The British Lions | British Lions Tours | History | The Future
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The History of the British Lions

The British Lions have a long history that is steeped in tradition and success, dating back to 1888, when a 21-man squad visited Australia and New Zealand, drawing on players from England, Scotland and Wales. The tour was 35 matches, playing provincial, city and academic teams, winning 27 times.

This tour established the concept of Northern Hemisphere teams playing in Southern Hemisphere locations. Three years later, in 1891, the team toured South Africa, which was sanctioned by the Rugby Football Union. During that tournament, the team presented the Currie Cup to Griqualand West, which they felt was the province that had the best performance during the tour.

During the entire tour, rugby tickets were very hot commodities, and people were snapping them as quick as they would come.

For the next several decades, the British Lions continued to travel to Australia and South Africa to play rugby against the host nations, provinces and cities. In 1910, the first tour involving Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England players under the British Lions banner began, with the team touring Argentina. By 1924, they began to be called the British Lions. In the next six years, the team played in two tours, in Argentina and New Zealand. In 1936, they toured Argentina again, only giving up nine points and winning all nine games.

The 1950s began for the team with new jerseys and a new style of play that saw them win 22 of 29 matches in New Zealand and Australia. They toured South Africa in 1955, winning 19 of 25 of the matches. In 1959, they toured New Zealand, winning 29 of 35 matches.

Many considered the 1950s to be the greatest decade for the British Lions, with them winning 70 of their 89 matches.

The 1960s, while successful, were not as glamorous as the 1950s, with the team touring Australia, South Africa and New Zealand. However it was during this decade that John Robins became the first coach of the British Lions. As well, the team played their first test in Canada, winning 19 to 8 in Toronto.

The 1970s saw the team become one of the best in the world, and the decade is widely considered to be on par with the 1950s for success. The team toured Queensland in 1971, winning 11 games in a row, losing only one match in the entire tour. The 1974 tour of South Africa is considered the most successful in the team’s history, with them winning 22 games in a row. The tour was dominated by violence on the field, with the Battle of Boet Erasmus Stadium being considered one of the most violent in the history of rugby. In 1977, the team toured New Zealand and only lost one out of 21 games.

From 1980 to 2005, the company toured South Africa, New Zealand and Australia. However, the tours did not match the overwhelming success of previous years. Although, rugby tickets are still bought on a regular basis for the tours, with the team still proving highly popular and successful.