1924–25 New Zealand rugby union tour of Britain, Ireland and France

The Invincibles was a nickname given to the 1924–25 New Zealand national team which toured the United Kingdom, Ireland, France and Canada. The team was captained by Cliff Porter, and numbered among its top players George Nepia and brothers Cyril and Maurice Brownlie. During the test against England Cyril Brownlie was sent off by the Welsh referee Albert Freethy, the first player to be sent off from a test.

1924–25 New Zealand rugby union tour of Britain, Ireland and France
The Invincibles, as they were nicknamed after winning all 32 of their games overseas [1]
ManagerS.S. Dean
Tour captain(s)Cliff Porter
Top point scorer(s)Mark Nicholls (131) [2]
Top try scorer(s)Bert Cooke (28) [2]
Summary
P W D L
Total
32 32 00 00
Test match
04 04 00 00
Opponent
P W D L
 Ireland
1 1 0 0
 Wales
1 1 0 0
 England
1 1 0 0
 France
1 1 0 0
Tour chronology
Previous tour1924 NS Wales
Next tour1925 NS Wales

Between September 1924 and February 1925, the team played 32 games including four test matches, one each against Ireland, England, Wales, and France. They won all 32 games, scoring 838 points and only having 116 points scored against them.

Cliff Porter was tour captain, but played only 17 of the 32 games due to injury, including just one test (against France). During the remaining games, tour vice-captain Johnstone Richardson (Jock) took over the captaincy.

Touring party

Match summary

Complete list of matches played by the All Blacks in Australia, the British Isles, France and Canada:[3]   Test matches

Team that played France on January 18
Scene of the match v France in Paris
# Date Rival City Venue Score
113 Sep 1924Devonshire RUDevonportRectory Ground11–0
218 SepCornwall RUCamborneRecreation Ground29–0
320 SepSomersetshire RUWeston-super-MareWeston Ground6–0
425 SepGloucestershire RUGloucesterKingsholm Stadium6–0
527 SepSwansea RFCSwanseaSt Helens Ground39–3
62 OctNewport RFCNewportAthletic Ground13–10
74 OctLeicester TigersLeicesterWelford Road Stadium27–0
88 OctNorth Midlands RUBirminghamVilla Park40–3
911 OctCheshire RUBirkenheadBirkenhead Park18–5
1015 OctDurhamSunderlandRoker Park43–7
1118 OctYorkshire RUBradfordLidget Green42–4
1222 OctLancashire RUManchesterOld Trafford23–0
1325 OctCumberlandCarlisleBrunton Park41–0
141 Nov IrelandDublinLansdowne Road6–0
155 NovUlster RugbyBelfastRavenhill Stadium28–6
168 NovNorthumberland RUGosforth27–4
1712 NovCambridge UniversityGrange Road5–0
1815 NovLondon CountiesLondonTwickenham Stadium31–6
1920 NovOxford UniversityOxfordIffley Road33–15
2022 NovCardiff RFCCardiffNational Stadium16–8
2129 Nov WalesSwanseaSt Helens Ground19–0
222 DecLlanelli RFCLlanelliStradey Park8–3
236 DecEast MidlandsNorthamptonCricket Ground31–7
2411 DecWarwickshire RUHighfield Road20–0
2513 DecCombined ServicesLondonTwickenham Stadium25–3
2617 DecHampshire RUPortsmouthFratton Park22–0
2727 DecLondon CountiesLondonRectory Field28–3
283 Jan 1925 EnglandLondonTwickenham Stadium17–11
2911 JanSelection FrancaisColombesStade Olympique37–8
3018 Jan FranceToulouseStade des Ponts Jumeaux30–6
3114 FebVancouverVancouverCricket Oval49–0
3218 FebVictoriaVancouver IslandVictoria Ground68–4

The test-matches

Ireland
1 November 1924
Ireland  0–6  New Zealand
Try: Snowy Svenson
Pen: Nicholls
Lansdowne Road
Attendance: 25,000
Referee: A.E. Freethy (Wales)

Ireland: 15.William Crawford, 14.Henry Stephenson, 13.George Stephenson, 12.James Gardiner, 11.Tom Hewitt, 10.Frank Hewitt, 9.John McDowell, 8.James Clinch, 7.Robert Crichton, 6.Norman Brand, 5.William Collis, 4.Alex Spain, 3.Dick Collopy, 2.Thomas McClelland, 1.Jim McVicker
New Zealand: 15.George Nepia, 14.Snowy Svenson, 13.Frederick Lucas, 12.Bert Cooke, 11.Augustine Hart, 10.Mark Nicholls, 9.Bill Dalley, 8.Les Cupples, 7.Son White, 6.Jock Richardson (c), 5.Read Masters, 4.Maurice Brownlie, 3.Bull Irvine, 2.Quentin Donald, 1.James Parker

Wales
29 November 1924
Wales  0–19  New Zealand
Try: Irvine (2)
M Brownlie
Svenson
Con: Nicholls
Pen: Nicholls
St Helens
Attendance: 50,000
Referee: Col. J.S. Brunton (England)

Wales: Tom Johnson (Cardiff), Ernie Finch (Llanelli), Albert Jenkins (Llanelli), Albert Stock (Newport), Rowe Harding (Swansea), Jack Wetter (Newport) capt., Eddie Williams (Neath), Bobby Delahay (Cardiff), Dai Parker (Swansea), Jack Gore, (Blaina), Charlie Pugh (Maesteg), Steve Morris (Cross Keys), Cliff Williams (Llanelli), Douglas Marsden-Jones (London Welsh), Dai Hiddlestone (Neath)
New Zealand: G Nepia, J Steel, AE Cooke, KS Svenson, NP McGregor, MF Nicholls, J Mill, JH Parker, WR Irvine, Q Donald, RR Masters, LF Cupples, CJ Brownlie, MJ Brownlie, J Richardson (capt.)

England
3 January 1925
England  11–17  New Zealand
Try: Cove-Smith, Kittermaster
Con: Conway
Pen: Corbett
 Try: Steel, Svenson
MJ Brownlie, Parker,
Con: Nicholls
Pen: Nicholls
Twickenham Stadium, London
Attendance: 60,000
Referee: Albert Freethy (Wales)

England:15.Jim Brough, 14.Richard Hamilton-Wickes, 13.Vivian Davies, 12.Leonard Corbett, 11.John Gibbs, 10.Harold Kittermaster, 9.Arthur Young, 8.Tom Voyce, 7.Geoffrey Conway, 6.Freddie Blakiston, 5.Ron Cove-Smith, 4.Wavell Wakefield (cap.), 3.Ronald Hillard, 2.Sam Tucker, 1.Reg Edwards
New Zealand:15.George Nepia, 14.John Steel, 13.Bert Cooke, 12.Mark Nicholls, 11.Snowy Svenson, 10.Neil McGregor, 9.Jimmy Mill, 8.Jock Richardson (cap.), 7.Son White, 6.Cyril Brownlie , 5.Read Masters, 4.Maurice Brownlie, 3.Bull Irvine, 2.Quentin Donald, 1.James Parker,

France
18 January 1925
France  6–30  New Zealand
Try: Cassayeet
Ribere
 Try: Cooke (2), Irivine, Porter,
Richardson, Steel, Svenson,
White
Con: Nicholls (3)
Stade des Ponts Jumeaux, Toulouse
Attendance: 30,000
Referee: H.E.B. Wilkins (England)

Bibliography
  • Chester, R., Palenski, R., and McMillan, N. (1998) The Encyclopedia of New Zealand Rugby. Auckland: Hodder Moa Beckett.

References
  1. The 1924 Invincibles All Black team on NZ History website
  2. Match centre - In Australia, the British Isles, France and Canada on AllBlacks.com
  3. 90 years on Invincibles remain larger than life part of All Blacks history by James Mortimer on All Blacks website, 9 Dec 2014
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