1904 British Lions tour to Australia and New Zealand


The 1904 British Isles tour to New Zealand and Australia was the sixth tour by a British Isles rugby union team and the third to New Zealand or Australia. It is retrospectively classed as one of the British Lions tours, as the Lions naming convention was not adopted until 1950.
Led by Scotland captain David Bedell-Sivright and managed by Arthur O'Brien the tour included 19 matches, 14 in Australia and 5 in New Zealand. Four of the fixtures were test matchesthree against Australia and one against the New Zealand All Blacks. The Lions won all three Australian tests but lost the All Blacks' game.
This was the first time that a British team played both Australia and New Zealand in the same tour. It was also the last series until 1989 in which Australian matches were the major component; in between the only Australian fixtures were those appended onto a longer New Zealand tour. The team's captain, Bedell-Sivright, a veteran of the 1903 tour of South Africa, was requested to lead the team by England's Rugby Football Union. Bedell-Sivright broke his leg in the opening match of the New Zealand leg of the tour and Teddy Morgan took over the captaincy.
The uniforms wore by the Lions remained the same than previous tours, blue used in thick hoops and the red and white in thin bands.

Touring party

Results

Complete list of matches played by the British Lions:
Test matches
MatchDateOpponentLocationResultScore
Match 118 JuneNSW WaratahsSydney, AustraliaWon27–0
Match 222 JuneWestern District CombinedBathurst, AustraliaWon21–6
Match 325 JuneNSW WaratahsSydney, AustraliaWon29–6
Match 429 JuneMetropolitan UnionSydney, AustraliaWon19–6
Match 52 JulySydney, AustraliaWon17–0
Match 66 JulyNorthern DistrictsNewcastle, AustraliaWon17–3
Match 79 JulyQueensland RedsBrisbane, AustraliaWon24–5
Match 813 JulyMetropolitan UnionBrisbane, AustraliaWon17–3
Match 916 JulyQueensland RedsBrisbane, AustraliaWon18–7
Match 1020 JulyToowoombaToowoomba, AustraliaWon12–3
Match 1123 JulyBrisbane, AustraliaWon17–3
Match 1227 JulyNew EnglandArmidale, AustraliaWon26–9
Match 1330 JulySydney, AustraliaWon16–0
Match 146 AugustCanterbury / West Coast RUChristchurch, New ZealandWon5–3
Match 1510 AugustOtago / Southland RUDunedin, New ZealandWon14–8
Match 1613 AugustWellington, New ZealandLost3–9
Match 1717 AugustTaranaki / Wanganui / Manawatu RUNew Plymouth, New ZealandDrew0–0
Match 1820 AugustAuckland RUAuckland, New ZealandLost0–13
Match 1931 AugustNSW WaratahsSydney, AustraliaWon5–0

Played inMatchesWonLostDrawnPoints forPoints against
Australia14140026551
New Zealand52212233
Total17142128784

Test details

Australia 1st Test

Team details-

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Australia 2nd Test

Team details-

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Australia 3rd Test

Team details

Australia: Charlie Redwood, Fred Nicholson, Frank Futter, Stan Wickham ', Doug McLean, Snr., Lew Evans, Francis Finley, Jack Meibusch, Allen Oxlade, Billy Richards, Blue Dixon, Denis Lutge, Jim White, Harold Judd, Patrick Walsh

British Isles: AB O'Brien, Willie Llewellyn, Rhys Gabe, Pat McEvedy, T Morgan', P Bush, Tommy Vile, Reg Edwards DH Trail, D Dobson, S Bevan, Burnett Massey, SN Crowther, Blair Swannell, Boxer Harding

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New Zealand

Team details-

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;Notes
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