Men's rugby league Ashes

Last updated

The Ashes
Tournament information
Sport Rugby league
Established 1908
Administrators Australian Rugby League Commission
Rugby Football League
Participants Australia vs
Great Britain (until 2003)
England (from 2025)
Current champion
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia
Most recent tournament
2003 Rugby League Ashes

The Ashes series, similar to the cricket series of the same name, is a best-of-three series of test matches between Australia and England national rugby league football teams. [1] [2]

Contents

Initially contested between Australia and Great Britain, the first series took place in 1908, and went on be to be contested 39 times until 2003, with hosting rights usually alternating between the two countries. Since 1973, Australia has won a record thirteen consecutive Ashes series. [3]

After a hiatus of over 20 years, the Ashes series was revived in 2025. The series will continue as a best-of-three test match series between Australia and this time England national rugby league football teams. [4]

History

Australia vs Great Britain

The Australia squad of the 1908-09 Ashes StateLibQld 2 135267 Australian Rugby League (Kangaroos) who toured to England in 1908-09.jpg
The Australia squad of the 1908–09 Ashes
The Great Britain squad of the 1910 Ashes Touring squad of the 1910 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand.jpg
The Great Britain squad of the 1910 Ashes

Several sports and events adopted cricket's Ashes concept and by the beginning of the 20th century it was an "accepted principle" that a series had to have at least three matches to be a true test of which side was the best. [2]

On 27 September 1908, the first touring Australian rugby league side arrived in England, and played their first ever Test against the England side in December in London. Two further Tests were played. The Australians suggested that the series should be called "The Ashes" and the name stuck.

The format used is that three matches are played, with the winning team being decided on the basis of most matches won. If one team has already won two matches the series is already won, however the final game is usually still played. In the 1929–30 Ashes series both the teams won one game and one game was drawn; it was therefore decided to hold a further match to determine the outcome.

The British side has not always been termed Great Britain; in the past the titles "Northern Union XIII", "England" and "The Lions" have also been used. Similarly, the first two tours to Britain (1911–12 and 1921–22), included New Zealand players so were styled "Australasia", though when playing at home they always played as Australia.

Since 1964 the Harry Sunderland Medal is awarded to the best Australian player in a home Ashes series. Since Great Britain's win in Australia in 1970, the series has been very one sided with Australia having won 13 consecutive ashes, 5 of those (1979, 1982, 1984, 1986 and 2003) being 3–0 series whitewashes while the 1988 series had already been won by Australia in the first two tests before the Lions won a famous third test in Sydney 26–12 for their first test win over Australia since the second test of the 1978 Kangaroo tour, a streak of 15 wins for the Kangaroos.

The performance gap between the two teams became wider during the mid-late 1970s and Great Britain struggled to compete with Australia. The 1982 Kangaroos became the first side to go through a tour of Great Britain and France undefeated (something never achieved on a Lions tour, though they came close in 1954 losing just 2 games). This earned the team the nickname "The Invincibles". The 1986 Kangaroos repeated this feat and would be known as "The Unbeatables".

Hiatus

In 2009 with the prospect of not contesting them until after the 2013 World Cup, Britain's Rugby Football League (RFL) challenged the Australian Rugby League (ARL) to play the round-robin stage match of the Four Nations tournament with the Ashes at stake. The one-off game would be a departure from the usual three-match series, additionally the contest would be between England, rather than Great Britain, and Australia. [5] The ARL initially agreed to the proposal but later, facing hostility from former Ashes players and fans who thought the proposals devalued the Ashes, the two governing bodies decided not to proceed. [6] [7] [8]

In 2016, newly appointed Australian team coach Mal Meninga, who as a player was selected to a record 4 Kangaroo Tours (the last two as captain) and played in a record 6 Ashes series (1982, 1984, 1986, 1990, 1992 and 1994 - playing a record 17 Ashes tests, only missing 1988 through injury), publicly advocated for a return of the Kangaroo Tours which would see The Ashes revived in 2020. [9] The proposed 2020 series was cancelled in June 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was later suggested that the series may instead be played in 2022, however this never eventuated. [10] In October 2022, Meninga stated that talks were underway for a potential Ashes tour of England in 2024. [11]

Revival: Australia vs England

On 3 August 2023, the revival of The Ashes was announced by International Rugby League as part of their new 7-year international calendar and long-term strategy for growth of the international game. The revamped competition was also scheduled to feature a women's test series for the first time, [a] with the first edition to take place in 2025. [12] [13]

On 26 March 2025, the inaugural edition of the modern Ashes series confirmed by the Rugby Football League, with matches held at Wembley Stadium, Bramley-Moore Dock Stadium, and Headingley, with all three matches shown on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. [14]

Trophy

In 1928, the City Tattersalls Club in Sydney, Australia donated a trophy to be the prize, the "Ashes Cup". [2] The Cup's inscription reads: [2]

INTERNATIONAL
RUGBY LEAGUE FOOTBALL
Australia v England
(THE ASHES)
Presented by
CITY TATTERSALLS CLUB

The Cup was first presented in 1928 to The Lions, after they defeated Australia 2–1 in the series. [2] Following the 1933–34 series, in which England retained the Cup for the third time since first being presented with it, the Cup disappeared in the United Kingdom and was not found until October 1945. [15] The trophy had been on display at a function in Ilkley, Yorkshire and afterwards was returned to the manager of the Griffin Hotel, Leeds - where the English Rugby League management met - but this was not made clear to the English authorities and instead in laid overlooked in a box for 12 years. [15] During the period it was missing, Great Britain had won each series and the Cup's disappearance was not widely known. [2] The Australian team first won the Cup in 1950. [2]

In preparation for the Legends of League exhibition at the National Museum of Australia in 2008, marking a Centenary of Rugby League in Australia, the Ashes Cup underwent preservation work. [16]

Results

YearWinnerResultRunners-upHost country
1908–09 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain (1)2–1
(1 tied)
Flag of Australia (converted).svg AustraliaEngland
1910 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain (2)2–0Flag of Australia (converted).svg Flag of New Zealand.svg  Australasia [b] Australia
1911–12 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Flag of New Zealand.svg  Australasia [b] (1)2–1
(1 tied)
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great BritainEngland
Scotland
1914 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain (3)2–1Flag of Australia (converted).svg AustraliaAustralia
1920 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia (2)2–1Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great BritainAustralia
1921–22 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain (4)2–1Flag of Australia (converted).svg Flag of New Zealand.svg  Australasia [b] England
1924 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain (5)2–1Flag of Australia (converted).svg AustraliaAustralia
1928 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain (6)2–1Flag of Australia (converted).svg AustraliaAustralia
1929–30 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain (7)2–1
(1 tied)
Flag of Australia (converted).svg AustraliaEngland
1932 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain (8)2–1 [17] Flag of Australia (converted).svg AustraliaAustralia
1933 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain (9)3–0Flag of Australia (converted).svg AustraliaEngland
1936 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain (10)2–1Flag of Australia (converted).svg AustraliaAustralia
1937 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain (11)2–1Flag of Australia (converted).svg AustraliaEngland
1946 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain (12)2–1
(1 tied)
Flag of Australia (converted).svg AustraliaAustralia
1948 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain (13)3–0Flag of Australia (converted).svg AustraliaEngland
1950 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia (3)2–1Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great BritainAustralia
1952 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain (14)2–1Flag of Australia (converted).svg AustraliaEngland
1954 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia (4)2–1Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great BritainAustralia
1956 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain (15)2–1Flag of Australia (converted).svg AustraliaEngland
1958 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain (16)2–1Flag of Australia (converted).svg AustraliaAustralia
1959 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain (17)2–1Flag of Australia (converted).svg AustraliaEngland
1962 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain (18)2–1Flag of Australia (converted).svg AustraliaAustralia
1963 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia (5)2–1Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great BritainEngland
1966 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia (6)2–1Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great BritainAustralia
1967 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia (7)2–1Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great BritainEngland
1970 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain (19)2–1Flag of Australia (converted).svg AustraliaAustralia
1973 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia (8)2–1Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great BritainEngland
1974 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia (9)2–1Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great BritainAustralia
1978 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia (10)2–1Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great BritainEngland
1979 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia (11)3–0Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great BritainAustralia
1982 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia (12)3–0Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great BritainEngland
1984 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia (13)3–0Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great BritainAustralia
1986 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia (14)3–0Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great BritainEngland
1988 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia (15)2–1Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great BritainAustralia
1990 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia (16)2–1Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great BritainEngland
1992 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia (17)2–1Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great BritainAustralia
1994 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia (18)2–1Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great BritainEngland
2001 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia (19)2–1Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great BritainEngland
2003 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia (20)3–0Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great BritainEngland
2020 Tournament cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.England
2025 TBDEngland

Records and statistics

PlayedWon by
Australia
Won by
Great Britain
Drawn
All series3920 (51.3%)19 (48.7%)0 (0.0%)
Series in Australia199 (47.4%)10 (52.6%)0 (0.0%)
Series in Great Britain2011 (55.0%)9 (45.0%)0 (0.0%)
All Tests11859 (50.0%)54 (45.8%)5 (4.2%)
Tests in Australia5728 (49.1%)27 (47.4%)2 (3.5%)
Tests in Great Britain6131 (50.8%)27 (44.3%)3 (4.9%)

Highest attendance

Lowest attendance

Highest attended Ashes series

Lowest attended Ashes series

Highest score

Biggest win

Most tries in an Ashes test

Most goals in an Ashes test

Most points in an Ashes test

Most points in an Ashes series

Most points in all Ashes tests

Tries in each test of an Ashes series

Most games as captain

Most games as coach

Clean Sweeps

See also

Notes

  1. There had been previous women's Ashes test series, but this was never an established regular competition.
  2. 1 2 3 The Australasia rugby league team competed in the 1910, 1911–12, 1921–22 Ashes series instead of the Australia national team. The side was made up of mostly Australian players but bolstered by a number of players from New Zealand. Despite this, all appeance and scoring statistics went towards the Australian national team.

References

  1. Hickey, Julia (2006). Understanding Rugby League. UK: Coachwise. p. 13. ISBN   978-1-905540-10-5 . Retrieved 20 February 2011.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Sean Fagan (15 September 2009). "Rugby league's fight for The Ashes". rl1908.com. Archived from the original on 23 September 2009. Retrieved 23 September 2009.
  3. McCann, Liam (2006). Rugby: Facts, Figures and Fun. UK: AAPPL Artists' and Photographers' Press. p. 80. ISBN   9781904332541.
  4. "Southern hemisphere to host 2026 World Cup". BBC Sport. 3 August 2023. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  5. "English chief calls for return of league Ashes". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 3 September 2009. Archived from the original on 17 July 2012. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  6. "Ashes brought back to life" skysports.com (4 September 2009)
  7. Steve Mascord (16 September 2009). "Ashes set for 2010?". RugbyLeague.com. Retrieved 23 September 2009.
  8. "RFL scrap Ashes plan". RugbyLeague.com. 15 September 2009. Retrieved 23 September 2009.
  9. Mascord, Steve (20 November 2016). "Four Nations final 2016: Kangaroo Tours are back after success in England". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  10. "Revived Ashes series in England cancelled 'with great reluctance'". The Guardian . 1 June 2020. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  11. "Ashes to Ashes: Meninga eyes iconic series return for first time in 20 years". The Age . 16 October 2022. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  12. "Reduced Rugby League World Cup to take place in 2026". The Guardian . Retrieved 4 August 2023.
  13. "2026 Rugby League World Cup to be hosted in southern hemisphere". The Independent. 3 August 2023. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
  14. "England v Australia: Rugby league Ashes series returns in 2025". BBC Sport. 26 March 2025. Retrieved 26 March 2025.
  15. 1 2 "RL "Ashes" Cup". The Telegraph . 26 October 1945. p. 8 (CITY FINAL) via National Library of Australia.
  16. NMA (22 February 2008). "League of Legends: 100 years of Rugby League in Australia: Conservation slideshow". National Museum of Australia. Retrieved 23 September 2009.
  17. "League "Ashes." England's triumph". The Sydney Morning Herald . No. 29,496. 18 July 1932. p. 6.

Further reading