The 1996 Great Britain Lions tour was a rugby league tour by the Great Britain team which took place from September to November 1996. The tour included games in Papua New Guinea, Fiji and New Zealand, however due to the ongoing Super League war and with the Australian team under the control of the Australian Rugby League, the team did not play any matches in Australia. The tour was generally considered as a disaster, with Great Britain failing to win any games in New Zealand, and several players being sent home early from the tour in order to cut costs.
| 1996 Great Britain Lions tour | |||||
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| Date | 25 September 1996 – 1 November 1996 | ||||
| Manager | Phil Lowe | ||||
| Coach(es) | Phil Larder | ||||
| Tour captain(s) | Andy Farrell | ||||
| Top point scorer(s) | Bobbie Goulding (63) | ||||
| Top try scorer(s) | Karle Hammond (5) | ||||
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| Previous tour | 1992 | ||||
| Next tour | 2019 | ||||
Touring squad
editGreat Britain coach Phil Larder selected a 32-man squad to take on the tour. A notable omission from the squad was Martin Offiah, who took part in the previous three Great Britain tours, but had told Larder he did not have the enthusiasm for another six-week tour.[1] Several changes were made to the initial squad selected, as Gary Connolly, Lee Jackson and Jason Robinson were informed they would not be allowed to play due to their contracts with the ARL.[2] There were also a number of other withdrawals, with John Bentley returning to rugby union, and Shaun Edwards, Paul Newlove and Steve McNamara all ruled out due to injury.[3]
Former Wigan second row forward Denis Betts, who was playing with the New Zealand-based Auckland Warriors in the Australian Rugby League premiership, made history with his selection. The 25 test veteran became the first player selected to tour while playing in the Australian premiership and not in the English premiership.
Larder's assistant coaches on the tour were Clive Griffiths and Gary Hetherington and the tour manager was Phil Lowe. Andy Farrell was appointed as the tour captain, with Denis Betts named as vice-captain.
Prior to the Second Test against New Zealand, 11 players in the squad were sent home early from the tour as a cost-cutting measure.[4][a]
Papua New Guinea
edit| 25 September 1996 | PNG President's XIII |
8 – 34 | Rebiamul Oval, Mount Hagen[6] | ||
| Tries: Itam, Tiki Goals: |
[7] |
Tries: Senior, Bradbury, Hammond, Lowes, Smith (2) Goals: Prescott (5) |
Attendance: 2,059 Referee: Anthony Kuni (Port Moresby) |
28 September 1996
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| Papua New Guinea |
30 – 32 | |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Ben Biri (2) Robert Sio David Gomia Stanley Gene Adrian Lam Goals: Elias Paiyo (3) |
[8] |
Tries: Kris Radlinski (2) Anthony Sullivan Bobbie Goulding Keiron Cunningham Goals: Bobbie Goulding (6) |
Papua New Guinea
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Great Britain
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Fiji
edit| 2 October 1996 | Fiji President's XIII |
16 – 42 | Churchill Park, Lautoka[11] | ||
| Tries: Navale, Baravilala, Koroi Goals: Takaladau (2) |
[12] |
Tries: Hammond (3), Hayes, Senior, Critchley, Tollett, Cassidy Goals: Prescott (5) |
Attendance: 2,000 Referee: T Nunu (Fiji) |
5 October 1996
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| Fiji |
4 – 72 | |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Samuela Marayawa Goals |
[13] |
Tries: Bobbie Goulding (3) Stuart Spruce (2) Alan Hunte (2) Daryl Powell (2) Anthony Sullivan Andy Farrell Keith Senior Mick Cassidy Goals: Bobbie Goulding (10) |
Fiji
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Great Britain
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New Zealand
edit| 10 October 1996 | Lion Red Cup XIII |
22 – 22 | Carlaw Park, Auckland[16] | ||
| Tries: Barlow, Hughes, Malietoa-Brown Goals: Lythe (5) |
[17] |
Tries: Sullivan, Spruce, Cunningham, Powell, Goals: Harris (3) |
Attendance: 3,000 Referee: G Wallace (Auckland) |
| 15 October 1996 | New Zealand XIII |
30 – 22 | Fraser Park, Wellington[18] | ||
| Tries: Endacott (2), Ropati, Okesene, Taewa, A. Swann Goals: Murray (2) Whittaker |
[19] |
Tries: Hayes, Mather, Smith, Hammond Goals: Prescott (3) |
Attendance: 2,000 Referee: Denis Hale (Auckland) |
First Test
edit18 October 1996
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| New Zealand |
17 – 12 | |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: John Timu (2) Goals: Matthew Ridge (4) Field Goals: Matthew Ridge |
[20] |
Tries: Alan Hunte Denis Betts Goals: Bobbie Goulding (2) |
New Zealand
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Great Britain
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| 22 October 1996 | Māori |
40 – 28 | Lowe Walker Stadium, Whangārei[22] | ||
| Tries: Stevens, Nikau, Murray (2), Ramsey, Gardiner, Walker Goals: Howell (6) |
[23] |
Tries: Dwyer, Smith, Bradbury, Prescott, Lowes Goals: Prescott (4) |
Attendance: 6,000 Referee: G Allcock (Auckland) |
2nd Test
edit25 October 1996
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| New Zealand |
18 – 15 | |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Ruben Wiki (2) Gene Ngamu Goals: Matthew Ridge (3) |
[24] |
Tries: Alan Hunte Denis Betts Goals: Bobbie Goulding (3) Field Goal: Bobbie Goulding |
New Zealand
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Great Britain
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3rd Test
edit1 November 1996
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| New Zealand |
32 – 12 | |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Sean Hoppe (2) Marc Ellis Ruben Wiki Gene Ngamu Matthew Ridge Goals: Matthew Ridge (4) |
[26] |
Tries: Denis Betts Adrian Morley Goals: Bobbie Goulding (2) |
New Zealand
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Great Britain
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Aftermath
editThe tour was considered a huge failure. It was only the second time in tour history that the Lions had suffered a 3–0 whitewash in a Test series against New Zealand (the other being in 1984), and the 12–32 loss in the Third Test was the widest margin of defeat suffered by Great Britain in a Test against New Zealand.[28] Financially, the tour made a loss of £296,000.[29]
The lack of success was attributed to the large number of key players who were unavailable for the tour, and the blow to morale caused by sending some of the squad home early. Fatigue was also an issue - due to the British rugby league season switching from winter to summer the previous year, some players had taken part in over 60 games within the space of 14 months.[30] New Zealand Rugby League president Graham Carden was blamed for the tour's financial losses, having failed to adequately promote the Test series, resulting in poor attendances. He was eventually forced to stand down the following year.[31]
Great Britain did not tour in the Southern Hemisphere again for over 20 years until 2019.[32]
Notes
editReferences
editGeneral
- Fletcher, Raymond (1997). Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1997. Headline Book Publishing. pp. 300–22. ISBN 978-0-7472-7764-4.
Specific
- ^ Hadfield, Dave (14 August 1996). "Larder picks enthusiasm over Offiah". The Independent. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2014.
- ^ Hadfield, Dave (21 August 1996). "Larder looks to Roper and Hunte". The Independent. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2014.
- ^ Irvine, Christopher (21 September 1996). "Larder's strange faces in unfamiliar places". The Times. London. ProQuest 318624430.
- ^ Hadfield, Dave (23 October 1996). "Discarded dozen head home". The Independent. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
- ^ Hadfield, Dave (24 October 1996). "Senior's tour is revived by Larder". The Independent. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
- ^ "1996 Tour Match: PNG Presidents Select XIII 8 Great Britain Select XIII 34". wigan.rlfans.com. Retrieved 10 July 2014.
- ^ PNG President's XIII vs Great Britain
- ^ Report Papua New Guinea vs Great Britain
- ^ "1996 Test Match: Papua New Guinea 30 Great Britain 32". wigan.rlfans.com. Retrieved 10 July 2014.
- ^ Hadfield, Dave (30 September 1996). "Farrell leads Lions out of Kumul fire". The Independent. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
- ^ "1996 Tour Match: Fiji Presidents Select XIII 16 Great Britain 42". wigan.rlfans.com. Retrieved 10 July 2014.
- ^ Fiji President's XIII vs Great Britain
- ^ Fiji vs Great Britain
- ^ "1996 Test Match: Fiji 4 Great Britain 72". wigan.rlfans.com. Retrieved 10 July 2014.
- ^ Hadfield, Dave (7 October 1996). "Rugby League: Lions ready for tougher tasks in NZ". The Independent. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
- ^ "1996 Tour Match: Lions Red Cup XIII 22 Great Britain 22". wigan.rlfans.com. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
- ^ Lion Red Cup XIII vs Great Britain
- ^ "1996 Tour Match: New Zealand Select XIII 30 Great Britain 22". wigan.rlfans.com. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
- ^ New Zealand XIII vs Great Britain
- ^ 1st Test - New Zealand vs Great Britain
- ^ "1996 First Test: New Zealand 17 Great Britain 12". wigan.rlfans.com. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
- ^ "1996 Tour Match: New Zealand Maoris 40 Great Britain 28". wigan.rlfans.com. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
- ^ Māori vs Great Britain
- ^ 2nd Test - New Zealand vs Great Britain
- ^ "1996 Second Test: New Zealand 18 Great Britain 15". wigan.rlfans.com. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
- ^ 3rd Test - New Zealand vs Great Britain
- ^ "1996 Third Test: New Zealand 32 Great Britain 12". wigan.rlfans.com. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
- ^ Fletcher, Raymond; Howes, David, eds. (1997). Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1997. London: Headline Publishing Group. p. 300. ISBN 978-0-7472-7764-4.
- ^ "Dead Loss". The Mirror. London. 1 February 1997 – via The Free Library.
- ^ Hadfield, Dave (3 November 1996). "Blame and the lame". The Independent. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
- ^ Hadfield, Dave (4 February 1997). "Rugby League : Carden ousted as president". The Independent. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
- ^ "Great Britain to visit southern hemisphere next year in first Lions tour since 1996". BBC Sport. 11 November 2018. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
External links
edit- 1996 Great Britain Tour of the Pacific at wigan.rlfans.com
- Lions Tour 1996 at rugbyleagueproject.org