# 1908 British Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia

The 1908 British Isles tour to New Zealand and Australia was the seventh tour by a British Isles team and the fourth to New Zealand and Australia. The tour is often referred to as the Anglo-Welsh Tour as only English and Welsh players were selected due to the Irish and Scottish Rugby Unions not participating. It is retrospectively classed as one of the British Lions tours, as the Lions naming convention was not adopted until 1950.
Led by Arthur 'Boxer' Harding and managed by George Harnett the tour took in 26 matches, 9 in Australia and 17 in New Zealand. Of the 26 games, 23 were against club or invitational teams and three were test matches against the All Blacks. The Lions lost two and drew one match against the All Blacks.
The tour was not received well in Wales, as the Welsh players selected were chosen exclusively from those players from a well-educated and professional-class background. The selection was in fact addressed by the Welsh Rugby Union who stated that when a British Isles team was mooted for a South Africa tour in 1910, that the players should be chosen '...irrespective of the social position of the players.'
Regarding the Lions uniform, 1908 brought a change of format and a change of colours. With the Scottish and Irish unions declining to be involved, red jerseys with a thick white band reflected the combination of England and Wales. Shorts were dark blue with red socks.

## Touring party

* Manager: George Harnett

## Results

Complete list of matches played by the British Isles in New Zealand and Australia:
Test matches
| # | Date | Rival | City | Country | Result | Score |
| 1 | 23 May | Wairarapa | Masterton | New Zealand | Won | 17–3 |
| 2 | 27 May | Wellington | Wellington | New Zealand | Lost | 13–19 |
| 3 | 30 May | Otago | Dunedin | New Zealand | Lost | 6–9 |
| 4 | 3 June | Southland | Invercargill | New Zealand | Won | 14–8 |
| 5 | 6 June | New Zealand | Dunedin | New Zealand | Lost | 5–32 |
| 6 | 10 June | South Canterbury | Timaru | New Zealand | Won | 12–6 |
| 7 | 13 June | Canterbury | Christchurch | New Zealand | Lost | 8–13 |
| 8 | 17 June | West Coast/Buller | Greymouth | New Zealand | Won | 22–3 |
| 9 | 20 June | Nelson Bays/Marlborough | Nelson | New Zealand | Won | 12–0 |
| 10 | 27 June | New Zealand | Wellington | New Zealand | Drew | 3–3 |
| 11 | 1 July | Hawke's Bay | Napier | New Zealand | Won | 25–3 |
| 12 | 4 July | Poverty Bay | Gisborne | New Zealand | Won | 26–0 |
| 13 | 8 July | Manawatu/Horowhenua | Palmerston North | New Zealand | Won | 12–3 |
| 14 | 11 July | Wanganui | Wanganui | New Zealand | Won | 9–6 |
| 15 | 15 July | Taranaki | New Plymouth | New Zealand | Lost | 0–5 |
| 16 | 18 July | Auckland | Auckland | New Zealand | Lost | 0–11 |
| 17 | 25 July | New Zealand | Auckland | New Zealand | Lost | 0–29 |
| 18 | 5 August | NSW Waratahs | Sydney | Australia | Won | 3–0 |
| 19 | 8 August | NSW Waratahs | Sydney | Australia | Won | 8–0 |
| 20 | 12 August | Western Districts | Orange | Australia | Lost | 10–15 |
| 21 | 15 August | Metropolitan | Sydney | Australia | Won | 16–13 |
| 22 | 19 August | Newcastle | Newcastle | Australia | Won | 42–0 |
| 23 | 22 August | NSW Waratahs | Sydney | Australia | Lost | 3–6 |
| 24 | 26 August | Queensland Reds | Brisbane | Australia | Won | 20–3 |
| 25 | 29 August | Queensland Reds | Brisbane | Australia | Won | 11–8 |
| 26 | 2 September | Brisbane | Brisbane | Australia | Won | 26–3 |
Balance :
| Played in | Pl | W | D | L | Ps | Pc |
| New Zealand | 17 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 184 | 153 |
| Australia | 9 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 139 | 48 |
| Total | 26 | 16 | 1 | 9 | 323 | 201 |

## Test details
### First Test

* 6 June
| New Zealand | 32–5 | British Isles |
| Try: Cameron, Hunter, Mitchinson (2), Roberts (2), Thompson Con: Francis, Gillett (2), Roberts Pen: Roberts | Report | Try: Gibbs Con: Jackson |
* Carisbrook, Dunedin Attendance: 23,000 Referee: J Duncan (Otago, New Zealand)
Team details :
| New Zealand | British Isles |

### Second Test

* 27 June
| New Zealand | 3–3 | British Isles |
| Pen: Francis | Report | Try: Jones |
* Athletic Park, Wellington Attendance: 10,000 Referee: A. Campbell (Auckland, New Zealand)
Team details :
| New Zealand | British Isles |

### Third Test

* 25 July
| New Zealand | 29–0 | British Isles |
| Try: Deans, Francis, Gillett Glasgow, Hayward, Hunter Mitchinson Con: Colman | Report | |
* Potters Park, Auckland Attendance: 12,000 Referee: A. Campbell (Auckland, New Zealand)
Team details :
| New Zealand | British Isles |