# 1937 South Africa rugby union tour of Australia and New Zealand

The 1937 South Africa tour to Australasia was one of the most successful Springbok tours in history, so much so that the touring team was nicknamed the "Invincibles". The squad was captained by Philip Nel.
The tour started on 26 June 1937 at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney, Australia with a 9–5 win over the Wallabies. The Springboks followed up the win with an emphatic 26–17 win on 17 July at the same grounds, outscoring the Wallabies 6 tries to 3 and taking the series 2–0.
When the Springboks arrived in New Zealand later that year nobody expected them to win the series, as no other South African team had ever achieved the feat, and when the New Zealand leg of the tour kicked off on 14 August with a 13–7 loss to New Zealand at Athletic Park in Wellington, it seemed business as usual.
Mr Nel and his men had other ideas, adopting a strategy sent to them via telegram from Springbok great Paul Roos: "skrum, skrum, skrum". Their dominant pack was the impetus used to deal New Zealand two convincing defeats; a 13–6 win at Lancaster Park in Christchurch and a 17–6 win at Eden Park in Auckland, taking the series 2–1. The latter translates into a 27–6 (5 try to nil) win using today's point system. The hero of the decider was centre Louis Babrow, who scored two critical tries. Babrow nearly did not feature in the last test as he was an observant Jew and the match fell on Yom Kippur; however, he justified playing on a high holy day by saying that the sun had not yet risen in South Africa by the time of kickoff in New Zealand.
The 1937 Springbok team remains the only Springbok team ever to have won a series in New Zealand and contained legendary players such as Danie Craven and Boy Louw.

## Matches in Australia

Scores and results list South Africa's points tally first.
| Opposing Team | For | Against | Date | Venue | Status |
| Western Australia | 47 | 8 | 31 May 1937 | Perth | Tour match |
| South Australia | 55 | 3 | 5 June 1937 | Adelaide | Tour match |
| Victoria | 45 | 11 | 12 June 1937 | Melbourne | Tour match |
| Combined Western XV | 63 | 0 | 16 June 1937 | Orange | Tour match |
| New South Wales | 6 | 17 | 19 June 1937 | Sydney | Tour match |
| Australia | 9 | 5 | 26 June 1937 | Cricket Ground, Sydney | Test match |
| Newcastle | 58 | 8 | 30 June 1937 | Newcastle | Tour match |
| Australia XV | 36 | 3 | 3 July 1937 | Brisbane | Tour match |
| Toowoomba XV | 60 | 0 | 7 July 1937 | Toowoomba | Tour match |
| Queensland | 39 | 4 | 11 July 1937 | Brisbane | Tour match |
| Australia | 26 | 17 | 17 July 1937 | Cricket Ground, Sydney | Test match |

## Matches in New Zealand

Scores and results list South Africa's points tally first.
| Opposing Team | For | Against | Date | Venue | Status |
| Auckland | 19 | 5 | 25 July 1937 | Eden Park, Auckland | Tour match |
| Waikato / King Country / Thames Valley | 6 | 3 | 28 July 1937 | Rugby Park, Hamilton | Tour match |
| Taranaki | 17 | 3 | 31 July 1937 | Pukekura Park, New Plymouth | Tour match |
| Manawatu | 39 | 3 | 4 August 1937 | Showgrounds, Palmerston North | Tour match |
| Wellington | 29 | 0 | 8 August 1937 | Athletic Park, Wellington | Tour match |
| New Zealand | 7 | 13 | 14 August 1937 | Athletic Park, Wellington | Test match |
| Nelson / Golden Bay-Motueka / Marlborough | 22 | 0 | 18 August 1937 | Lansdowne Park, Blenheim | Tour match |
| Canterbury | 23 | 8 | 22 August 1937 | Lancaster Park, Christchurch | Tour match |
| West Coast-Buller | 31 | 6 | 26 August 1937 | Rugby Park, Greymouth | Tour match |
| South Canterbury | 43 | 6 | 28 August 1937 | Fraser Park, Timaru | Tour match |
| New Zealand | 13 | 6 | 4 September 1937 | Lancaster Park, Christchurch | Test match |
| Southland | 30 | 17 | 8 September 1937 | Rugby Park, Invercargill | Tour match |
| Otago | 47 | 7 | 12 September 1937 | Carisbrook, Dunedin | Tour match |
| Hawke's Bay | 21 | 12 | 15 September 1937 | McLean Park, Napier | Tour match |
| Poverty Bay / Bay of Plenty / East Coast | 33 | 3 | 20 September 1937 | Rugby Park, Gisborne | Tour match |
| New Zealand | 17 | 6 | 25 September 1937 | Eden Park, Auckland | Test match |
| North Auckland | 14 | 6 | 29 September 1937 | Okara Park, Whangārei | Tour match |