13th July….

After the cancellation of the 1910 3rd Test, the second of the two fixtures added in it’s place was played today. After two defeats and a draw, the hosts finally got the victory over the tourists they craved, Australasia defeating Northern Union 32-15. All three Hunslet tourists played – Batten, Jukes and Smith.

As this has been a quiet few days and we are in the middle of the Lions tours, it’s a chance to have a brief look at our Tourists down the years.

The first tour was 1910. Although not achieving the heights of the All Four Cups campaign, Hunslet were still providing representative players regularly between 1908 and 1910. John Willie Higson, Harry Wilson, Freddie Farrar, Herbert Place, had all played international and county matches. Three other regulars from these seasons were selected for the first Northern Union tour Down Under.

Billy Batten – signed in 1907 from Kinsley ARLFC, Billy made his international debut in his first full season with games for Northern Union and England in 1907/08. Before the 1910 tour he suffered a knee injury. He was asked prove his fitness and played for Hemsworth against Normanton St.Johns, scoring a hat-trick. He was on the boat five days later. He was club captain in 1911/12 and 1912/13. Alledgedly later in his career he was asked to play in a trial game and told the selectors that they should know what he was capable of by that time! He transferred to Hull in 1913 for a then record £600.

Billy Jukes – Signed from Featherstone Rovers, he had made his debut in 1905. Was one of the “Terrible Six” and a prominent player in the All Four Cups season. He scored a hat-trick on his debut in Australia, the only Great Britain forward to acheive this it is believed. He was club captian in 1910/11. He played on through WW1 making a total of 306 appearances and scoring 94 tries.

Fred Smith – signed from Kippax AFC in 1905, half-back Fred played until 1919 and toured twice, also being selected for the 1914 tour. Club captain in 1913/14 and 1914/15. Played in 43 of the 47 fixtures in the All Four Cups season.

For the 1914 tour Hunslet provided three players, Fred Smith from the 1910 tour, Walter Guerin and Jack Smales.

Walter Guerin – he was a forward born in Hartlepool and played his early rugby in the North-East before joining Hunslet in 1911. He didn’t play any rep rugby before being selected for the tour and didn’t get selected for any of the Test matches but did contibute 14 goals and a try in nine other games. The Great War disrupted his career, playing just 11 games between 1915 and 1918. He was selected to tour in 1920 but had to stand down due to injury. A Yorkshire player in the 20s and club captain for three seasons he retired in 1928 after playing 373 games with 107 tries, 398 goals and 1,117 points.


John “Jack” Smales – from Outwood and another member of the “Terrible Six”. A regular Yorkshire player up to WW1. After the tour he did not feature in the War-time games, returning for one season after the cessation of hostilities. A publican in Wakefield, he died when he touched a live electrical wire during a refurbishment of his pub, The Beehive on Kirkgate.

It would be 18 years before Hunslet provided another tourist – Welsh hooker Les White getting the nod in 1932. He was signed in January 1928 from Pontypridd RLFC who had resigned from the league in October 1927. He had played two county games and for Wales while at Pontypridd and was a regular representative player after moving North making a further 21 appearances before his last game in 1943 (for an Army XIII). He played 498 games for Hunslet and scored 43 tries. On the 1932 tour he played in five of the six Tests.

The next tour in 1936 saw forward Harry Beverley on the boat Down Under. Signed from Leeds University ARLFC, forward Harry had played twice for England before being selected to tour. He only played eight games on the tour but that included all three Tests against Australia, scoring two tries in the first.

Hunslet did not contribute players to the first two post-war tours but in 1954 made up for it with three selected. Snapped up from Leeds the previous season, Dickie Williams was selected as skipper for the tour. He had been on the 1950 tour as a Leeds player and his place on the 1954 tour was in doubt after needing a cheekbone operation after the Tour Trial match but he recovered and appeared the the 2nd and 3rd Tests aginst Australia.

Partnering Dickie at half-back was Alf “Ginger” Burnell. Signed in 1943 his debut was delayed until 1946 as he served on submarines during the war. On the tour he made 17 appearances including the Third Test against New Zealand.

And making up the trio was Geoff Gunney who had not played any rep football prior to the tour. He turned out 16 times on the tour including all three tests against New Zealand. He would be back Down Under three years later as he was picked for the 1957 World Cup squad.

1966 was the next and last time Hunslet players wore the Great Britain Lions jersey when Bill Ramsey and Geoff Shelton were selected.

Both players had come through the Hunslet Junior system. Geoff had signed on in 1957 and was a regular GB and County player before the tour. He played 12 times on the tour but did not make the Test team.

Bill signed in 1959 and he had played in two 1964/65 Tests against New Zealand one against France. On the tour he played in two tests against both Australia and New Zealand. He would tour again in 1974 whilst a Bradford Northern player.