The 1910 British Isles tour to South Africa was the eighth tour by a British Isles rugby union team and the fourth to South Africa. It is retrospectively classed as one of the British Lions tours, as the Lions naming convention was not adopted until 1950. As well as South Africa, the tour included a game in Bulawayo in Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe.
Led by Ireland's Tommy Smyth and managed by Walter E. Rees and W Cail the tour took in 24 matches. Of the 24 games, 21 were against club or invitational teams and three were test matches against the South African national team. The British Isles team lost two and won one test match against the Springboks.
Seven players from Newport RFC were selected for the tour which was for a time the record for players selected from one club for a British Lions Tour.
The Lions jerseys switched from red to blue, with white shorts and red socks. This combination would remain until 1950.Lions change their stripes on Lions website, 17 Apr 2005
Touring party
Managers: Walter E. Rees and William Cail
Name PositionClubCountry1°Test2°Test3°TestTests played Non-tests played Lions Rugby Official Site - Player ArchiveStanley WilliamsFull BackNewport England313Mel BakerThree-QuarterNewport Wales111Reg PlummerThree-QuarterNewport Wales012Maurice Edward NealeThree-QuarterBristol England311Alexander FosterThree-QuarterCity of Derry Ireland215C.G. TimmsThree-QuarterEdinburgh University Scotland 011Jack Jones Three-QuarterNewport Wales317Jack SpoorsThree-QuarterBristol England316Kenneth Berridge WoodThree-QuarterLeicester England 1Noel Forbes HumphreysHalf backTynedale Wales 05Arthur Norman McClintonHalf backNorth of Ireland Ireland08G.A.M. IsherwoodHalf backCheshire and Sale England 316Eric MilroyHalf backWatsonians Scotland04Tommy Smyth (captain)ForwardNewport Ireland216William TyrrellForwardQueen's University Ireland010Dyne Fenton SmithForwardRichmond England320Phil WallerForwardNewport Wales3James Reid-KerrForwardGreenock Wanderers Scotland00R.C. StevensonForwardSt Andrews University RFC Scotland312L.M. Speirs ForwardWatsonians Scotland00E. O'D CreanForwardLiverpool England 04Harry JarmanForwardNewport Wales314O.J.S. PiperForwardCork Constitution Ireland115William Albert RobertsonForwardEdinburgh University Scotland010Charles PillmanForwardBlackheath England214William Joseph AshbyForwardQueen's College Ireland02F.G. HandfordForwardKersal England315Tom RichardsForwardBristol Australia210Jim WebbForwardAbertillery Wales37
Notes
Results Complete list of matches played by the British Isles in South Africa:British & Irish Lions results on Rugby Football HistoryEarly Lions: Squads and results (1888–1938) on BBC Sport, 18 May 2005
Test matches
DateOpponentLocationResultScore111 JuneSouth Western DistrictsMossel BayWon14–4215 JuneWestern Province (County)Cape TownWon11–3318 JuneWestern Province (College)Cape TownWon9–3422 JuneWestern Province (Town)Cape TownDrew11–11525 JuneWestern ProvinceCape TownWon5–3629 JuneGriqualand WestKimberleyLost0–872 JulyTransvaalJohannesburgLost8–2785 JulyPretoriaPretoriaWon17–097 JulyTransvaal (County)JohannesburgWon45–4109 JulyTransvaalJohannesburgLost6–131113 JulyPietermaritzburgWon18–161216 JulyDurbanWon19–131320 July Orange River CountyBloemfonteinWon12–91423 JulyGriqualand WestKimberleyLost 3–91527 JulyCape ColonyKimberleyLost 0–191630 July Southern Rhodesia Bulawayo Won 24–11176 August Wanderers Ground, JohannesburgLost 10–141810 August North Eastern DistrictsBurgersdorpDrew 8–81913 AugustBorderEast LondonWon 30–102017 AugustBorderKing Williams TownDrew 13–132120 AugustEastern ProvincePort ElizabethWon 14–62227 August Crusaders Ground, Port ElizabethWon8–3233 September Newlands, Cape TownLost 5–21246 SeptemberWestern ProvinceCape TownLost 0–8
Balance Pl W D L Ps Pc 24 13 3 8 290 236
References