1929–30 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain

Rugby league tour (1929–30)

1929–30 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain

Manager| Harry Sunderland
Coach(es)| Arthur Hennessey
Tour captain(s)| Tom Gorman
Top point scorer(s)| Eric Weissel 131
Top try scorer(s)| Bill Shankland 24
Top test point scorer(s)|  Eric Weissel 13
Jim Sullivan 6
Top test try scorer(s)|  Bill Shankland 3
4 players with 1 try each
Summary| | P|  W|  D|  L

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|
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Total| | 35|  26|  02|  07

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|
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Test match| | 05|  02|  01|  02

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|
|

Opponent| | P|  W|  D|  L

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|
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England| | 4|  1|  1|  2

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|
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Wales| | 1|  1|  0|  0

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|

Tour chronology
Previous tour| 1921–22
Next tour| 1933–34
The Australian rugby league team performing their pre-match war cry.

The 1929–30 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain was the fourth Kangaroo tour, and took the Australia national rugby league team all around England and also into Wales. The tour featured the ninth Ashes series which comprised four Test matches and was won by Great Britain. The team sailed on the SS Orsova via the Panama Canal and played an exhibition game in New York before arriving in England.

## Touring squad

[edit]

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 (Herb Steinohrt was to have led the 1933–34 Kangaroos but declared himself unavailable to tour).[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]

Name  | Posit.  | Club  | Tests

|
|
|

Vic Armbruster | Forward  | Fortitude Valley | 3
George Bishop | Hooker | Balmain | 2
Bill Brogan | Forward  | Western Suburbs (Sydney)  | 3
Joe Busch | Half  | Eastern Suburbs (Sydney)  | 4
Dan Dempsey | Hooker | Tivoli | 1
Arthur Edwards | Half  | Fortitude Valley | 0
Cec Fifield | Three-quarter  | Western Suburbs (Sydney)  | 4
Harry Finch | Three-quarter  | South Sydney | 0
Tom Gorman (c)  | Three-quarter  | Brothers (Brisbane)  | 4
Arthur Henderson | Hooker | Booval | 0
Jack Holmes | Half  | Newtown (Sydney)  | 0
Arthur Justice | Hooker | St. George | 2
Harry Kadwell | Half  | South Sydney | 0
Jack Kingston | Forward  | Cootamundra | 2
Fred Laws | Half  | Newtown (Toowoomba)  | 1
Mick Madsen | Forward  | Brothers (Toowoomba)  | 2
Paddy Maher | Three-quarter  | South Sydney | 0
Frank McMillan | Fullback | Western Suburbs (Sydney)  | 4
Wally Prigg | Forward  | Central Newcastle  | 2
Alan Ridley | Three-quarter  | Queanbeyan  | 0
Eddie Root | Forward  | South Sydney | 0
Les Sellars | Forward  | Starlights (Ipswich)  | 0
Bill Shankland | Three-quarter  | Eastern Suburbs (Sydney)  | 4
Bill Spencer | Three-quarter  | ? (Bundaberg)  | 4
Herb Steinohrt | Forward  | Valleys (Toowoomba)  | 3
George Treweek | Forward  | South Sydney | 4
Jack Upton | Fullback | Souths (Toowoomba)  | 0
Eric Weissel | Half  | Temora | 3

## Matches

[edit]

Saturday, 7 September

Rochdale Hornets | 3 – 36  |  Australia

|
|

| [1]

Athletic Grounds, Rochdale
Attendance: 6,521

* * *

Wednesday, 11 September

York | 11 – 32  |  Australia

|
|

| [2]

Clarence Street, York
Attendance: 4,729

* * *

Saturday, 14 September

Batley | 5 – 27  |  Australia

|
|

| [3]

Mount Pleasant, Batley
Attendance: 6,000

* * *

Thursday, 19 September

Widnes | 13 – 37  |  Australia

|
|

| [4]

Lowerhouse Lane, Widnes
Attendance: 6,000

* * *

Saturday, 21 September

Broughton Rangers | 8 – 21  |  Australia

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|

| [5]

The Cliff, Broughton, Salford
Attendance: 6,514

* * *

Thursday, 26 September

Lancashire | 14 – 29  |  Australia

|
|

| [6]

Wilderspool, Warrington
Attendance: 24,000

* * *

Saturday, 28 September

Wakefield Trinity | 14 – 3  |  Australia

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|

| [7]

Belle Vue, Wakefield
Attendance: 9,786

* * *

Thursday, 1 October

Keighley | 9 – 15  |  Australia

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|

| [8]

Lawkholme Lane, Keighley
Attendance: 3,000

## 1st Test

[edit]

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)  | [9]
| 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. The Lions  | Posit. | Australia

|
|

Tom Rees | FB | Frank McMillan
Emlyn Gwynne | WG | Bill Spencer
Roy Kinnear | CE | Cec Fifield
Billy Dingsdale | CE | Tom Gorman (c)
Alf Frodsham | WG | Bill Shankland
Les Fairclough (c) | SO | Eric Weissel
Billo Rees | SH | Joe Busch
Harold Bowman | PR | Peter Madsen
Nat Bentham | HK | George Bishop
Joe Thompson | PR | Bill Brogan
Bill Horton | SR | Vic Armbruster
Alf Middleton | SR | George Treweek
Jack Feetham | LF | Wally Prigg

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  |  Australia

|
|

| [10]

Wheldon Road, Castleford
Attendance: 4,000

* * *

Saturday, 12 October

Huddersfield | 8 – 18  |  Australia

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|

| [11]

Fartown, Huddersfield
Attendance: 18,560

* * *

Wednesday, 16 October

Leigh | 16 – 19  |  Australia

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| [12]

Mather Lane, Leigh
Attendance: 8,000

* * *

Saturday, 19 October

Barrow | 10 – 13  |  Australia

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| [13]

Little Park, Barrow
Attendance: 10,000

* * *

Wednesday, 23 October

Leeds | 10 – 13  |  Australia

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| [14]

Headingley, Leeds
Attendance: 10,000

* * *

Saturday, 26 October

Hull F.C. | 2 – 35  |  Australia

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|

| [15]

The Boulevard, Hull
Attendance: 10,000

* * *

Saturday, 2 November

Oldham | 10 – 18  |  Australia

|
|

| [16]

Watersheddings, Oldham
Attendance: 18,000

## 2nd Test

[edit]

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)  | [17]
| Tries:
Bill Shankland
Goals:

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

The Lions  | Posit. | Australia

|
|

Jim Sullivan | FB | Frank McMillan
Alf Ellaby | WG | Bill Spencer
Artie Atkinson | CE | Tom Gorman (c)
Billy Dingsdale | CE | Cec Fifield
Stanley Smith | WG | Bill Shankland
Billo Rees | SO | Eric Weissel
Jonty Parkin (c) | SH | Joe Busch
Dai Jenkins | PR | Herb Steinohrt
Nat Bentham | HK | George Bishop
William Burgess | PR | Peter Madsen
Martin Hodgson | SR | George Treweek
Albert Fildes | SR | Dan Dempsey
Fred Butters | LF | Wally Prigg

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  |  Australia

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|

| [18]

Birch Lane, Bradford
Attendance: 7,000

* * *

Saturday, 16 November

St. Helens | 18 – 18  |  Australia

|
|

| [19]

Knowsley Road, St. Helens
Attendance: 9,500

* * *

Wednesday, 20 November

Yorkshire | 12 – 25  |  Australia

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|

| [20]

Belle Vue, Wakefield
Attendance: 7,011

* * *

Saturday, 23 November

Halifax | 9 – 58  |  Australia

|
|

| [21]

Thrum Hall, Halifax
Attendance: 8,440

* * *

Saturday, 30 November

Swinton | 9 – 58  |  Australia

|
|

| [22]

Station Road, Swinton
Attendance: 9,000

* * *

Tuesday, 3 December

English League XIII | 18 – 5  |  Australia

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| [23]

Central Park, Wigan
Attendance: 9,987

* * *

Saturday, 7 December

Cumberland | 8 – 5  |  Australia

|
|

| [24]

Lonsdale Park, Workington
Attendance: 3,500

* * *

Wednesday, 11 December

Glamorgan/Monmouth  | 9 – 39  |  Australia

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|

|  |

White City Stadium, Cardiff
Attendance: 3,000

* * *

Saturday, 14 December

St Helens Recreation | 8 – 22  |  Australia

|
|

| [25]

City Road, St. Helens
Attendance: 9,000

* * *

Wednesday, 18 December

English League XIII | 22 – 32  |  Australia

|
|

| [26]

St James' Park, Newcastle
Attendance: 9,690

* * *

Saturday, 21 December

Warrington | 17 – 8  |  Australia

|
|

| [27]

Wilderspool, Warrington
Attendance: 12,826

* * *

Wednesday, 25 December

Hunslet | 18 – 3  |  Australia

|
|

| [28]

Parkside, Hunslet
Attendance: 12,000

* * *

Thursday, 26 December

Hull Kingston Rovers | 5 – 10  |  Australia

|
|

| [29]

Craven Park, Hull
Attendance: 12,000

* * *

Saturday, 28 December

Wigan | 9 – 10  |  Australia

|
|

| [30]

Central Park, Wigan
Attendance: 8,000

## 3rd Test

[edit]

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: | [31]
| Tries:

Goals:

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

The Lions  | Posit. | Australia

|
|

Jim Sullivan | FB | Frank McMillan
Alf Ellaby | WG | Bill Spencer
Artie Atkinson | CE | Tom Gorman (c)
Hector Halsall | CE | Cec Fifield
Stanley Smith | WG | Bill Shankland
Jack Oster | SO | Eric Weissel
Jonty Parkin (c) | SH | Joe Busch
Arthur Thomas | PR | Herb Steinohrt
Nat Bentham | HK | Arthur Justice
William Burgess | PR | Bill Brogan
Albert Fildes | SR | George Treweek
Martin Hodgson | SR | Vic Armbruster
Fred Butters | LF | Jack Kingston

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  |  Australia

|
|

| [32]

The Willows, Salford
Attendance: 8,000

## 4th Test

[edit]

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:  | [33]
| Tries:

Goals:

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

England  | Posit. | Australia

|
|

Jim Sullivan (c) | FB | Frank McMillan
Stanley Smith | WG | Bill Shankland
Stan Brogden | CE | Cec Fifield
Artie Atkinson | CE | Tom Gorman (c)
Tom Blinkhorn | WG | William Spencer
Billo Rees | SO | Fred Laws
Bryn Evans | SH | Joe Busch
Arthur Thomas | PR | Herb Steinohrt
Nat Bentham | HK | Arthur Justice
Billy Williams | PR | Bill Brogan
Hector Crowther | SR | Vic Armbruster
Albert Fildes | SR | George Treweek
Harold Young | LF | Jack Kingston

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]

## Wales

[edit]

This was the first rugby league international to be played at Wembley Stadium.[15]

Saturday, 18 January 1930

Wales | 10 – 26  |  Australia

|
|

Tries:
Steve Ray
Mel Rosser

Goals:
Jim Sullivan (2)  | [34]
| 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
Referee: A. Harding

Wales  | Posit. | Australia

|
|

Jim Sullivan | FB | Frank McMillan
Steve Ray | WG | Bill Spencer
Mel Rosser | CE | Jack Upton
Tommy Parker | CE | Tom Gorman (c)
Johnny Ring | WG | Bill Shankland
Dai Davies | SO | Fred Laws
Billo Rees | SH | Joe Busch
Billy Williams | PR | Herb Steinohrt
Les White | HK | Arthur Justice
Joe Thompson (c) | PR | Bill Brogan
Frank Stephens | SR | Jack Kingston
Arthur Evans | SR | Wally Prigg
Jesse Meredith | LF | George Treweek
Wembley Stadium

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Tom Gorman to captain Rugby Team for England". The Barrier Miner. 24 July 1929. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
2. ^ "Tom Gorman Kangaroos captain". The Courier-Mail. 8 January 2008. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
3. ^ Murray G. Phillips (2000). From Sidelines to Centre Field: A History of Sports Coaching in Australia. Australia: University of New South Wales Press. p. 27\. ISBN 0868404101.
4. ^ Cunneen, Chris. "Hennessy, Arthur Stephen (1876–1959)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Australian National University. Retrieved 7 February 2014.
5. ^ Scott, Edmond. "Sunderland, Harry (1889–1964)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Australian National University. Retrieved 7 February 2014.
6. ^ a b "ANGLO-AUSTRALIAN RUGBY". The Singapore Free Press. 5 October 1929. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
7. ^ "LEAGUE TEST: Australians win". The Sydney Morning Herald. 7 October 1929. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
8. ^ saints.org.uk. "Les Fairclough". Players. Saints Heritage Society. Archived from the original on 13 January 2014. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
9. ^ Goodman, Tom (15 June 1946). "League Tests nearly always grim Contests". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 12 October 2013.
10. ^ de la Rivière, Richard. "1929/30 Ashes Series". Thirteen. richarddelariviere.co.uk. Archived from the original on 21 October 2013. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
11. ^ "League's Grand Old Man Departs". The Daily Telegraph. 31 May 1999.
12. ^ "Youth from bush jumped straight into Test league". Daily Mirror. 11 May 1979.
13. ^ "The History of Rugby League". Rugby League Information. napit.co.uk. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
14. ^ Tony Collins (2006). Rugby League in Twentieth Century Britain: A Social and Cultural History. UK: Routledge. p. 116\. ISBN 0203088352.
15. ^ old Wembley Stadium rugby league results

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