1955–56 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain and France
The 1955–1956 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain and France was a tour by the New Zealand national rugby league team. New Zealand lost both test series 1-2.
Squad
The team was coached by Harold Tetley and included; Roy Moore, captain Tommy Baxter, Bruce Robertson, Bill Sorensen, Vern Bakalich, Pat Creedy, vice-captain Bill McLennan, Trevor Kilkelly, Henry Maxwell, Ian Grey, Alister Atkinson, George McDonald, Dick Haggie, Bob Hawes, Ron McKay, Keith Roberts, Les McNicol, Lory Blanchard, John Bond, Jock Butterfield, Sel Belsham, Rex Percy, Jim Riddell and George Menzies. Cliff Johnson was originally selected but withdrew and was replaced by Maxwell.
Vern Bakalich scored a then record twenty six tries while on tour.[1]
Fixtures
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Score | Attendance | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 October 1955 | Great Britain | Station Road, Swinton | Loss | 6-25 | 21,937 | [2] |
| 12 November 1955 | Great Britain | Odsal Stadium, Bradford | Loss | 12-27 | 24,443 | [3] |
| 17 December 1955 | Great Britain | Headingley Stadium, Leeds | Win | 28-13 | 10,438 | [4] |
| 8 January 1956 | France | Stadium Municipal, Toulouse | Loss | 7-24 | 10,184 | [5] |
| 15 January 1956 | France | Stade de Gerland, Lyon | Win | 22-13 | 7,051 | [6] |
| 31 January 1956 | France | Parc des Princes, Paris | Loss | 24-3 | 7,051 | [7] |
The Kiwis were so ravaged by injuries that they only had twelve fully fit players available for the final Test against France.[1]
References
- 1 2 Coffey, John and Bernie Wood Auckland, 100 years of rugby league, 1909-2009, 2009. ISBN 978-1-86969-366-4.
- ↑ Great Britain 25 def. New Zealand 6 rugbyleagueproject.org
- ↑ Great Britain 27 def. New Zealand 12 rugbyleagueproject.org
- ↑ Great Britain 13 lost to New Zealand 28 rugbyleagueproject.org
- ↑ France 24 def. New Zealand 7 rugbyleagueproject.org
- ↑ France 22 lost to New Zealand 31 rugbyleagueproject.org
- ↑ France 24 def. New Zealand 3 rugbyleagueproject.org