1938 British Lions tour to South Africa
Encyclopedia
The 1938 British Isles tour to South Africa was the fourteenth tour by a British Isles
team and the sixth to South Africa
. The tour is retrospectively classed as one of the British Lions tours, as the Lions naming convention was not adopted until 1950.
The tour party was led by Ireland's Sam Walker
and managed by Col. Hartley, and took in 24 matches. Of the 24 games, 19 were against club or invitational teams, three were test matches against the South African national team and the other two games were outside South Africa against Rhodesia
. The British Isles lost two and won one of the test matches, and in the non-test games lost five and won sixteen.
Like many of the early Lions parties, the tour did not represent the best of British and Irish rugby talent. Obvious omissions included Wilf Wooller and Cliff Jones
.
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
team and the sixth to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. The tour is retrospectively classed as one of the British Lions tours, as the Lions naming convention was not adopted until 1950.
The tour party was led by Ireland's Sam Walker
Sam Walker (rugby player)
Samuel "Sam" Walker was an Irish rugby union prop. Walker played club rugby for Instonians and played international rugby for Ireland and was captain of the British Isles team in their 1938 tour of South Africa.-Rugby career:...
and managed by Col. Hartley, and took in 24 matches. Of the 24 games, 19 were against club or invitational teams, three were test matches against the South African national team and the other two games were outside South Africa against Rhodesia
Zimbabwe national rugby union team
The Zimbabwe national rugby union team is the rugby union team representing Zimbabwe. They are considered to be a third tier rugby union nation...
. The British Isles lost two and won one of the test matches, and in the non-test games lost five and won sixteen.
Like many of the early Lions parties, the tour did not represent the best of British and Irish rugby talent. Obvious omissions included Wilf Wooller and Cliff Jones
Cliff Jones (rugby player)
Clifford 'Cliff' William Jones OBE was a Welsh international rugby union fly-half who played club rugby for many teams but is most associated with Cardiff and Cambridge University...
.
Full Backs
- Vivian JenkinsVivian JenkinsVivian Gordon James Jenkins was a Welsh rugby union player who, having taught Classics and Games at Dover College, went on to have a successful career as a sports journalist. He won 14 caps for Wales and 1 cap for the British and Irish Lions. He also played first-class cricket with...
(London Welsh) - Charles Frederick GrieveCharles GrieveCharles Frederick Grieve was a rugby union player, who played for . He was also a notable cricketer for Guernsey and Oxford University...
(Oxford UniversityOxford University RFCThe Oxford University Rugby Football Club is the rugby union club of the University of Oxford. The club contests The Varsity Match every year against Cambridge University at Twickenham.-History:...
and )
Three-Quarters
- Jim UnwinJim UnwinErnest James 'Jim' Unwin was an English rugby union international. He also played first-class cricket for Essex....
(Rosslyn ParkRosslyn Park F.C.Rosslyn Park Football Club is a rugby union team. Founded in 1879, the club became the first club based in England to play rugby internationally when it faced Stade Francais in Paris on 18 April 1892. In 1912, the club played in Prague, Budapest and Vienna in the first rugby matches ever played in...
) - Bill ClementBill Clement (rugby player)William Harries "Bill" Clement OBE MC TD was a Welsh international wing who played club rugby for Llanelli and was capped six times for Wales. Clement was described as a staunch tackler with speed and a good turn of pace; and after his appearance for the British Isles was seen as the best...
(LlanelliLlanelli RFCLlanelli Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club founded in 1875 and its senior team is one of the leading club sides in Wales. The club began the 2008-09 season at their historic home ground of Stradey Park in Llanelli, but moved in November 2008 to the new Parc y Scarlets in adjacent...
) - Elvet JonesElvet JonesElfed Lewis "Elvet" Jones MBE was a Welsh rugby union whose international career was curtailed due to the outbreak of the Second World War...
(LlanelliLlanelli RFCLlanelli Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club founded in 1875 and its senior team is one of the leading club sides in Wales. The club began the 2008-09 season at their historic home ground of Stradey Park in Llanelli, but moved in November 2008 to the new Parc y Scarlets in adjacent...
) - Charles Vesey Boyle (Dublin UniversityDublin University Football ClubDublin University Football Club is the rugby union club of the University of Dublin, Trinity College, in Dublin, Ireland.-History:...
) - Roy Leyland (WaterlooWaterloo R.F.C.Waterloo Football Club is an English Rugby Union team based at St Anthonys Road, Blundellsands, Merseyside. It celebrated its 125th season in 2007/08, having been founded in 1882 by brothers Sidney and Harry Hall and George Abercrombie. From 1882 until 1884 the club was known as Serpentine after...
) - D.J. MacraeDuncan Macrae (rugby player)Duncan James Macrae was a player for the Scotland national rugby union team playing 9 games at centre between 1937 and 1939., as well as for the British Isles team- Early life and career :...
(St. Andrew's UniversityUniversity of St Andrews Rugby Football ClubThe University of St Andrews Rugby Football Club is an affiliated member of the University of St Andrews Athletic Union in Fife, Scotland. It was founded in 1858, making it one of the oldest football clubs in the world. In 2008, the club celebrated its sesquicentennial year, marking its 150th...
) - Harry McKibbin (Queen's University, BelfastQueen's University RFCQueen's University Rugby Football Club is the rugby union team of Queen's University Belfast. Founded in 1869, it is the second oldest rugby union club in Northern Ireland . They originally played as Queen's College, Belfast and have won the Ulster Senior Cup a record 21 times...
) - Basil Ellard Nicholson (Old Whitgiftians)
Half backs
- Frank Jeffrey "Jeff" Reynolds (Old Cranleighans)
- George Ernest Cromey (Queen's University, BelfastQueen's University RFCQueen's University Rugby Football Club is the rugby union team of Queen's University Belfast. Founded in 1869, it is the second oldest rugby union club in Northern Ireland . They originally played as Queen's College, Belfast and have won the Ulster Senior Cup a record 21 times...
) - James "Jimmy" Leonard Giles (CoventryCoventry R.F.C.Coventry Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based in the city of Coventry, England. The club enjoyed national success during the 1960s and the 1970s, with many of its players playing for their countries....
) - Haydn TannerHaydn TannerHaydn Tanner was a Welsh international rugby union player who also played for the British and Irish Lions and the Barbarians....
(SwanseaSwansea RFCSwansea Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team which plays in the Welsh Premier Division. Its home ground is St Helens Rugby and Cricket Ground in Swansea. The team is sometimes known as The Whites because of the primary colour of the team strip...
) - C.J. Moran (ClontarfClontarf RFCClontarf Football Club. Having played firstly in a field at the bottom of Vernon Avenue, then on a site currently used by Dublin Bus as a Depot., the club moved to its present location in 1896 and celebrated 100 years at Castle Avenue in 1996. The Bull Emblem used in the logo is that of the...
)
Forwards
- Sam WalkerSam Walker (rugby player)Samuel "Sam" Walker was an Irish rugby union prop. Walker played club rugby for Instonians and played international rugby for Ireland and was captain of the British Isles team in their 1938 tour of South Africa.-Rugby career:...
(InstoniansInstoniansInstonians is the name of the umbrella organisation that incorporates rugby union, men's and ladies' hockey and cricket sections. There is also a golf society that plays under the Instonians name....
) (captain) - Eddie MorganEddie Morgan (rugby player)Morgan Edward "Eddie" Morgan was a Welsh international prop who played club rugby for Swansea and international rugby for both Wales and the British Lions.-Rugby playing career:...
(SwanseaSwansea RFCSwansea Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team which plays in the Welsh Premier Division. Its home ground is St Helens Rugby and Cricket Ground in Swansea. The team is sometimes known as The Whites because of the primary colour of the team strip...
) - William Gordon Howard (Old Birkonians)
- William 'Bunner' TraversBunner TraversWilliam 'Bunner' Travers was a international rugby union player. He was selected for the 1938 British Lions tour to South Africa. Travers played club rugby for Newport RFC and was the son of George Travers, also a Wales international.-References:...
(Newport) - Charles Robert "Bob" Arthur Graves (Wanderers)
- Paddy MaynePaddy MayneLieutenant Colonel Robert Blair "Paddy" Mayne DSO & Three Bars was a Northern Irish soldier, solicitor, Ireland rugby union international, amateur boxer, polar explorer and a founding member of the Special Air Service .-Early life and sporting achievements:Robert Blair "Paddy" Mayne was born in...
(Queen's UniversityQueen's University RFCQueen's University Rugby Football Club is the rugby union team of Queen's University Belfast. Founded in 1869, it is the second oldest rugby union club in Northern Ireland . They originally played as Queen's College, Belfast and have won the Ulster Senior Cup a record 21 times...
) - Gerald "Beef" Thomas Dancer (BedfordBedford BluesBedford Blues is a rugby union club in the town of Bedford, England, currently playing in The RFU Championship. Bedford is one of the largest towns in England without a league football club, and one of the few towns in England where the rugby club is better supported than the football team. The...
) - S.R. Couchman (Old Cranleighans)
- A.G. Purchas (CoventryCoventry R.F.C.Coventry Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based in the city of Coventry, England. The club enjoyed national success during the 1960s and the 1970s, with many of its players playing for their countries....
) - J.A. Waters (SelkirkSelkirk RFCSelkirk Rugby Football Club are a rugby union side based in Selkirk in the Borders, Scotland.They play in their home games at Philiphaugh, and are now in Premiership Division Two and the Border League ....
) - P.L. Duff (Glasgow Academicals)
- I Williams (CardiffCardiff RFCCardiff Rugby Football Club is a rugby union football club based in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The club was founded in 1876 and played their first few matches at Sophia Gardens, but soon relocated to Cardiff Arms Park where they have been based ever since...
) - Russell TaylorRussell Taylor (rugby player)Albert Russell Taylor was a international rugby union player. He was selected for the 1938 British Lions tour to South Africa. Taylor played club rugby for Cross Keys RFC and Abergavenny RFC...
(Cross KeysCross Keys RFCCross Keys RFC is a rugby union club located in the Welsh village of Crosskeys. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons.- History :...
) - Robert Alexander (North of IrelandNorth of Ireland FCNorth of Ireland Football Club is a former Irish rugby union club that was based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It was the first rugby club formed in what is now Northern Ireland and only two other clubs - Dublin University and Wanderers - were formed earlier anywhere else in all Ireland . It was...
)
Results
| Date | Opponent | Location | Result | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match 1 | Sat 11 Jun | Border Bulldogs Border Bulldogs The Border Bulldogs are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. They are governed by the Border Rugby Union and are based in East London.... |
East London | Won | 8 - 11 |
| Match 2 | Wed 15 Jun | Griqualand West Wildeklawer Griquas The GWK Griquas are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. Their home ground is Hoffe Park Stadium, known for sponsorship reasons as GWK Park in Kimberley, and they draw their players from Northern Cape Province. They were previously known as... |
Kimberley Kimberley, Northern Cape Kimberley is a city in South Africa, and the capital of the Northern Cape. It is located near the confluence of the Vaal and Orange Rivers. The town has considerable historical significance due its diamond mining past and siege during the Second Boer War... |
Won | 9 - 22 |
| Match 3 | Sat 18 Jun | Western Province (Town & Country) | Newlands Newlands Stadium Newlands Stadium, currently referred to as DHL Newlands for sponsorship reasons, is located in Cape Town, South Africa.The stadium currently has a capacity of 51,900 people, but is not an all seater venue.... |
Lost | 11 - 8 |
| Match 4 | Wed 22 Jun | South Western Districts Eagles (rugby team) The South Western Districts Eagles, are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. They play out of George at Outeniqua Park.... |
Recreation Ground Recreation Ground A recreation ground is a type of park.Recreation Ground is the name of the following stadiums in the United Kingdom:*Recreation Ground , the home ground of Aldershot Town F.C., located in Aldershot, England... |
Won | 10 - 19 |
| Match 5 | Sat 25 Jun | Western Province Western Province (rugby team) DHL Western Province is a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. The team has won the Currie Cup on 32 occasions and has the most supporters of any Currie Cup team... |
Newlands Newlands Stadium Newlands Stadium, currently referred to as DHL Newlands for sponsorship reasons, is located in Cape Town, South Africa.The stadium currently has a capacity of 51,900 people, but is not an all seater venue.... |
Lost | 21 - 11 |
| Match 6 | Wed 29 Jun | Transvaal Golden Lions The Golden Lions is a provincial rugby team based in Johannesburg, South Africa. The team was originally known as Transvaal, before changes to the political landscape in South Africa forced a name change to the Gauteng Lions, before again being changed to the Golden Lions. For sponsorship reason... |
Olen Park Olën Park Olën Park, also known as Profert Olën Park for sponsorship reasons, is a stadium in Potchefstroom, South Africa.It is used mostly for rugby union matches by the Leopards team in the Currie Cup.... |
Won | 9 - 26 |
| Match 7 | Sat 2 Jul | Orange Free State Free State Cheetahs The Free State Cheetahs , currently named the Toyota Free State Cheetahs, for sponsorship reasons, are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. They are governed by the Free State Rugby Union and are based at the 37,076-capacity Vodacom Park in... |
Bloemfontein Bloemfontein Bloemfontein is the capital city of the Free State Province of South Africa; and, as the judicial capital of the nation, one of South Africa's three national capitals – the other two being Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Pretoria, the administrative capital.Bloemfontein is popularly and... |
Won | 6 - 21 |
| Match 8 | Wed 6 Jul | Orange Free State Country | Loubser Park | Won | 3 - 18 |
| Match 9 | Sat 9 Jul | Transvaal Golden Lions The Golden Lions is a provincial rugby team based in Johannesburg, South Africa. The team was originally known as Transvaal, before changes to the political landscape in South Africa forced a name change to the Gauteng Lions, before again being changed to the Golden Lions. For sponsorship reason... |
Ellis Park Ellis Park Stadium Ellis Park Stadium, also known because of its sponsorship by The Coca-Cola Company as Coca-Cola Park, is a rugby union and association football stadium in the city of Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, South Africa. It hosted the final of the 1995 Rugby World Cup, which was won by the country's... |
Lost | 16 - 9 |
| Match 10 | Wed 13 Jul | N-E Transvaal | Caledonian Ground Caledonian Ground The Caledonian Ground, often simply known as "The Caley", is a major sports venue in the New Zealand city of Dunedin. It is primarily used for soccer and athletics, and has a capacity of 7,500.-Location:... |
Won | 12 - 20 |
| Match 11 | Sat 16 Jul | Cape Province Cape Province The Province of the Cape of Good Hope was a province in the Union of South Africa and subsequently the Republic of South Africa... |
Kimberley Kimberley, Northern Cape Kimberley is a city in South Africa, and the capital of the Northern Cape. It is located near the confluence of the Vaal and Orange Rivers. The town has considerable historical significance due its diamond mining past and siege during the Second Boer War... |
Won | 3 - 10 |
| Match 12 | Wed 20 Jul | Rhodesia Zimbabwe national rugby union team The Zimbabwe national rugby union team is the rugby union team representing Zimbabwe. They are considered to be a third tier rugby union nation... |
Salisbury Harare Harare before 1982 known as Salisbury) is the largest city and capital of Zimbabwe. It has an estimated population of 1,600,000, with 2,800,000 in its metropolitan area . Administratively, Harare is an independent city equivalent to a province. It is Zimbabwe's largest city and its... |
Won | 11 - 25 |
| Match 13 | Sat 23 Jul | Rhodesia Zimbabwe national rugby union team The Zimbabwe national rugby union team is the rugby union team representing Zimbabwe. They are considered to be a third tier rugby union nation... |
Bulawayo Bulawayo Bulawayo is the second largest city in Zimbabwe after the capital Harare, with an estimated population in 2010 of 2,000,000. It is located in Matabeleland, 439 km southwest of Harare, and is now treated as a separate provincial area from Matabeleland... |
Won | 11 - 45 |
| Match 14 | Sat 30 Jul | Transvaal Golden Lions The Golden Lions is a provincial rugby team based in Johannesburg, South Africa. The team was originally known as Transvaal, before changes to the political landscape in South Africa forced a name change to the Gauteng Lions, before again being changed to the Golden Lions. For sponsorship reason... |
Ellis Park Ellis Park Stadium Ellis Park Stadium, also known because of its sponsorship by The Coca-Cola Company as Coca-Cola Park, is a rugby union and association football stadium in the city of Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, South Africa. It hosted the final of the 1995 Rugby World Cup, which was won by the country's... |
Won | 9 - 17 |
| Match 15 | Sat 6 Aug | South Africa South Africa national rugby union team The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental... |
Ellis Park Ellis Park Stadium Ellis Park Stadium, also known because of its sponsorship by The Coca-Cola Company as Coca-Cola Park, is a rugby union and association football stadium in the city of Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, South Africa. It hosted the final of the 1995 Rugby World Cup, which was won by the country's... |
Lost | 26 - 12 |
| Match 16 | Sat 13 Aug | Northern Province Northern Cape The Northern Cape is the largest and most sparsely populated province of South Africa. It was created in 1994 when the Cape Province was split up. Its capital is Kimberley. It includes the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park, part of an international park shared with Botswana... |
Kingsmead | Lost | 26 - 8 |
| Match 17 | Wed 17 Aug | Natal Natal Sharks The Natal Sharks are a South African rugby union team that participate in the annual Currie Cup and Super Rugby tournaments. The Sharks home stadium is Kings Park. They draw most of their players from the KwaZulu-Natal Province. The Sharks are the current representative team of the Natal rugby... |
Pietermaritzburg Pietermaritzburg Pietermaritzburg is the capital and second largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was founded in 1838, and is currently governed by the Msunduzi Local Municipality. Its "purist" Zulu name is umGungundlovu, and this is the name used for the district municipality... |
Won | 11 - 15 |
| Match 18 | Sat 20 Aug | Border Bulldogs Border Bulldogs The Border Bulldogs are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. They are governed by the Border Rugby Union and are based in East London.... |
East London | Won | 11 - 19 |
| Match 19 | Wed 24 Aug | North-East Districts | Burgersdorp Burgersdorp Burgersdorp is a small town in the Ukhahlamba District Municipality of the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.The Afrikaner Bond political party was founded in Burgersdorp in 1881.-Rail:The first rail connection to Burgersdorp was opened on 19 March 1885... |
Won | 3 - 42 |
| Match 20 | Sat 27 Aug | Eastern Province Eastern Province Kings The Eastern Province Kings are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup and Vodacom Cup tournaments and are governed by the Eastern Province Rugby Union... |
St George's Park | Won | 5 - 6 |
| Match 21 | Sat 3 Sep | South Africa South Africa national rugby union team The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental... |
Crusaders Ground | Lost | 19 - 3 |
| Match 22 | Sat 10 Sep | South Africa South Africa national rugby union team The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental... |
Newlands Newlands Stadium Newlands Stadium, currently referred to as DHL Newlands for sponsorship reasons, is located in Cape Town, South Africa.The stadium currently has a capacity of 51,900 people, but is not an all seater venue.... |
Won | 16 - 21 |
| Match 23 | Sat 17 Sep | Western Province Universities | Newlands Newlands Stadium Newlands Stadium, currently referred to as DHL Newlands for sponsorship reasons, is located in Cape Town, South Africa.The stadium currently has a capacity of 51,900 people, but is not an all seater venue.... |
Won | 16 - 19 |
| Match 24 | Wed 21 Sep | Western Province Country | Newlands Newlands Stadium Newlands Stadium, currently referred to as DHL Newlands for sponsorship reasons, is located in Cape Town, South Africa.The stadium currently has a capacity of 51,900 people, but is not an all seater venue.... |
Lost | 12 - 7 |