The History of the British & Irish Lions
One of the sport’s longest-lived traditions, the British and Irish Lions tours have become a staple of the modern rugby calendar. But how has this iconic side been shaped through its almost 150-year-long history?
The history of the British and Irish Lions began with a grand sporting tour to Australasia in 1888. Learn more about the 1888 series here. Despite failing to live up to expectations monetarily, it was a huge success in sporting terms and helped to kick off the tradition of touring in rugby.
The 1891 British Lions Tour
In 1891, a second tour was organised – this time to South Africa. Unlike the unsanctioned 1888 tour, the 1891 party received the full backing of the Rugby Football Union (RFU), making it the first official international test series. Experienced Scottish international Bill Maclagan led the mostly English group as they travelled across the country and played against a series of local sides, as well as competing in the test matches against South Africa.Surpassing the success of the Shaw and Shrewsbury team of 1888, Maclagan’s British Isles side recorded a remarkable 20 wins in 20 games against the less experienced locals. They conceded a single point in their 15-1 victory over Cape Town in their debut match and went on to keep a clean sheet in every other game. Most impressively, their three official test matches against South Africa ended in dominant 4-0, 3-0, and 4-0 victories, with powerful centre Randolph Aston and clinical scrum-half Arthur Rotherham writing their names in the history books with two tries and two conversions respectively.
The 1896 British Lions Tour
Five years after their first tour to South Africa, the British Isles returned in 1896. The notable Scottish contingent of the previous squad was replaced with an even larger Irish one, with nine Irishmen in the 21-man squad. They again dominated the locals, winning 19 and drawing one of their first 20 matches, but something significant happened in the final test match of the series.After six consecutive defeats against the Lions, South Africa handed their guests an unexpected 5-0 drubbing to see them home. The surprise result signalled a turning point in South African rugby, and the Lions would not win another test series against the Springboks until 1974, 78 years later. While far from positive from the perspective of the Lions, this was a massive success story for rugby itself. The British Isles’ tours had helped to raise the level of rugby in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, fostering a passion for the sport in the southern hemisphere that would persist for centuries to come.
Where Did The British And Irish Lions Get Their Name From?
The 1888 and 1891 touring sides were dubbed as the English Footballers and English Rugby Football Team respectively, but they were retroactively named as the British Isles, given their inclusion of several non-English players. During the 1924 tour of South Africa, local journalists nicknamed them “The Lions” for the lion symbol on the squad’s official ties. This moniker was used colloquially in the proceeding years, and on their first tour following the Second World War – Australia and New Zealand 1950 – it was used as part of the official team name. Thus, the British Lions were born. Out of respect to Irish independence, the name was changed to the British and Irish Lions for the team’s 2001 tour of Australia.
The Pre-war British And Irish Lions Tours
Most of the earlier Lions tours were characterised by complete dominance for the tourists, but the gap began to close in the early 1900s. The Lions’ third visit to South Africa ended in two draws and a defeat, signalling their first ever test series defeat. The 1908 tests in New Zealand were similarly winless, this time with one draw and two losses.
This struggle – particularly against South Africa and New Zealand – persisted, but the Lions found success in exciting new tours to Argentina. They travelled to Buenos Aires to take on Los Pumas in their first ever test match, which the Lions eventually went on to win 28-3.
The Post-war British And Irish Lions Tours
The aforementioned 1950 Australasia tour brought another major milestone. For the first time in history, the Lions squad was comprised entirely of capped international players – another characteristic that would come to define the Lions in decades to come. Despite this rise in quality, the team still struggled to get the better of their two long-term rivals, only managing to win their test series against Australia until the 1970s.
What Was The Best Ever British And Irish Lions tour?
Despite suffering a brutal 0-4 series defeat in their 1966 tour of New Zealand, the Lions returned five years later with renewed hope under new coach Carwyn James and with an exciting Welsh core that included recent Five Nations Grand Slam heroes Barry John, Gareth Edwards, Gerald Davies, and J.P.R. Williams. After a disappointing loss to Queensland in the first game of the tour, the Lions grew into the series and delivered when it really mattered – the first test match with the All Blacks. Legendary fly-half Barry John’s clinical kicking game proved to be the difference maker, delivering a brilliant 9-3 result in a tight contest.
As expected, the locals returned with a vengeance in the second test, dominating 22-12. But in the third test, John again proved himself to be a class above the rest, scoring 10 points in a 13-3 victory, gaining the affectionate nickname “King John” from the locals along the way. With a first ever test series win in New Zealand on the cards, the Lions were under huge pressure heading into the final game. They found themselves 8-0 down in front of almost 60,000 Kiwis, but fought back to secure a 14-14 draw, and became the first, and so far only, Lions side to win a test series in New Zealand.
First the All Blacks fell, then the Springboks. Three years later, much of the same group travelled to South Africa for the 1974 Lions tour. In a dramatic, often violent, series, the Lions swept through their tour matches with ease. Most impressively, they dominated their test matches, too, easily defeating long-time rivals South Africa 12-3, 28-9, and 26-9. The Lions would head into the 22nd game of the series, the final test match with the Springboks, with 21 wins and an unprecedented tour in the offing.
The locals put in a better showing, heading into the final moments with the game tied at 13-13, but the Lions appeared to have a last-minute try unfairly chalked off by the South African referee, completing the tour with a 21-1-0 record. The undefeated Lions were dubbed the “Invincibles”, and South African legend Danie Craven described that 1974 squad as “the greatest team to visit South Africa”.
The 1971 and 1974 series are widely regarded to be the most impressive Lions tours and teams in history.
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