1921–22 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain

Early in the 1921 NSWRFL season, players who were selected had to leave their clubs for the tour. All but one of the League's nine teams (University) were represented in the touring squad:

The sole New Zealand player that accompanied the Australians on tour has been listed in the Australian Rugby League's Kangaroos players register.[8]

1 October 1921

Great Britain	6–5	Australia
Tries: Squire Stockwell Billy Stone Goals:	[11]	Tries: Cec Blinkhorn Goals: Jim Craig (1)

Headingley, Leeds Attendance: 31,700 Referee: Frank Renton

The Kangaroos' winning streak came to an end when they played against England. Australasia led 5–3 at the break and the match seemed to be theirs when Frank Burge scored a late try, but it was disallowed by referee Frank Renton. Thus, a sole second-half try from the British close to full-time was enough for them to win it.

6 October 1921	Widnes	4–28	Australasia	Lowerhouse Lane, Widnes
	Goals: 2		Tries: 6 Goals: 5	Attendance: 11,000

8 October 1921	Broughton Rangers	6–18	Australasia	The Cliff, Broughton, Salford
	Goals: 3		Tries: 4 Goals: 3	Attendance: 17,000

10 October 1921	England	5–4	Australasia	Highbury, London
	Tries: Frank Todd Goals: Tom Clarkson (1)	[12]	Goals: Goals: Bert Gray (1) Duncan Thompson (1)	Attendance: 12,000

15 October 1921	Wigan	6–14	Australasia	Central Park,[13] Wigan
3:30[14]	Goals: J Sullivan 3		Tries: 2 Goals: 4	Attendance: 24,308

19 October 1921	Leeds	5–11	Australasia	Headingley, Leeds
	Tries: 1 Goals: 1		Tries: 3 Goals: 1	Attendance: 14,000

22 October 1921	Wakefield Trinity	3–29	Australasia	Belle Vue, Wakefield
	Tries: 1		Tries: 7 Goals: 4	Attendance: 6,000

26 October 1921	Batley	7–33	Australasia	Mount Pleasant, Batley
	Tries: 1 Goals: 2		Tries: 7 Goals: 6	Attendance: 6,000

29 October 1921	Warrington	8–5	Australasia	Wilderspool, Warrington
	Goals: 4		Tries: 1 Goals: 1	Attendance: 16,000

2 November 1921	York	9–3	Australasia	Clarence Street, York
	Tries: Farrar 1 Goals: Corsi 2 Field goals: McEwan 1		Tries: Reg Latta 1	Attendance: 3,000

At halftime York led 4 – 3 in a game that "was characterised by rough and scrambling play, minor injuries being numerous."[15]

5 November 1921

Great Britain	2–16	Australia
Goals: Johnny Rogers Goals:	[16]	Tries: Cec Blinkhorn (2) Harold Horder Dick Vest Goals: Duncan Thompson (2)

The Boulevard, Hull Attendance: 21,504 Referee: R. Robinson

In the second Test the scores were 2-all at half-time, but after that the Australian backline of Horder, Carstairs, Vest and Blinkhorn cut loose. The Kangaroos scored 4 tries to nil, the win setting up the third and final Test as the Ashes decider. This was also the last Test in the international career of Sandy Pearce and made him the oldest ever Kangaroo.

The Kangaroos played sixteen more tour matches between the second and third Tests:

9 November 1921	Bramley	7–92	Australasia	Barley Mow, Bramley
	Tries: 1 Goals: 2		Tries: 24 Goals: 10	Attendance: 1,500

Up to and including the final Kangaroo Tour which included matches against English club sides in 1994, this would be the highest ever score by the Kangaroos. The closest The Kangaroos ever came to this score was an 80–2 win over the Sheffield Eagles in 1994.

12 November 1921	Rochdale Hornets	2–16	Australasia	Athletic Grounds, Rochdale
	Goals: 1		Tries: 4 Goals: 4	Attendance: 12,000

16 November 1921	Swinton	9–0	Australasia	Chorley Road, Swinton
	Tries: 1 Goals: 3			Attendance: 6,000

19 November 1921	Huddersfield	2–36	Australasia	Fartown, Huddersfield
	Goals: 1		Tries: 8 Goals: 6	Attendance: 12,000

23 November 1921	St. Helens	8–16	Australasia	Knowsley Road, St. Helens
	Tries: 2 Goals: 1		Tries: 4 Goals: 2	Attendance: 6,000

26 November 1921	Oldham	5–16	Australasia	Watersheddings, Oldham
	Tries: 1 Goals: 1		Tries: 4 Goals: 2	Attendance: 15,000

30 November 1921	Lancashire	6–29	Australasia	Goodison Park, Liverpool
	Tries: 2 Goals: 0		Tries: 6 Goals: 4	Attendance: 17,000

3 December 1921	Barrow	15–24	Australasia	Little Park, Roose, Barrow
	Tries: 3 Goals: 3		Tries: 6 Goals: 3	Attendance: 8,000

7 December 1921	Yorkshire	8–24	Australasia	Belle Vue, Wakefield
	Tries: 2 Goals: 1		Tries: 6 Goals: 3	Attendance: 6,000

10 December 1921	Wales	16–21	Australasia	Taff Vale Park, Pontypridd
	Goals: Tommy Howley, Johnny Rogers Goals: Ben Gronow (4) Jim Sullivan (1)	[17]	Tries: Cec Blinkhorn, Frank Burge, Jim Craig, Harold Horder, Albert Johnston Goals: Duncan Thompson (3)	Attendance: 13,000

14 December 1921	Lancashire	8–6	Australasia	Wilderspool, Warrington
	Tries: 2 Goals: 1		Tries: 2	Attendance: 6,000

17 December 1921	Dewsbury	13–6	Australasia	Old Crown Flatt ground, Dewsbury
	Tries: 3 Goals: 2		Tries: 2	Attendance: 6,000

21 December 1921	Leigh	4–17	Australasia	Mather Lane, Leigh
	Goals: 2		Tries: 5 Goals: 1	Attendance: 5,000

24 December 1921	Hull F.C.	10–21	Australasia	The Boulevard, Hull
	Tries: 2 Goals: 2		Tries: 5 Goals: 3	Attendance: 12,000

27 December 1921	Widnes	8–17	Australasia	Lowerhouse Lane, Widnes
	Tries: 2 Goals: 1		Tries: 5 Goals: 1	Attendance: 12,000

31 December 1921	Halifax	6–35	Australasia	Thrum Hall, Halifax
	Tries: 2		Tries: Cec Blinkhorn 3 Felix Ryan 1 Bill Richards 1 Bert Laing 1 Harold Horder 1 Clarrie Prentice 1 Duncan Thompson 1 Goals: J Craig 3 Field goal J Craig 1	Attendance: 12,000

Among those present for this match was the UK's Speaker of the House of Commons, J. H. Whitley. The half-time score was 18 – 3 in favour of the visitors, who were without Dick Vest due to ill health. [18]

2 January 1922	Hunslet	10–19	Australasia	Parkside, Hunslet
	Tries: 2 Goals: 2		Tries: 5 Goals: 2	Attendance: 3,174

7 January 1922	Cumberland	12–25	Australasia	Lonsdale Park, Workington
	Tries: 2 Goals: 3		Tries: 7 Goals: 2	Attendance: 5,000

14 January 1922

Great Britain	6–0	Australia
Tries: Herman Hilton F Gallagher Goals:	[19]	Tries: Goals:

The Willows, Salford Attendance: 22,000 Referee: R. Jones

The decider was played on a heavy, snow-bound field, much to the dismay of the fleet-footed Kangaroos. Early in the match the Australians were reduced to twelve men when Chook Fraser suffered a broken leg.[20] In what was described as "a bruising encounter", Herman Hilton took a pass from his captain, the "prince of centres", Harold Wagstaff to dive over, taking two defenders over the try-line with him.[21] The final score was 6 – 0 in favour of the home side.[22] By winning this third and deciding test of the series, Britain claimed the Ashes.

16 January 1922	Oldham	15–5	Australasia	Watersheddings, Oldham
	Tries: 3 Goals: 5		Tries: 1 Goals: 1	Attendance: 6,000

21 January 1922	St Helens Recs	5–16	Australasia	City Road, St. Helens
	Tries: 1 Goals: 1		Tries: 4 Goals: 2	Attendance: 5,000

By the end of the tour, Australian three-quarter, Cec Blinkhorn, had scored 39 tries in 29 matches, which still stands as the record for most tries scored on a Kangaroo tour and will most likely never be beaten.[23] Other winger, Harold Horder scored 35, and forward Frank Burge was not far behind with 33 tries from 23 games.[24]

The team travelled back to Australia on the Orvieto, arriving in Fremantle in February 1922.[25] Upon their return to Sydney a large dinner was held for the tourists by the New South Wales Rugby Football League, which was attended by the likes of Sir Joynton Smith, to celebrate the players' courageous effort and the fact that this was the first team to return to Sydney with a profit.[26]