Cumbria rugby league team

English representative rugby league team

Cumbria rugby league teamTeam information

Governing body| Rugby Football League
Head coach| Paul Crarey
Captain| Rob Purdham
Home stadium| Varies
Uniforms

First colours

Team results
First game
Cumberland 0–8  Yorkshire
(Parkside, Hunslet; 5 February 1898)
First international
Cumberland 21–9  New Zealand
(Lonsdale Park, Workington; 8 January 1908)
Biggest win
Cumbria 70–0  United States
(Craven Park, Barrow-in-Furness; 4 November 2007)
Biggest defeat
Cumbria 12–64 Anzacs
(Derwent Park, Workington; 27 October 2004)

The Cumbria rugby league team (known as Cumberland from 1898 to 1973) is an English representative rugby league team consisting of players who were born in the county of Cumbria and the historic county of Cumberland. They play fixtures against international representative sides, often acting as opposition in warm-up fixtures for touring international sides.[1][2]

## History

[edit]

Cumbria played the touring Australian Kangaroos during 14 Kangaroo Tours, including 1908-09 (twice), 1911-12, 1921-22, 1929–30, 1933–34, 1948–49, 1963-64, 1967-68, 1973, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990 and 1994, as well as playing the Australians as part of their 1992 Rugby League World Cup final tour. They also played New Zealand in 1907–08, 1926–27 and 1980.

During the 2004 Tri-Nations series Cumbria played a match against an 'ANZAC Combination' side made up of Australian and New Zealand squad members. The 64–12 loss was the largest ever suffered by the Cumbrian side.

Cumbria played the England national rugby league team as part of England's preparation for the 2010 Four Nations.[3] The match raised funds for the Rugby Football League's benevolent fund and the family of Garry Purdham, who was among the victims of the Cumbria shootings tragedy on 2 June 2010.[4][5] The game was watched by 5,250 spectators at Whitehaven's Recreation Ground and ended 18–18,[6] raising over £50,000 for its cause.[7]

In 2006, Cumbria defeated Tonga 28–16 at Derwent Park in Workington, while on 4 November 2007, Cumbria recorded its largest ever win when they defeated the United States 70–0 at Craven Park in Barrow-in-Furness.

In 2010, Cumbria was coached by Paul Crarey, with assistant coaches; Gary Charlton of Workington Town, and David Seeds of Whitehaven.[8]

In November 2025, Cumbria will host Nigeria's first match outside of Africa.[9]

## Results

[edit]

Cumbria played in the County Championship from 1898 to its final season in 1983. They have also played against international representative sides during tours to Great Britain.[10]

### County Championship results

[edit]

Main article: County Championship (rugby league) § Results

Titles 16:[11] 1905–1906, 1907–1908, 1909–1910, 1911–1912, 1927–1928, 1932–1933, 1933–1934, 1934–1935, 1948–1949, 1959–1960, 1961–1962, 1963–1964, 1965–1966, 1966–1967, 1980–1981, 1981–1982.

### International results

[edit]

Results for Cumbria against international teams.[12]

Date | Opposition | Result | Venue | Attendance | Tour

|
|
|
|
|

8 January 1908 |  New Zealand | 21–9 | Lonsdale Park, Workington | 4,000 | 1907–08 All Golds tour
24 October 1908 |  Australia | 10–52 | Recreation Ground, Whitehaven | 4,000 | 1908–09 Kangaroo tour
4 February 1909 |  Australia | 11–2 | Devonshire Park, Carlisle | 2,000
22 November 1911 |  Australasia | 2–5 | Athletic Ground, Maryport | 6,000 | 1911–12 Kangaroo tour
7 January 1922 |  Australasia | 12–25 | Lonsdale Park, Workington | 5,000 | 1921–22 Kangaroo tour
6 January 1927 |  New Zealand | 3–18 | Unknown | 4,200 | 1926–27 Kiwis tour
7 December 1929 |  Australia | 8–5 | Lonsdale Park, Workington | 3,500 | 1929–30 Kangaroo tour
9 December 1933 |  Australia | 17–16 | Recreation Ground, Whitehaven | 5,800 | 1933–34 Kangaroo tour
14 October 1939 |  New Zealand | C–C | Recreation Ground, Whitehaven | N/A | 1939 Kiwis tour
14 October 1948 |  Australia | 5–4 | Recreation Ground, Whitehaven | 8,818 | 1948–49 Kangaroo tour
7 December 1955 |  New Zealand | 24–11 | Odsal Stadium, Bradford | 3,643 | 1955 Kiwis tour
20 September 1961 |  New Zealand | 22–20 | Station Road, Swinton | 5,271 | 1961 Kiwis tour
9 October 1961 |  New Zealand | 9–10 | Recreation Ground, Whitehaven | 5,033
31 October 1963 |  Australia | 0–21 | Derwent Park, Workington | 8,229 | 1963–64 Kangaroo tour
18 November 1967 |  Australia | 17–15 | Derwent Park, Workington | 7,545 | 1967–68 Kangaroo tour
24 October 1973 |  Australia | 2–28 | Recreation Ground, Whitehaven | 3,666 | 1973 Kangaroo tour
1 October 1978 |  Australia | 4–47 | Craven Park, Barrow-in-Furness | 5,964 | 1978 Kangaroo tour
7 November 1979 |  Papua New Guinea | 9–23 | Craven Park, Barrow-in-Furness | 2,000 | 1979 Kumuls tour
8 October 1980 |  New Zealand | 9–3 | Recreation Ground, Whitehaven | 4,070 | 1980 Kiwis tour
9 November 1982 |  Australia | 2–41 | Brunton Park, Carlisle | 5,748 | 1982 Kangaroo tour
2 November 1983 |  Māori | 6–40 | Recreation Ground, Whitehaven | 2,600 | 1982 Kiwis tour
15 October 1985 |  New Zealand | 6–32 | Recreation Ground, Whitehaven | 5,500 | 1985 Kiwis tour
21 October 1986 |  Australia | 12–48 | Craven Park, Barrow-in-Furness | 4,233 | 1986 Kangaroo tour
20 October 1987 |  Papua New Guinea | 22–4 | Recreation Ground, Whitehaven | 3,750 | 1987 Kumuls tour
17 October 1989 |  New Zealand | 2–28 | Recreation Ground, Whitehaven | 3,983 | 1989 Kiwis tour
17 October 1990 |  Australia | 10–42 | Derwent Park, Workington | 6,750 | 1990 Kangaroo tour
5 November 1991 |  Papua New Guinea | 35–5 | Derwent Park, Workington | 2,000 | 1991 Kumuls tour
18 October 1992 |  Australia | 0–44 | Derwent Park, Workington | 5,156 | 1992 Kangaroo tour
2 October 1994 |  Australia | 8–52 | Derwent Park, Workington | 4,277 | 1994 Kangaroo tour
19 October 2003 |  New Zealand Residents | 24–24 | Recreation Ground, Whitehaven | 4,124 | Friendly
27 October 2004 |  Anzacs | 12–64 | Derwent Park, Workington | 4,203 | Friendly
25 October 2006 |  Tonga | 28–16 | Derwent Park, Workington | 1,639 | Friendly
4 November 2007 |  United States | 70–0 | Craven Park, Barrow-in-Furness | 1,028 | Friendly
3 October 2010 |  England | 18–18 | Recreation Ground, Whitehaven | 5,250 | Friendly
22 October 2011 |  England Knights | 12–26 | Recreation Ground, Whitehaven | 1,163 | Friendly
21 October 2016 |  Scotland | 16–48 | Craven Park, Barrow-in-Furness | 1,048 | Friendly
7 October 2022 |  Jamaica | 28–12 | Derwent Park, Workington | 3,000 | Friendly
13 October 2023 |  Wales Chairman's XIII | 23–4 | Recreation Ground, Whitehaven | Unknown | Friendly

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Results". RLEF. 2007. Archived from the original on 28 December 2009. Retrieved 16 September 2010.
2. ^ "Cumbria let outright Victory slip away". Marras. 2004. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 16 September 2010.
3. ^ "England RL to play Cumbria in memorial match". Rugby League Online. 2010. Archived from the original on 6 September 2010. Retrieved 16 September 2010.
4. ^ "Charity rugby match for Cumbria gun victim". BBC. 17 June 2010. Retrieved 16 September 2010.
5. ^ http://www.sportinglife.com/rugbyleague/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=rleague/10/09/01/RUGBYL_Cumbria.html [dead link]
6. ^ "Official England Match Report". England Rugby League. 2010. Archived from the original on 13 October 2010. Retrieved 6 October 2010.
7. ^ "Cumbria and England game raises £50,000 for Purdham Family". Whitehaven News. 2010. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 6 October 2010.
8. ^ "Cumbria squad announced for memorial match". Quins. 1 September 2010. Archived from the original on 6 September 2010. Retrieved 16 September 2010.
9. ^ https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/articles/cn5expp6qx7o
10. ^ Lancashire at Rugby League Project
11. ^ Howes, David and Fletcher, Raymond (1983). Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1983-84. Macdonald & Co. p. 410\. ISBN 0 356 09729 3.
12. ^ "Cumbria - Results". www.rugbyleagueproject.org.

## External links

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* The Rugby Football League