1937–38 Kangaroo tour explained

Tour:	1937-38
Team:	Australia
Yearstart:	1937
Yearfinish:	1938
Destination:	New Zealand England France
Manager:	Harry Sunderland Robert Savage
Top Point Scorer:	Jack Beaton 116
Top Try Scorer:	Wally Prigg 13 Jack Reardon 13
Top Test Point Scorer:	Jack Beaton 21
Top Test Try Scorer:	Len Dawson 3 Doug McLean Jr. 3 Andy Norval 3
Matchplayed:	38
Matchwon:	23
Matchdraw:	1
Matchlost:	14
Testplayed:	7
Testwon:	4
Testdraw:	0
Testlost:	3
Played1:	2
Won1:	1
Draw1:	0
Lost1:	1
Played2:	3
Won2:	1
Draw2:	0
Lost2:	2
Played3:	2
Won3:	2
Draw3:	0
Lost3:	0
Previous:	1933-34
Next:	1948-49

The 1937–38 Kangaroo tour was the sixth Kangaroo tour, in which the Australian national rugby league team travelled to New Zealand, Great Britain and France and played thirty-eight matches, including the Ashes series of three Test matches against Great Britain, and two Test matches each against the Kiwis and French. It followed the tour of 1933-34. Following a cessation of overseas international tours due to World War II, the next tour was staged in 1948-49.

The squad's leadership

The team was selected with Wally Prigg as captain and Jack Reardon as vice-captain. Tour co-managers were Harry Sunderland and Robert Savage.

Touring squad

The Rugby League News published headshots of the touring party, including the managers, in successive issues: July 3, July 10, and July 17. The names, weight and height of the players was also published.^[1] Collins, Gilbert, Heidke, McLean, Reardon, Robison, and Whittle were selected from Queensland clubs. Dawson, Gibbs, Hazelton, Prigg and Bert Williams were selected from clubs in New South Wales Country areas. The balance of the squad had played for Sydney-based clubs during the 1937 season.

Notes:

Tallies in the table below are compiled from match reports that appeared in Australian newspapers. Most articles were provided by the Australian Associated Press and were amended by local editors. Claude Corbett was present for the England leg of the tour, reporting for The Sun, Sydney and the Telegraph, Brisbane. Tour Manager Harry Sunderland provided articles for The Courier-Mail, Brisbane.
For nearly all matches, one or more newspapers listed the Australian team with the match report. An exception is the match against Catalans. The point-scorers in the Catalans match include two players who were not named in the team prior to the match. Consequently, 15 players are included in the tallies for the Catalans match.
Under the rules of the time, teams were limited to 13 players, with no ability to replace injured players.
Following a broken leg injury to Joe Pearce, sustained during the Second Test match in New Zealand, Herb Narvo was added to the squad. Narvo travelled to England separately from the touring party. Joe Pearce was permitted to continue with the group, and he travelled with the team to England and France.

Player	Age	Weight	Club	Tests on Tour	Games	Tries	Goals	FG	Points
align=left	,	24	12.7 (79)	align=left		7	27	6	49	align=right	116
align=left	,	26	13.3 (84)	align=left		0	7	8	0	align=right	24
align=left		27	14.12 (94)	align=left		4	17	4	0	align=right	12
align=left		22	11.12 (75)	align=left	Newcastle Eastern Suburbs	5	24	11	0	align=right	33
align=left		28	11.3 (71)	align=left		0	14	1	1	align=right	5
align=left	,	28	14.0 (89)	align=left		4	17	2	0	align=right	6
align=left		26	11.7 (73)	align=left	Toowoomba Valleys	3	16	5	4	align=right	23
align=left		26	14.6 (92)	align=left		0	11	2	0	align=right	6
align=left		19	12.6 (79)	align=left		1	14	9	0	align=right	27
align=left		29	15.0 (95)	align=left	Ipswich Rialto	4	22	1	0	align=right	3
align=left		28	13.4 (84)	align=left		7	19	3	0	align=right	9
align=left		23	13.8 (86)	align=left		6	29	10	10	align=right	50
align=left		25	12.2 (77)	align=left	Ipswich Starlights	2	8	3	0	align=right	9
align=left		23	13.9 (87)	align=left		0	16	1	0	align=right	3
align=left		25	. (0)	align=left		4	22	10	0	align=right	30
align=left	,	24	12.7 (79)	align=left		2	9	1	0	align=right	3
align=left		25	11.3 (71)	align=left		4	24	5	0	align=right	15
align=left		25	13.3 (84)	align=left		3	16	9	0	align=right	27
align=left		26	15.7 (98)	align=left		2	2	0	0	align=right	0
align=left		25	13.10 (87)	align=left		5	18	7	0	align=right	21
align=left		29	13.5 (85)	align=left		7	29	13	0	align=right	39
align=left	,	22	12.4 (78)	align=left		4	26	13	2	align=right	43
align=left		25	12.0 (76)	align=left	Toowoomba Newtown	0	13	2	0	align=right	6
align=left	,	25	14.4 (91)	align=left		3	18	3	0	align=right	9
align=left	,	21	10.8 (67)	align=left		0	8	1	2	align=right	7
align=left		26	12.7 (79)	align=left		7	27	2	0	align=right	6
align=left		25	10.6 (66)	align=left	Toowoomba Newtown	0	12	1	0	align=right	3
align=left	,	23	13.2 (83)	align=left	Bombala	3	15	5	0	align=right	15
align=left		27	9.12 (63)	align=left		4	16	2	18	align=right	42

Nez Zealand leg

1st Test

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2nd Test

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England leg

Matches scheduled in December 1937 against Castleford, Cumberland, Hull Kingston Rovers and Hunslet were abandoned or cancelled due to snow or fog.--------------------------------

1st Test

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2nd Test

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3rd Test

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France leg

Four years previously, the Kangaroos had travelled to France to play an international against England, in Paris, on New Year's Eve, 1933. On this tour, Australia played rugby league matches against French teams for the first time. France had played their first international against England in April 1934. Matches involving France against England and Wales had followed in the 1934–35, 1935–36 and 1936–37 European Championships. The 1st Test against Australia was France's 8th Test Match.

1st Test

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2nd Test

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External links

1937-38 Kangaroo Tour at Rugby League Project

Notes and References

New South Wales Rugby Football League. . The Rugby League News. Sydney . N.S.W. Rugby Football League . Trove . The Kangaroos . 31 July 1937 . 18. 18 . nla.obj-654450617 . 10 Feb 2022 . 2 March 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220302214211/https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-650471503/details/ack . live .