1970 Great Britain Lions tour
# 1970 Great Britain Lions tour

The 1970 Great Britain Lions tour was the Great Britain national rugby league team's 14th tour of Australasia and took place from May to August 1970. A total of 24 matches were played against local club and representative sides during the tour, including a three match Test match series against Australia and New Zealand respectively.

The tour was one of the most successful in Lions history, with the team winning all but two of the matches. It is also remembered for being the last time that Great Britain won an Ashes series against Australia.

## Touring squad

On 4 March 1970, an initial 21 players were selected for the tour, with the remaining players to be named later in the month. On 25 March, seven additional players were chosen to complete the 26-man squad, with Frank Myler named as captain (two of the originally selected players withdrew from the squad – John Mantle withdrew for "domestic reasons", while Jim Mills intended to emigrate to Australia to play for North Sydney).

After the squad was selected, John Stephens withdrew from the tour due to injury, and was replaced by Dennis Hartley. The tour manager was Jack Harding, with Johnny Whiteley as assistant manager and coach.

## Results

### Australia

* 22 May 1970

| Northern Territory | 12 – 35 | Great Britain |
| - | - | - |

* Darwin
* 24 May 1970

| North Queensland | 20 – 23 | Great Britain |
| - | - | - |

* Townsville
* 26 May 1970

| Central Queensland | 2 – 30 | Great Britain |
| - | - | - |

* Rockhampton
* 28 May 1970

| Wide Bay | 7 – 45 | Great Britain |
| - | - | - |

* Wondai
* 30 May 1970

| Queensland | 7 – 32 | Great Britain |
| - | - | - |

* Brisbane

**First Test**

* 6 June 1970

| Australia | 37 – 15 | Great Britain |
| - | - | - |
| Tries: King (2), Morgan (2), McDonald Goals: Langlands (9) Drop goals: Hawthorne (2) | | Tries: Flanagan, Laughton, Watson Goals: Price (3) |

* Lang Park, Brisbane Attendance: 42,807 Referee: Don Lancashire
* 7 June 1970

| Toowoomba | 13 – 37 | Great Britain |
| - | - | - |

* Toowoomba
* 10 June 1970

| Brisbane | 7 – 28 | Great Britain |
| - | - | - |

* Brisbane
* 13 June 1970

| New South Wales | 17 – 17 | Great Britain |
| - | - | - |

* Sydney
* 14 June 1970

| Monaro | 11 – 34 | Great Britain |
| - | - | - |

* Queanbeyan

**Second Test**

* 20 June 1970

| Australia | 7 – 28 | Great Britain |
| - | - | - |
| Tries: King Goals: McDonald Drop goals: Hawthorne | | Tries: Millward (2), Atkinson, Fisher Goals: Millward (6) Drop goals: Hynes, Millward |

* Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney Attendance: 60,962 Referee: Don Lancashire
* 21 June 1970

| Western Australia | 11 – 40 | Great Britain |
| - | - | - |

* Bathurst
* 23 June 1970

| Sydney Colts | 7 – 26 | Great Britain |
| - | - | - |

* Cronulla
* 27 June 1970

| Newcastle | 16 – 49 | Great Britain |
| - | - | - |

* Newcastle
* 28 June 1970

| Riverina | 11 – 12 | Great Britain |
| - | - | - |

* Wagga Wagga

**Third Test**

* 4 July 1970

| Australia | 17 – 21 | Great Britain |
| - | - | - |
| Tries: McCarthy Goals: McKean (7) | | Tries: Atkinson (2), Hartley, Hynes, Millward Goals: Millward (3) |

* Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney Attendance: 61,258 Referee: Don Lancashire
* 5 July 1970

| Southern NSW | 11 – 24 | Great Britain |
| - | - | - |

* Wollongong

### New Zealand

* 8 July 1970

| Northern XIII | 17 – 42 | Great Britain |
| - | - | - |

* Tokoroa

**First Test**

* 11 July 1970

| New Zealand | 15 – 19 | Great Britain |
| - | - | - |
| Tries: Orchard Goals: Ladner (6) | | Tries: Laughton (2), Atkinson, Hynes, Millward Goals: Hynes (2) |

* Carlaw Park, Auckland Attendance: 15,948 Referee: John Percival
* 14 July 1970

| Wellington XIII | 8 – 60 | Great Britain |
| - | - | - |

* Wellington

**Second Test**

* 19 July 1970

| New Zealand | 9 – 23 | Great Britain |
| - | - | - |
| Tries: Christian Goals: Ladner (3) | | Tries: Millward (2), Laughton, Myler, Reilly Goals: Dutton (4) |

* Addington Showgrounds, Christchurch Attendance: 8,600 Referee: John Percival
* 21 July 1970

| West Coast | 2 – 57 | Great Britain |
| - | - | - |

* Greymouth

**Third Test**

* 25 July 1970

| New Zealand | 16 – 33 | Great Britain |
| - | - | - |
| Tries: Bailey, Orchard Goals: Ladner (5) | | Tries: Lowe (2), Hepworth, Hesketh, Hynes, Smith, Watson Goals: Dutton (5), Millward |

* Carlaw Park, Auckland Attendance: 13,137 Referee: John Percival
* 27 July 1970

| Auckland | 8 – 23 | Great Britain |
| - | - | - |

* Auckland

## Aftermath

The tour was one of the most successful in Lions history, with the team winning 22 out of their 24 matches – their only defeat was the first Test against Australia, with the draw against New South Wales being the only other game they failed to win. The tour made a profit of approximately £60,000.

