4th June….
Following the visits of New Zealand and Australia in the last two or three seasons in 1910 it was the turn of the Northern Union to do the travelling for the first time and today was the first match of the tour in Sydney against New South Wales. Hunslet were well represented with Freddie Farrar on the wing, Fred Smith at half-back and Billy Jukes in the pack. Unfortunately the tourists lost the game 14-28.
The Lions were back in Australia in 1966 but this time were in Cairns, Queensland to play Far North Queensland with Bill Ramsey in the forwards. An easy afternoon for the tourists as they came out on top 48-7 despite an 8-18 penalty count against them. There were two changes to the team when Wigan hooker Colin Clarke and St. Helens’ Cliff Watson withdrew with sunburnt shoulders! Ramsey was mentioned in the papers as a fine forward and former Hunslet player Harry Poole was Man of the Match.
5th June….
The following day it was the turn of North Queensland to face the tourists in Brisbane. Ramsey was rested and Geoff Shelton came in at centre. In what must have been the most bizarre sending off ever Widnes’s Frank Myler was dismissed for playing in stockinged feet!. Unsurprisingly he needed treatment after the match for blistered feet! The tourists lost 15-17.
Current winger MacKenzie Turner made his debut at Doncaster today in 2022.
6th June….
1910’s first Lions tour had it’s second match today, another encounter with New South Wales in which Billy Jukes, Fred Smith and Billy Batten featured. Unfortunately it was also a second defeat, 20-27. Jukes scored a try.
The next tour in1914 included Hunslet’s Walter Guerin and he was a goal scorer in the match against Metropolis in Sydney. Jack Smales also played in a heavy 10-38.
After the 1914 tour Down Under it would be 18 years before Hunslet provided a tourist, Les White, the Welsh hooker getting the honour. He played today in the first test against Australia today The gates were locked well before kick off and a couple of tries gave GB a half-time lead 8-6 and it was the same score at full-time.
Four years later it was Harry Beverley up against New South Wales and another defeat 14-18 despite NSW losing a forward to injury at the start of the second half.
In 2010 Leigh Centurions visited South Leeds Stadium in the Northern Rail Cup quarter final and returned home with a 42-6 win.
