Manchester and Sale. Francomb played international rugby for the British Isles on their 1899 tour of Australia.
Sidney Crowther (1875–1914) was an English rugby union international who represented Great Britain on the 1904 tour to Australia and New Zealand.