# 1921 South Africa rugby union tour of Australia and New Zealand

The 1921 South Africa rugby union tour of Australia and New Zealand was the third tour made by the Springboks rugby team, and their first tour to Australia and New Zealand. South Africa played three Test matches against the All Blacks. The series was drawn 1–all, and the long-running controversy between the countries over the All Blacks' inclusion of Maori players began.
The Springboks played five matches in Australia, winning them all. The three most important matches against New South Wales, were retroactively accorded Test status by the Australian Rugby Union in 1986, but remain as tour matches only for the South African Rugby Board.
South Africa then played nineteen matches in New Zealand, winning fifteen, losing two and drawing two.

## Match summary

Complete list of matches played by the Springboks in Australia and New Zealand
Test matches
| # | Date | Rival | City | Venue | Country | Score |
| 1 | 18 Jun | Victoria XV | Melbourne | | Australia | 51–0 |
| 2 | 25 Jun | New South Wales | Sydney | Showground | Australia | 25–10 |
| 3 | 27 Jun | New South Wales | Sydney | Showground | Australia | 16–11 |
| 4 | 2 Jul | New South Wales | Sydney | University Oval | Australia | 28–9 |
| 5 | 6 Jul | Metropolitan | Sydney | | Australia | 14–8 |
| 6 | 13 Jul | Wanganui | Wanganui | Cooks Gardens | New Zealand | 11–6 |
| 7 | 16 Jul | Taranaki | Taranaki | Pukekura Park | New Zealand | 0–0 |
| 8 | 20 Jul | Wairarapa | Masterton | Memorial Park | New Zealand | 18–3 |
| 9 | 23 Jul | Wellington | Wellington | Athletic Park | New Zealand | 8–3 |
| 10 | 27 Jul | West Coast-Buller | Greymouth | Rugby Park | New Zealand | 33–3 |
| 11 | 30 Jul | Canterbury | Christchurch | Lancaster Park | New Zealand | 4–6 |
| 12 | 3 Aug | South Canterbury | Timaru | Fraser Park | New Zealand | 34–3 |
| 13 | 6 Aug | Southland | Invercargill | Rugby Park | New Zealand | 12–0 |
| 14 | 10 Aug | Otago | Dunedin | Carisbrook | New Zealand | 11-3 |
| 15 | 13 Aug | New Zealand | Dunedin | Carisbrook | New Zealand | 5–13 |
| 16 | 17 Aug | Manawatu / Horowhenua | Palmerston North | Palmerston North Showgrounds | New Zealand | 3–0 |
| 17 | 20 Aug | Auckland / North Auckland | Auckland | Eden Park | New Zealand | 24–8 |
| 18 | 24 Aug | Bay of Plenty | Rotorua | Arawa Park | New Zealand | 17–9 |
| 19 | 27 Aug | New Zealand | Auckland | Eden Park | New Zealand | 9–5 |
| 20 | 30 Aug | Waikato | Hamilton | Claudelands Racecourse | New Zealand | 6–0 |
| 21 | 3 Sep | Hawke's Bay / Poverty Bay | Napier | McLean Park | New Zealand | 14–8 |
| 22 | 7 Sep | New Zealand Māori | Napier | McLean Park | New Zealand | 9–8 |
| 23 | 10 Sep | Nelson / Golden Bay-Motueka / Marlborough | Nelson | Trafalgar Park | New Zealand | 26–3 |
| 24 | 17 Sep | New Zealand | Wellington | Athletic Park | New Zealand | 0–0 |

### Notes

* 1 2 3 4 The three matches played by New South Wales were retroactively accorded Test status by the Australian Rugby Union in 1986, but remain as tour matches only for the SARU.
Balance :
| Played in | Pl | W | D | L | Ps | Pc |
| Australia | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 134 | 38 |
| New Zealand | 19 | 15 | 2 | 2 | 244 | 81 |
| Total | 24 | 20 | 2 | 2 | 378 | 119 |

## Match details
### First Test

* 13 August 1921
| New Zealand | 13–5 | South Africa |
| Try: Belliss Steel Storey Con: M. Nicholls (2) | Report | Try: van Heerden Con: G. Morkel |
* Carisbrook, Dunedin Attendance: 25,000 Referee: Edward McKenzie
| New Zealand | South Africa |
| FB | Charles Kingstone |
| W | Jack Steel |
| C | George Aitken (c) |
| C | Mark Nicholls |
| W | Percy Storey |
| FH | Ces Badeley |
| SH | Harry Nicholls |
| WF | Jim Donald |
| P | Ned Hughes |
| P | Bill Duncan |
| F | Richard Fogarty |
| L | Jim Moffitt |
| L | Jock Richardson |
| F | Moke Belliss |
| L | Andrew White |
| FB | Gerhard Morkel |
| W | Attie van Heerden |
| C | Charlie Meyer |
| C | Wally Clarkson |
| W | Henry Morkel |
| FH | Mannetjies Michau |
| SH | Taffy Townsend |
| P | Frank Mellish |
| H | Theuns Kruger |
| P | Phil Mostert |
| L | Baby Michau |
| L | Harry Morkel |
| F | Alf Walker |
| F | Tokkie Scholtz |
| N8 | Boy Morkel (c) |

### Second Test

* 27 August 1921
| New Zealand | 5–9 | South Africa |
| Try: McLean Con: M. Nicholls | Report | Try: Sendin Con: G. Morkel Drop: G. Morkel |
* Eden Park, Auckland Attendance: 40,000 Referee: Alf Neilson
| New Zealand | South Africa |
| FB | Charles Kingstone |
| W | John Steel |
| C | George Aitken (c) |
| C | Mark Nicholls |
| W | Percival Storey |
| FH | Cecil Badeley |
| SH | Edward Roberts |
| WF | Jim Donald |
| P | Ned Hughes |
| P | Bill Duncan |
| F | Les McLean |
| L | Jim Moffitt |
| L | Jock Richardson |
| F | Moke Belliss |
| L | Alfred West |
| FB | Gerhard Morkel |
| W | Henry Morkel |
| C | Billy Sendin |
| C | Wally Clarkson |
| W | Bill Zeller |
| FH | Charlie Meyer |
| SH | Mannetjies Michau |
| P | Nic du Plessis |
| H | Theuns Kruger |
| P | Phil Mostert |
| L | Tank van Rooyen |
| L | Royal Morkel |
| F | Mervyn Ellis |
| F | Tokkie Scholtz |
| N8 | Boy Morkel (c) |

### Third Test

* 17 September 1921
| New Zealand | 0–0 | South Africa |
| | Report | |
* Athletic Park, Wellington Attendance: 35,000 Referee: Alf Neilson
| New Zealand | South Africa |
| FB | Charles Kingstone |
| W | John Steel |
| C | Mark Nicholls |
| C | Karl Ifwersen |
| W | Keith Siddells |
| FH | Billy Fea |
| SH | Edward Roberts (c) |
| WF | Moke Belliss |
| P | Richard Fogarty |
| P | Bill Duncan |
| F | Les McLean |
| L | Jim Moffitt |
| L | Jock Richardson |
| F | Charles Fletcher |
| L | Alfred West |
| FB | Gerhard Morkel |
| W | Attie van Heerden |
| C | Charlie Meyer |
| C | Sarel Strauss |
| W | Bill Zeller |
| FH | Sas de Kock |
| SH | Mannetjies Michau |
| P | Frank Mellish |
| H | Phil Mostert |
| P | Nic du Plessis |
| L | Tank van Rooyen |
| L | Royal Morkel |
| F | Mervyn Ellis |
| F | Alf Walker |
| N8 | Boy Morkel (c) |