International Rugby Events
European Union
All kind of International Rugby Events, like June Tours, Pacific cups and all others.
Australia vs New Zealand
Match scheduled:
Date: 24-10-2009
Time: 19:00 until 21:00
Four Nations - Rugby League
In the first half of the 20th century, Australia's international competition came from alternating tours to Great Britain and New Zealand, with Australia playing host to these teams in non-tour years. On tours to Great Britain (and later France), Australia was known as the Kangaroos.
Great Britain dominated in the early years, and Australia did not win a Test against the Lions until 11 November 1911 under captain Chris McKivat. Australia did not win a series at home against Great Britain until 1920 or abroad until 1958.
The first Kangaroos arrived in England on the 27th September 1908, and played their first ever test against the Northern Union in December in London. It finished 22 all in front of a crowd of 2,000. The second test in Newcastle in January 1909 attracted a crowd of 22,000, and the Northern Union won 15-5. The third test was played at Villa Park, Birmingham, the Northern Union winning again 6-5 before a crowd of 9,000. The Australians suggested that the series should be named 'The Ashes' after the cricket series of the same name.
The first British tour of the Southern Hemisphere began on 4 June 1910, when the Northern Union played New South Wales in front of 33,000 spectators in Sydney, losing 28-14. But they won the first test in Sydney against Australia 27-20 in front of 42,000. They then won the second test in Brisbane 22-17. In Auckland, on 30 July, they defeated New Zealand 52-20.
The 1911-12 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain was undertaken by an 'Australasian' squad which included four New Zealanders. They won the Ashes for the first time and for the next half a century no other touring team would do so on British soil.
In January 1922, an 'England' side defeated Australia 6-0 at The Willows, Salford, to win back the Ashes that had been lost in 1920. They would not be lost again until 1950.
The Australian national team first wore green and gold in a hooped design, on Saturday 23 June 1928, when they met Great Britain in the first Test at the Brisbane Exhibition Ground. Britain led 10-2 after 25 minutes, 13-7 at half time and, after a nervous second half, eventually claimed the Test 15-12. The England team won both the 1928 series in Australia and New Zealand by two tests to one. They were presented with the Ashes Trophy by the Australians, which the two countries have competed for ever since.
[edit] Post war
Australia made their 7th tour to the UK in 1948, and this time play the Ashes series against a side officially called Great Britain.
In 1956 Great Britain defeated Australia 19-0 at Station Road, Swinton, to take the Ashes series 2-1. This was the last British Ashes win on home soil to date.
Harry Bath was selected manager, coach and as the sole selector for the Australian national team's 1962 Ashes series. Bath coached the national side to World Cup glory in the 1968 and 1970 World Cups. He also coached the team on tours of New Zealand in 1969 and 1971.
The last time that Great Britain won the Ashes was in 1970. They won the series 2-1 in Australia, out of 24 games played Great Britain won 22, drew one and lost one - making them the most successful British tourists so far.
Australia lost the 1972 World Cup to Great Britain in controversial circumstances. The World Cup final was tied at 10-10 after full time and was still locked after extra time. Great Britain were awarded the victory due to a higher points table placing after the pool rounds of the competition.
In 1978 Great Britain beat Australia in the second test 18-14, at Bradford, before a crowd of 26,447. It was to be 10 years, and 15 consecutive test defeats before Britain beat the Kangaroos again.
[edit] Eighties and nineties
Rugby league was taken into a new dimension by the 1982 Kangaroos side, also known as 'the Invincibles'. The Australian tourists beaome the first team to win every game of the tour (15 games) including the first test by 40-4 at Hull in front of 26,771 spectators.
In 1985, Australia made a six-match tour of New Zealand. The Kangaroos won five of those matches, and the Test series 2-1. Australia won the first Test in Brisbane 26-20. On Sunday 30 June 1985, Australia met New Zealand in the second Test at Carlaw Park, Auckland. The Test was a 20,000 sell-out, with all tickets accounted for weeks before the match. The Kiwis dominated long periods of the game but ninety seconds from time the Kiwis lost possession close to half way. John Ribot scored a try and Australia won 10-6.
In 1986 a then record northern hemisphere crowd of 50,383 attends the first test of the Ashes series at Old Trafford. The Australians won 38-16. Canterbury's Terry Lamb became the only player to appear in every match on a Kangaroo Tour, which is a record that will never be equalled. This was the second consecutive tour of Europe in which they won all their games. In their two Tests against France, they ran in 96 points and conceded just a single penalty. After suffering such heavy losses, France decided to call off their proposed tour of Australia.
Australia crashed to a defeat on Tuesday 21 July 1987, when the Kangaroo dominance of the international game suffered a rare setback. New Zealand were their opponents in a match which had been arranged to fill the gap created by the non-appearance of France. New Zealand won the game 13-6. The next four internationals between Australia and New Zealand were all staged in New Zealand, and all were won by the Kangaroos.
On the 9th July 1988, Great Britain beat Australia 26-12 in Sydney to win the 3rd test, though the series had already been lost. In 1989 the Kangaroos toured New Zealand. Great Britain defeated Australia 19-12 in the first test at Wembley in 1990 in front of a new record home crowd of 54,567. However, the next two tests were narrowly lost, 14-10 and 14-0.
In 1992 Great Britain lost the 1st test 22-6 in Sydney, won the 2nd Ashes test 33-10 in Melbourne, but lost the 3rd test 16-10 in Brisbane. The 1992 World Cup final at Wembley set a record attendance for a rugby league international that still stands today: 73,631 saw Australia edge Great Britain 10-6.
The 1994 Kangaroo Tour was to be the last time the Australian national team would play matches against British provincial teams, in additions to the Tests. Australia continued its dominance, winning both Test series against Great Britain and France, suffering only one loss (against Great Britain in the First Test), and remained undefeated against British club outfits in a streak stretching back to 1978. Australia adopted the name 'Kangaroos' for the 4 July 1994 test against France, since then the team has always been known by this name.
Great Britain played a home series against the Australian Super League Test team in 1997 and lost 2-1. Despite the series being given official test status in the UK, these games are not regarded as a genuine Ashes series by the Australian Rugby League because so many Australian stars were again missing.
The 1998 Kangaroo Tour was cancelled because of the Super League war. With the Super League War finally over in 1998, Great Britain travelled to the Southern Hemisphere for the first Rugby League Tri-Nations tournament with Australia and New Zealand in 1999. After two heavy defeats, it is obvious that a huge gap has opened up once again between the northern and southern hemispheres.
