1929–30 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain

The Australian tourists with their tour bus in England.

A total of 28 footballers were selected to go on the tour: 13 from clubs of Sydney's NSWRFL Premiership, 4 from clubs of the Toowoomba Rugby League, 3 from clubs of the Brisbane Rugby League premiership, 3 from clubs of the Ipswich Rugby League and 5 from elsewhere in country New South Wales and Queensland. In Sydney on 24 July 1929, the day before the Kangaroos were to sail to England, Queensland's Tom Gorman was named captain of the squad.[1] He was the first Queenslander to captain a touring Kangaroos side and would be the last until Wally Lewis in 1986.[2] South Sydney's Arthur Hennessey joined the tour as non-playing coach,[3] the first such appointment till Clive Churchill in 1959.[4] The tour manager was Harry Sunderland.[5]

The players were paid £4 10s per week from the time they left Sydney till they returned. The English and Australian Leagues agreed on strict rules prohibiting English clubs from signing the Australian players during the tour.[6]

In the tour matches leading up to the first Test, the Australian team had won 7 of their 8 games.[6] The English team was weakened by the absence of their usual captain, Jonty Parkin (who was suffering from lower back pain), as well as Brough and Ellaby

Saturday, 5 October 1929

The Lions	8 – 31	Australia
Tries: Jack Feetham Alf Middleton Goal: Joe Thompson (1)		Tries: Bill Shankland (2) George Bishop Wally Prigg Bill Spencer George Treweek Eric Weissel Goals: Eric Weissel (5)

Craven Park, Hull Attendance: 20,000[7] Referee: R. Robinson

Kangaroos 1st Test 1929.

Australia had scored four tries by half time. England's first try came 14 minutes into the second half. This was England captain Les Fairclough's last match against the Australians.[8]

Wednesday, 9 October

Castleford	2 – 53	Australasia

Wheldon Road, Castleford Attendance: 4,000

Saturday, 12 October

Huddersfield	8 – 18	Australasia

Fartown, Huddersfield Attendance: 18,560

Wednesday, 16 October

Leigh	16 – 19	Australasia

Mather Lane, Leigh Attendance: 8,000

Saturday, 19 October

Barrow	10 – 13	Australasia

Little Park, Barrow Attendance: 10,000

Wednesday, 23 October

Leeds	10 – 13	Australasia

Headingley, Leeds Attendance: 10,000

Saturday, 26 October

Hull F.C.	2 – 35	Australasia

The Boulevard, Hull Attendance: 10,000

Saturday, 2 November

Oldham	10 – 18	Australasia

Watersheddings, Oldham Attendance: 18,000

In response to their loss to the Australians in the previous Test, the British made several changes to their side for the 2nd Test.

Saturday, 9 November 1929

The Lions	9 – 3	Australia
Tries: Artie Atkinson Goals: Jim Sullivan (3)		Tries: Bill Shankland Goals:

Headingley, Leeds Attendance: 31,402 Referee: R. Robinson

England, with the help of Parkin closed the gap between themselves and the Australians, with Sullivan's goal kicking giving the home team a winning margin of 9–3.[9]

Wednesday, 13 November

Bradford Northern	17 – 26	Australasia

Birch Lane, Bradford Attendance: 7,000

Saturday, 16 November

St. Helens	18 – 18	Australasia

Knowsley Road, St. Helens Attendance: 9,500

Wednesday, 20 November

Yorkshire	12 – 25	Australasia

Belle Vue, Wakefield Attendance: 7,011

Saturday, 23 November

Halifax	9 – 58	Australasia

Thrum Hall, Halifax Attendance: 8,440

Saturday, 30 November

Swinton	9 – 58	Australasia

Station Road, Swinton Attendance: 9,000

Tuesday, 3 December

English League XIII	18 – 5	Australasia

Central Park, Wigan Attendance: 9,987

Saturday, 7 December

Cumberland	8 – 5	Australasia

Lonsdale Park, Workington Attendance: 3,500

Wednesday, 11 December

Glamorgan/Monmouth	9 – 39	Australasia

White City Stadium, Cardiff Attendance: 3,000

Saturday, 14 December

St Helens Recreation	8 – 22	Australasia

City Road, St. Helens Attendance: 9,000

Wednesday, 18 December

English League XIII	22 – 32	Australasia

St James' Park, Newcastle Attendance: 9,690

Saturday, 21 December

Warrington	17 – 8	Australasia

Wilderspool, Warrington Attendance: 12,826

Wednesday, 25 December

Hunslet	18 – 3	Australasia

Parkside, Hunslet Attendance: 12,000

Thursday, 26 December

Hull Kingston Rovers	5 – 10	Australasia

Craven Park, Hull Attendance: 12,000

Saturday, 28 December

Wigan	9 – 10	Australasia

Central Park, Wigan Attendance: 8,000

England had held the Ashes for almost 20 years, and this match would decide whether they were to continue doing so.

Saturday, 4 January 1930

The Lions	0 – 0	Australia
Tries: Goals:		Tries: Goals:

Station Road, Swinton Attendance: 33,809 Referee: Bob Robinson

It was a freezing afternoon for the deciding test, which Australia dominated yet was still unable to put points on the board.[10] With only a few minutes remaining and the scores locked at nil-all in the third and deciding test, Australian halfback Joe "Chimpy" Busch collected the ball from a scrum win 30 metres out and scooted down the sideline. He crashed over the try-line in the corner with England's loose forward Fred Butters on his back making a last-ditch attempt to stop him. As the corner post went flying the crowd spilled onto the field in excitement. Referee Bob Robinson looked set to award Australia the try and the game (and with it the Ashes) when the touch-judge Albert Webster emerged through the crowd (which was overflowing and allowed on the pitch to avoid crowding) claiming Busch had taken out the corner post before grounding the ball. Even though Robinson believed it was a fair try he had no option other than to rule 'no try'. The referee was reported to have said to the Kangaroos "fair try Australia, but I am overruled", while England's captain Jonty Parkin shook Busch's hand and congratulated him before the touch-judge intervened. The match finished as a 0–0 draw, leaving the series tied at one match apiece.

For the remainder of his life (he died on 29 May 1999 at the age of 91), Busch insisted he scored the try, quoted as saying "I got it down all right…it was a fair try."[11] The corner where Busch scored the disallowed try in Swinton, was in the following decades still officially known as Busch's Corner.[12]

Saturday, 11 January

Salford	5 – 21	Australasia

The Willows, Salford Attendance: 8,000

After much deliberation the controversial decision was made to play a fourth Test a week later. This was the first and only time that a fourth test has been played on any Kangaroo tour.[13]

Wednesday, 15 January 1930

England	3 – 0	Australia
Tries: Stanley Smith Goals:		Tries: Goals:

Athletic Grounds, Rochdale Attendance: 16,743 Referee: R. Robinson

In this match Cec Fifield broke his ankle and was unable to play the remainder of the tour. In an enthralling and especially brutal match, the deadlock was only broken by Stan Smith's solitary unconverted try so England won 3–0, to retain the Ashes.[14]

This was the first rugby league international to be played at Wembley Stadium.

Saturday, 18 January 1930

Wales	10 – 26	Australia
Tries: Steve Ray Mel Rosser Goals: Jim Sullivan (2)		Tries: Jack Upton (2) Arthur Justice Wally Prigg Bill Spencer George Treweek Goals: Fred Laws (2/3) Bill Spencer (2/4)

Wembley, London Attendance: 20,000

Wembley Stadium