The 1936 Great Britain Lions tour was a tour by the Great Britain national rugby league team of Australia and New Zealand which took place between May and August 1936. The tour involved a schedule of 24 games, 16 in Australia including a three-test series against Australia for the Ashes and a further 8 in New Zealand including a two-test series against New Zealand.
Captained by Jim Brough the Lions returned home having won 21 and lost 3 of their games. They won the Ashes against Australia 2–1 and made a clean sweep against New Zealand winning both test matches.
Despite being a British team the team played as, and were universally referred to by both the press at home and away, as England.
Squad A 26-man squad was selected for the tour with the names announced in March 1936 with Jim Sullivan named as captain. Two weeks after the squad was named, Sullivan withdrew from the squad due to the illness of his wife, the Rugby Football League (RFL) made Leeds Jim Brough captain, moved Billy Belshaw from the centres to fullback and called up Wigan's Gwyn Davies to the vacancy in the centres. The squad that assembled in April 1936 comprised:
+ Backs Name Club s Jim Brough Leeds Billy Belshaw Liverpool Stanley Threequarters Right wings Jack Morley Wigan Barney Hudson Salford Left wings Stanley Smith Leeds Alan Edwards Salford s Arthur Atkinson Castleford Fred Harris Leeds Gwyn Davies Wigan Gus Risman Salford Half-backs s Emlyn Jenkins Salford Stan Brogden Huddersfield s Billy Watkins Salford Tommy McCue Widnes
+ Forwards Name Club Front row s Tommy Armitt Swinton Harry Field York s Nat Silcock Widnes Harry Woods Liverpool Stanley Jack Miller Warrington Hal Jones Keighley Back row s Jack Arkwright Warrington Alec Troup Barrow Martin Hodgson Swinton Mick Exley Wakefield Trinity s Harry Beverley Hunslet Harold Ellerington Hull F.C.
The two team managers were W. Poppleton of Bramley and R.F. Anderton of Warrington.
Schedule and results The majority of the team sailed from Tilbury on 17 April 1936 on board the SS Cathay with the Leeds and Warrington players together with Hunslet's Harry Beverley departing by train on 24 May to meet the rest of the team at Marseilles. The split departure was due to the players being involved in the Challenge Cup final on 18 April and in Beverley's case due to a family illness. The team arrived in Melbourne on 25 May and travelled to Sydney by train the following day. Date Opponents Venue Score (GB first) Attendance Notes 30 May Sydney Firsts Sydney Cricket Ground style="text-align: center;" 52,984 3 June Southern Districts The Showground, Leeton style="text-align: center;" 6,000 Southern Districts was a representative team for teams playing in New South Wales Country Rugby League group 20.6 June New South Wales Sydney Cricket Ground style="text-align: center;" 49,519 10 June Western Districts Spicer Park, Parkes style="text-align: center;" 7,000 This Western Districts side was the representative team for teams playing in New South Wales Country Rugby League group 11.13 June Queensland Brisbane Cricket Ground style="text-align: center;" 24,722 15 June Wide Bay Maryborough, Queensland style="text-align: center;" 4,000 Wide Bay was a representative team drawn from clubs in the Wide Bay division of the Queensland Rugby League.17 June Mackay The Show Grounds, Mackay style="text-align: center;" 5,000 20 June North Queensland Townsville style="text-align: center;" 8,000 North Queensland was the representative team for teams in the Queensland Rugby League Northern Division23 June Central Queensland Rockhampton style="text-align: center;" A game was scheduled against the representative team of the Queensland Rugby League Central Division but was postponed due to flooding. The English team managers had been considering requesting postponement of the game due to the number of injuries the squad has suffered in the preceding games.27 June Newcastle Newcastle style="text-align: center;" 10,000 Newcastle was the representative team for teams in the Newcastle Rugby League. This was the first victory by a representative side from the New South Wales Country Rugby League over England.29 June Australia Sydney Cricket Ground style="text-align: center;" 69,320 First Ashes Test.1 July Ipswich Ipswich style="text-align: center;" 3,000 4 July Australia Brisbane Cricket Ground style="text-align: center;" 29,486 Second Ashes Test8 July Toowoomba Toowoomba style="text-align: center;" 10,000 11 July Brisbane Firsts Brisbane Cricket Ground style="text-align: center;" 10,374 15 July Northern Districts Armidale style="text-align: center;" 6,980 Northern Districts was the representative team for clubs in Group 19 of the New South Wales Country Rugby League. During the match England forward, Jack Arkwright, was sent off twice. After the first sending off, the opposing captain, J Kingston, appealed to the referee for Arkwright to continue to play. The referee rescinded the sending off but towards the end of the game dismissed Arkwright again for punching an opponent.18 July Australia Sydney Cricket Ground style="text-align: center;" 53,546 Third Ashes Test.20 July Western Districts Lithgow style="text-align: center;" 6,000 This Western Districts team was the representative team for clubs in Group 10 of the New South Wales Country Rugby League25 July Auckland Carlaw Park, Auckland style="text-align: center;" 26,000 28 July Wellington Basin Reserve, Wellington style="text-align: center;" 1 August South Island The Show Grounds, Addington style="text-align: center;" 4 August Taranaki Pukekura Park, New Plymouth style="text-align: center;" 3,000 6 August South Auckland Huntly style="text-align: center;" 8 August New Zealand Carlaw Park, Auckland style="text-align: center;" 25,000 First Test13 August Northland Jubilee Park, Whangārei style="text-align: center;" 4,000 15 August New Zealand Carlaw Park, Auckland style="text-align: center;" 17,000 Second Test
Following the conclusion of the tour, the squad returned home sailing from Auckland on 18 August aboard the and arriving in Southampton on 17 September 1936.
Ashes series Test venues The three Ashes series tests took place at the following venues.
Sydney Brisbane Sydney Cricket Ground Brisbane Cricket Ground Capacity: 70,000 Capacity: 40,000
First test
AustraliaPositionEngland 13. Jack Beaton FB 2. Billy Belshaw 9. Arch Crippin WG 5. Alan Edwards 8. Vic Hey CE 12. Stan Brogden 10. David Brown (c)CE 3. Arthur Atkinson (c) 12. Alan RidleyWG 7. Jack Morley 11. Ernie NormanFE/SO 11. Emlyn Jenkins 15. Viv ThicknesseHB/SH 14. Tommy McCue 1. Ray Stehr PR 17. Nat Silcock 2. Percy Fairall HK 20. Harry Field 3. Frank Curran PR 19. Jack Miller 5. Joe PearceSR 23. Martin Hodgson 4. Les HeidkeSR 18. Harry Woods 6. Wally PriggLK/LF 25. Harry Beverley
The first Ashes test was played at the Sydney Cricket Ground on 29 June 1936. Interest in the game was so high that within half an hour of the gates opening at 9 am the ground was full despite kick-off not being until 3 pm.
Prior to the kick-off the newly instituted Courtney Goodwill Trophy was presented to Henry Flegg of the Australian Rugby League Board of Control by Ernest Farrar on behalf of the trophy donor, Roy Courtney.
Injury to England captain, Jim Brough, meant a re-organisation for the England team with Billy Belshaw playing at full-back and Arthur Atkinson captaining the side. After Australian captain, David Brown scored an early penalty it was England who scored the first try when Harry Beverley scored from a scrum close to the Australian line. With the resulting conversion attempt missed England led 3–2. The lead was not to last long as Brown kicked another penalty soon after to give Australia a 4–3 advantage. These were the only scores of the first half but before half-time props Nat Silcock (England) and Ray Stehr (Australia) were sent off for fighting during a scrum.
The second half was all Australia's as they scored four converted tries through Brown with two and one each for Joe Pearce and Alan Ridley to lead 24–3 before Beverley scored a consolation try for England just before the end which Martin Hodgson converted.
Second test
AustraliaPositionEngland Jack Beaton FB Jim Brough (c) Arch Crippin WG Alan Edwards Vic Hey CE Billy Belshaw David Brown (c)CE Gus Risman Alan RidleyWG Stan Brogden Ernie NormanFE/SO Emlyn Jenkins Viv ThicknesseHB/SH Billy Watkins Ray Stehr PR Nat Silcock Percy Fairall HK Tommy Armitt Frank Curran PR Harry Woods Joe PearceSR Martin Hodgson Les HeidkeSR Jack Arkwright Wally PriggLK/LF Harry Beverley
The second test was played in Brisbane a week after the first test. An unchanged Australian side were looking for a first Ashes series win since 1920. England made several changes with Brough returning as captain at fullback with Belshaw returning to the centres in place of the injured Atkinson alongside Gus Risman as Brogden moved out to the wing in place of Morley. Watkins replaced McCue at scrum-half while in the forwards Arkwright and Armitt replaced Miller and Field.
On a pitch that was heavy after a lot of rain, England made the better start winning more possession from the scrum than the Australians and this pressure led to the first try when Alan Edwards scored in the corner. A Gus Risman penalty increased England's lead to 5–0 before Australia drew level with a try from winger Arch Crippin. Retrieving a dropped England pass on his own line Crippin ran the length of the pitch beating fullback Brough to score under the posts, leaving a simple conversation for Jack Beaton to level the scores.
In the second half, Edwards scored a second try for England form a scrum in much the same fashion as his first try and a successful conversion by Risman gave England a 10–5 lead which Australia reduced to a three-point lead when David Brown kicked a goal. The final points of the game came from Martin Hodgson as he kicked a penalty resulting from offside close to the Australian line.
Third test
AustraliaPositionEngland 13. Jack Beaton FB 2. Billy Belshaw 9. Arch Crippin WG 6. Alan Edwards 11. Ernie Norman CE 12. Stan Brogden 10. David Brown (c)CE 9. Gus Risman (c) 12. Alan RidleyWG 4. Barney Hudson 8. Vic Hey FE/SO 11. Emlyn Jenkins 7. Fred GilbertHB/SH 13. Billy Watkins 1. Ray Stehr PR 17. Nat Silcock 2. Peter Madsen HK 16. Tommy Armitt 3. Frank Curran PR 22. Jack Arkwright 5. Joe PearceSR 23. Martin Hodgson 4. Les HeidkeSR 18. Harry Woods 6. Wally PriggLK/LF 25. Harry Beverley The deciding test in the series was played at the Sydney Cricket Ground of 18 July 1936. England made only one change from the side that won the second test with Belshaw replacing Brough, who was injured, as fullback and bringing Barney Hudson into the centres. In the absences of Brough, Gus Risman captained the side for the first time. Australia made two changes, giving a debut to half-back Fred Gilbert and recalling Peter Madsen three years after his previous international appearance. Madsen was played at hooker, not his normal position - all his previous caps were at prop-forward - a decision later criticised in the Australian press.
Australia scored first with David Brown kicking a penalty halfway through the first half. About five minutes before the end of the half England prop, Jack Arkwright and his Australian counterpart, Ray Stehr were both sent off for fighting. This was the second time in the series that Stehr had been sent off and subsequently he was banned for three games while Arkwright was suspended until 31 July. With time running out in the first half England scored the only try of the half as Stan Brogden kicked over the Australian backs and Barney Hudson collected the ball to score in the corner. With Martin Hodgson converting the try, England led 5–2 at half-time.