1950 British Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia

The British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia in 1950 was the first post-war tour made by the Lions rugby union team; there had not been one since 1938.

The 1950 team was the first to be nicknamed "the British Lions", rather than just "British Isles" and sported newly redesigned jerseys and a fresh style of play, managing to win 22 and draw one of 29 matches over the two nations. The Lions won the opening four fixtures before losing to Otago and Southland, but succeeded in holding the All Blacks to a nine-all draw. The Lions performed well in the remaining All Black tests though they lost all three, the team did not lose another non-test in the New Zealand leg of the tour. The Lions won all their games in Australia except for their final fixture against a New South Wales XV in Newcastle. They won both of the two tests against Australia, in Brisbane and in Sydney.

Because the team was travelling by ship, rather than by air as modern tours do, they also stopped off in Colombo, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) to play an unofficial game against the national team.

Squad Manager: L.B. Osborne (England)

PlayerPositionNational teamClub/provinceLions Tests this tourGrahame Budge Prop Edinburgh Wanderers2Tom Clifford Prop Young Munster5Cliff Davies Prop Cardiff1John Robins Prop Birkenhead Park 5Dai Davies Prop Somerset Police 3Karl Mullen (c) Hooker Old Belvedere 4Roy John Lock Neath 6Don Hayward Lock Newbridge 3Jimmy Nelson Lock Malone 4Bob Evans Flanker Newport 6Jim McCarthy Flanker Dolphin 0Bill McKay Flanker Queen's University RFC 6Vic Roberts Flanker Penryn 0Peter Kininmonth No. 8 Richmond 3Rees Stephens No. 8 Neath 2Angus Black Scrum-half Edinburgh University 2Gordon Rimmer Scrum-half Waterloo 1Rex Willis Scrum-half Cardiff 3Jack Kyle Fly-half Queen's University 6Noel Henderson Centre Queen's University 1Jack Matthews Centre Cardiff 6Ivor Preece Centre Coventry 1Bleddyn Williams Centre Cardiff 5Ken Jones Wing Newport 3Mick Lane Wing University College Cork 2Ranald Macdonald Wing Edinburgh University 2George Norton Wing Bective Rangers 0Doug Smith Wing London Scottish 1Malcolm Thomas Wing Newport 3Billy Cleaver Full-back Cardiff 3Lewis Jones Full-back Llanelli 3

Results Scores and results list British Isles' points tally first. Opposing Team For Against Date Venue StatusNelson-Marlborough-Golden Bay-Motueka24310 May 1950NelsonTour MatchBuller24913 May 1950WestportTour MatchWest Coast32316 May 1950GreymouthTour MatchOtago92319 May 1950DunedinTour MatchSouthland01123 May 1950InvercargillTour MatchNew Zealand9927 May 1950Carisbrook, DunedinTest MatchSouth Canterbury27830 May 1950TimaruTour MatchCanterbury1653 June 1950ChristchurchTour MatchAshburton County-North Otago2966 June 1950AshburtonTour MatchNew Zealand0810 June 1950ChristchurchTest MatchWaiparapa Bush271314 June 1950MastertonTour MatchHawke's Bay20017 June 1950NapierTour MatchEast Coast–Poverty Bay–Bay of Plenty27321 June 1950GisborneTour MatchWellington12624 June 1950Athletic Park, Wellington, Tour MatchNew Zealand361 July 1950Athletic Park, WellingtonTest MatchWanganui3135 July 1950WanganuiTour MatchTaranaki2538 July 1950New PlymouthTour MatchManawatu–Horowhenua13812 July 1950Palmerston NorthTour MatchWaikato- Thames Valley-King Country30015 July 1950HamiltonTour MatchNorth Auckland8619 July 1950WhangareiTour MatchAuckland32922 July 1950AucklandTour MatchNew Zealand81129 July 1950Eden Park, AucklandTest MatchNew Zealand Māori1492 August 1950Athletic Park, WellingtonTour MatchCombined Country4739 August 1950Tour MatchNew South Wales22612 August 1950Cricket Ground, SydneyTour MatchAustralia19619 August 1950The Gabba, BrisbaneTest MatchAustralia24326 August 1950Cricket Ground, SydneyTest MatchMetropolitan Union261729 August 1950Cricket Ground, SydneyTour MatchNew South Wales12172 September 1950NewcastleTour MatchCeylon44618 September 1950ColomboTour Match

References