The 1891 British Isles tour to South Africa was the first British Islesrugby union tour of South Africa and only the second overseas tour conducted by a joint British team. Between 9 July and 7 September, the team played 20 games, including three Tests against the South Africa national rugby union team. The British Isles not only won all three Test matches, but also won all 17 provincial games. Although not named as such at the time, the tour is retrospectively recognised as a British Lions tour.
After the South African Rugby Board was formed in 1889, the committee decided one of the best ways to promote the game was to invite a British side to visit, similar to the British Isles tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1888. In September 1890 the Rugby Football Union (RFU) discussed the proposed tour; in attendance was Mr J Richards of Cape Town, who, as an Old Leysian, had connections to the English game.[1] The tour was agreed, with Cecil Rhodes agreeing to guarantee any financial losses the tour may incur.[1]
The first overseas British tour of 1888, was not sanctioned by the RFU, and therefore is often not recognised as an official Lions tour, so the South African Tests were actually the first matches that allowed the British players to be awarded international caps.
Captained by Scottish international Bill Maclagan, the British team consisted of players from English and Scottish clubs with a heavy contingent of members from Cambridge University teams. Of the players roughly half were, or would win national caps, and the majority of those who did not were former Cambridge Blues.[2] Although containing four Scots, the fact that the tour was organised by the RFU, the team was initially recognised as an English team, but retrospectively gained its British Isles tag. The touring party had been selected by a committee composed of George Rowland Hill, the president of the RFU, R.S. Whalley, Harry Vassall, Arthur Budd and J.H.S. McArthur.[3]
The British team took in twenty matches, three of them tests against the South African team. The tourists won all twenty matches conceding just a single try, which was scored against them in the very first game. Although the Test top scorer for the tourists was Arthur Rotherham, mainly because a conversion at the time was worth twice as much as a try; the tour's outstanding scorer was Randolph Aston. At six-foot three, and weighing 15 stones, Aston played in all 20 matches and was the unstoppable try scorer of the tour. Out of the 89 tries scored by the British team, Aston scored 30 including the first try against the South African team in the first Test.[4]
The tourists played in red and white hooped shirts and dark blue shorts.[5][6]
^British & Irish Lions results on Rugby Football History
^Early Lions: Squads and results (1888–1938) on BBC Sport, 18 May 2005
December 15, 2023
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The 1891 British Isles tour to South Africa was the first British Isles rugby union tour of South Africa and only the second overseas tour conducted by a joint British team Between 9 July and 7 September the team played 20 games including three Tests against the South Africa national rugby union team The British Isles not only won all three Test matches but also won all 17 provincial games Although not named as such at the time the tour is retrospectively recognised as a British Lions tour 1891 British Lions tour to South AfricaThe British Isles team of 1891Date9 July 7 SeptemberCoach es Edwin AshTour captain s Bill MaclaganTest series winnersBritish Isles 3 0 Top test point scorer s Arthur Rotherham 4 1888 N Zealand amp Australia1896 South Africa Contents 1 Tour details 2 Touring party 2 1 Full Backs 2 2 Three Quarters 2 3 Half backs 2 4 Forwards 3 Results 4 Match details 4 1 First test 4 2 Second test 4 3 Third test 5 Bibliography 6 ReferencesTour details edit1891 British Lions tour to South AfricaSummaryPWDLTotal20200 00 0OpponentPWDL nbsp South Africa3300After the South African Rugby Board was formed in 1889 the committee decided one of the best ways to promote the game was to invite a British side to visit similar to the British Isles tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1888 In September 1890 the Rugby Football Union RFU discussed the proposed tour in attendance was Mr J Richards of Cape Town who as an Old Leysian had connections to the English game 1 The tour was agreed with Cecil Rhodes agreeing to guarantee any financial losses the tour may incur 1 The first overseas British tour of 1888 was not sanctioned by the RFU and therefore is often not recognised as an official Lions tour so the South African Tests were actually the first matches that allowed the British players to be awarded international caps Captained by Scottish international Bill Maclagan the British team consisted of players from English and Scottish clubs with a heavy contingent of members from Cambridge University teams Of the players roughly half were or would win national caps and the majority of those who did not were former Cambridge Blues 2 Although containing four Scots the fact that the tour was organised by the RFU the team was initially recognised as an English team but retrospectively gained its British Isles tag The touring party had been selected by a committee composed of George Rowland Hill the president of the RFU R S Whalley Harry Vassall Arthur Budd and J H S McArthur 3 The British team took in twenty matches three of them tests against the South African team The tourists won all twenty matches conceding just a single try which was scored against them in the very first game Although the Test top scorer for the tourists was Arthur Rotherham mainly because a conversion at the time was worth twice as much as a try the tour s outstanding scorer was Randolph Aston At six foot three and weighing 15 stones Aston played in all 20 matches and was the unstoppable try scorer of the tour Out of the 89 tries scored by the British team Aston scored 30 including the first try against the South African team in the first Test 4 The tourists played in red and white hooped shirts and dark blue shorts 5 6 Touring party editManager Edwin AshFull Backs edit William Grant Mitchell Cambridge University and Richmond Edward Bromet Cambridge University Three Quarters edit Paul Robert Clauss Oxford University and Scotland Randolph Aston Cambridge University Bill Maclagan London Scottish and Scotland captain Half backs edit Howard Marshall Sunderland FC amp Blackheath FC B G Roscoe Lancashire Arthur Rotherham Cambridge University William Wotherspoon Cambridge University and Scotland Forwards edit William Bromet Oxford University John Harding Gould Old Leysians Johnny Hammond Cambridge University Froude Hancock Somerset Walter Jesse Jackson Gloucester Robert MacMillan London Scottish and Scotland Edwin Mayfield Cambridge University Clement Pearson Simpson Cambridge University Aubone Surtees Cambridge University Robert Thompson Cambridge University William Henry Thorman Cambridge University Thomas Sherren Whittaker Lancashire Results editComplete list of matches played by the British Isles in South Africa 7 8 Test matches nbsp British Isles v Cape Colony the first match of the tour nbsp The South Africa team that played the second test v the British Isles Date Rival City Venue Score1 9 Jul Cape Town Cape Town 15 12 11 Jul Western Province Cape Town 6 03 13 Jul Cape Colony Cape Town 14 04 18 Jul Kimberley Kimberley 7 05 20 Jul Griqualand West Kimberley 3 06 25 Jul Port Elizabeth Port Elizabeth 22 07 28 Jul Eastern Province Port Elizabeth 21 08 30 Jul nbsp South Africa Port Elizabeth Crusaders Ground 4 09 1 Aug Grahamstown Grahamstown 9 010 4 Aug King William s Town King William s Town 18 011 6 Aug King William s Town amp District King William s Town 16 012 11 Aug Pietermaritzburg Pietermaritzburg 25 013 15 Aug Transvaal Johannesburg 22 014 19 Aug Johannesburg Johannesburg 15 015 22 Aug Transvaal Johannesburg 9 016 26 Aug Cape Colony Kimberley 4 017 29 Aug nbsp South Africa Kimberley Eclectic Cricket Ground 3 018 3 Sep Cape Colony Cape Town 7 019 5 Sep nbsp South Africa Cape Town Newlands Stadium 4 020 7 Sep Stellenbosch Stellenbosch 2 0Balance Pl W D L Ps Pc20 20 0 0 226 1Match details editFirst test edit 30 JulySouth Africa nbsp 0 4 nbsp British IslesTry Aston WhittakerCon RotherhamCrusaders Ground Port Elizabeth Attendance 6 000Referee J Griffin Team details nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp South Africa nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp British IslesSouth Africa Ben Duff Harry Boyes Chubb Vigne Mosey van Buuren Alfred Richards Frank Guthrie Oupa Versfeld Bill Bisset Herbert Hayton Castens capt Tiger Devenish Japie Louw Edward Little Fred Alexander GA Merry Frank HamiltonBritish Isles William Grant Mitchell Paul Robert Clauss Randolph Aston Bill Maclagan capt Arthur Rotherham William Wotherspoon William Bromet John Harding Gould Johnny Hammond Froude Hancock Robert MacMillan Clement Pearson Simpson Aubone Surtees Robert Thompson Thomas Sherren WhittakerSecond test edit 29 AugustSouth Africa nbsp 0 3 nbsp British IslesPen MitchellEclectic Cricket Ground Kimberley Attendance 3 000Referee P Ross Frames Team details nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp South Africa nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp British IslesSouth Africa Ben Duff Harry Boyes Chubb Vigne Arthur de Kock Alfred Richards Jackie Powell Oupa Versfeld Bob Snedden capt Bob Shand Wilfred Trenery Japie Louw DW Smith Fred Alexander Fairy Heatlie CW SmithBritish Isles William Grant Mitchell Paul Robert Clauss Randolph Aston Bill Maclagan capt Howard Marshall Edward Bromet William Bromet John Harding Gould Johnny Hammond Froude Hancock Robert MacMillan Edwin Mayfield Aubone Surtees Robert Thompson Thomas Sherren WhittakerThird test edit 5 SeptemberSouth Africa nbsp 0 4 nbsp British IslesTry Aston MaclaganCon RotherhamNewlands Stadium Cape Town Attendance 3 000Referee HH Castens Team details nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp South Africa nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp British IslesSouth Africa Ben Duff AJ Hartley Chubb Vigne Hasie Versfeld Alfred Richards capt Frank Guthrie Oupa Versfeld Bill Bisset Bob Shand CG van Renen Japie Louw Edward Little JA McKendrick Fairy Heatlie TW ChignellBritish Isles William Grant Mitchell Paul Robert Clauss Randolph Aston Bill Maclagan capt Howard Marshall Arthur Rotherham William Bromet Edward Bromet Johnny Hammond Froude Hancock Robert MacMillan Edwin Mayfield Aubone Surtees Robert Thompson Thomas Sherren WhittakerBibliography editGriffiths John 1987 The Phoenix Book of International Rugby Records London Phoenix House ISBN 0 460 07003 7 Jenkins Vivian 1981 Rothmans Rugby Yearbook 1981 82 Aylesbury Rothmans Publications Ltd ISBN 0 907574 05 X Parker A C 1970 The Springboks 1891 1970 London Cassell amp Company Ltd ISBN 0 304 93591 3 References edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to 1891 British Lions tour to South Africa a b Griffiths 1987 pg 6 3 Griffiths 1987 pg 9 3 Parker 1970 pp 12 13 IRB Hall of Fame 2009 Nominees Archived 24 July 2008 at the Wayback MachineIRB com Accessed 3 May 2009 2009 05 05 Lions name is a source of great pride The Times 19 June 2009 Lions change their stripes on Lions website 17 Apr 2005 British amp Irish Lions results on Rugby Football History Early Lions Squads and results 1888 1938 on BBC Sport 18 May 2005 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title 1891 British Lions tour to South Africa amp oldid 1158729503, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
