1973 England rugby union tour of Fiji and New Zealand


The 1973 England rugby union tour of Fiji and New Zealand was a series of matches played by the England national rugby union team in Fiji and New Zealand in August and September 1973. England played five games, including a test match against the New Zealand national rugby union team and a match against the Fiji national rugby union team for which England did not award full internationals caps. England beat Fiji by only a single point and lost all three matches against New Zealand provincial teams but completed the tour with their first win against New Zealand since 1936.
This tour was hastily organised at very little notice when the originally planned tour of Argentina was cancelled due to terrorist threats against the players. A squad of 25 was selected, all but three capped, and nine of whom had played in the match against the All Blacks at Twickenham nine months previously, in January 1973. David Duckham and "Stack" Stevens had been, with John Pullin, on the 1971 Lions tour.

Matches

Opposing TeamForAgainstDateVenueStatus
Fiji131228 August 1973Buckhurst Park, SuvaTour match
Taranaki361 September 1973Rugby Park, New PlymouthTour match
Wellington16255 September 1973Athletic Park, WellingtonTour match
Canterbury12198 September 1973Lancaster Park, ChristchurchTour match
New Zealand161015 September 1973Eden Park, AucklandTest match

Touring party