| Tour: | 1959-60 |
| Team: | Australia |
| Yearstart: | 1959 |
| Yearfinish: | 1960 |
| Destination: | England France Italy |
| Manager: | Jack Argent Ern Keffer |
| Coach: | Clive Churchill |
| Captain: | Keith Barnes |
| Top Point Scorer: | Keith Barnes 202 |
| Top Try Scorer: | Eddie Lumsden 25 |
| Top Test Point Scorer: | Keith Barnes 62 |
| Top Test Try Scorer: | Eddie Lumsden 8 |
| Matchplayed: | 37 |
| Matchwon: | 26 |
| Matchdraw: | 0 |
| Matchlost: | 11 |
| Testplayed: | 8 |
| Testwon: | 6 |
| Testdraw: | 0 |
| Testlost: | 2 |
| Played1: | 3 |
| Won1: | 1 |
| Draw1: | 0 |
| Lost1: | 2 |
| Played2: | 3 |
| Won2: | 3 |
| Draw2: | 0 |
| Lost2: | 0 |
| Played3: | 2 |
| Won3: | 2 |
| Draw3: | 0 |
| Lost3: | 0 |
| Previous: | 1956-57 |
| Next: | 1963-64 |
The 1959–60 Kangaroo tour was the tenth Kangaroo tour, in which the Australian national rugby league team traveled to Europe and played thirty-seven matches against British, French and Italian teams, including the Ashes series of three Test matches against Great Britain, two Test matches against the French and an additional two non-Test matches against an Italian representative team. It followed the tour of 1956-57 and the next was staged in 1963-64.
The team was coached by Clive Churchill. The team captain was Balmain Tigers Keith Barnes while the vice-captain was Manly-Warringah's dual rugby international forward Rex Mossop. Tour co-managers were Jack Argent and Ern Keffer.
In the five matches in which neither Barnes nor Mossop played, the Kangaroos were captained by five different players: Harry Wells (against Leigh), Brian Hambly (combined Workington and Whitehaven), Brian Clay (Bradford Northern), Brian Carlson (Swinton) and Billy Wilson (Huddersfield).
The Rugby League News published a photo and details of the touring team including the players' ages and weights.[1]
Match details - listing surnames of both teams and the point scorers - were included in E.E. Christensen's Official Rugby League Yearbook, as was a summary of the players' point-scoring.[2]
Beattie, Boden, Kelly, Muir, Parcell, Paterson and Rasmussen were selected from Queensland clubs. Chapman, Hambly, Parish and Walsh were selected from clubs in New South Wales Country areas. The balance of the squad had played for Sydney based clubs during the 1959 season.
| Player | Age | Weight | Club | Tests on Tour | Games | Tries | Goals | FG | Points | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| align=left | Keith Barnes (c) | 24 | 11 st. 10 lb. (74 kg) | align=left | 8 | 22 | 0 | 101 | 0 | align=right | 202 | |||
| align=left | 23 | 15 st. 0 lb. (95 kg) | align=left | Ipswich Railways | 4 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | align=right | 0 | |||
| align=left | , | 21 | 12 st. 6 lb. (79 kg) | align=left | Toowoomba Valleys | 0 | 14 | 5 | 0 | 0 | align=right | 15 | ||
| align=left | 23 | 12 st. 0 lb. (76 kg) | align=left | 2 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 0 | align=right | 12 | ||||
| align=left | 23 | 11 st. 10 lb. (74 kg) | align=left | 0 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | align=right | 12 | ||||
| align=left | Peter Burke | 25 | 11 st. 2 lb. (71 kg) | align=left | 1 | 13 | 9 | 0 | 0 | align=right | 27 | |||
| align=left | Utility Back | 26 | 13 st. 0 lb. (83 kg) | align=left | 4 | 23 | 19 | 49 | 0 | align=right | 155 | |||
| align=left | 21 | 11 st. 6 lb. (73 kg) | align=left | Kempsey | 1 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 0 | align=right | 9 | |||
| align=left | , | 25 | 13 st. 3 lb. (84 kg) | align=left | 6 | 20 | 4 | 1 | 0 | align=right | 14 | |||
| align=left | 23 | 15 st. 0 lb. (95 kg) | align=left | 2 | 19 | 5 | 0 | 0 | align=right | 15 | ||||
| align=left | 20 | 12 st. 5 lb. (78 kg) | align=left | 6 | 19 | 20 | 0 | 0 | align=right | 60 | ||||
| align=left | , | 22 | 14 st. 6 lb. (92 kg) | align=left | Wagga Magpies | 8 | 21 | 9 | 1 | 0 | align=right | 29 | ||
| align=left | 19 | 11 st. 12 lb. (75 kg) | align=left | 3 | 21 | 17 | 0 | 0 | align=right | 51 | ||||
| align=left | , | 23 | 13 st. 9 lb. (87 kg) | align=left | Ipswich Brothers | 1 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 0 | align=right | 8 | ||
| align=left | 22 | 13 st. 2 lb. (83 kg) | align=left | 8 | 27 | 25 | 0 | 0 | align=right | 75 | ||||
| align=left | Rex Mossop (vc) | , | 30 | 14 st. 5 lb. (91 kg) | align=left | 5 | 26 | 2 | 0 | 0 | align=right | 6 | ||
| align=left | 21 | 10 st. 11 lb. (68 kg) | align=left | 7 | 21 | 1 | 0 | 0 | align=right | 3 | ||||
| align=left | 26 | 14 st. 6 lb. (92 kg) | align=left | Ipswich Brothers | 5 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 0 | align=right | 6 | |||
| align=left | 21 | 11 st. 7 lb. (73 kg) | align=left | Dubbo Macquarie | 0 | 12 | 7 | 16 | 0 | align=right | 53 | |||
| align=left | , | 23 | 14 st. 6 lb. (92 kg) | align=left | Townsville Souths | 3 | 22 | 4 | 0 | 0 | align=right | 12 | ||
| align=left | , | 20 | 13 st. 2 lb. (83 kg) | align=left | 4 | 17 | 14 | 0 | 0 | align=right | 42 | |||
| align=left | , | 22 | 15 st. 5 lb. (98 kg) | align=left | Toowoomba All Whites | 3 | 20 | 4 | 1 | 0 | align=right | 14 | ||
| align=left | 20 | 12 st. 0 lb. (76 kg) | align=left | 2 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 0 | align=right | 6 | ||||
| align=left | 25 | 13 st. 4 lb. (84 kg) | align=left | Eugowra | 8 | 23 | 3 | 1 | 0 | align=right | 11 | |||
| align=left | 27 | 14 st. 6 lb. (92 kg) | align=left | 7 | 22 | 11 | 0 | 0 | align=right | 33 | ||||
| align=left | 30 | 14 st. 1 lb. (89 kg) | align=left | 6 | 19 | 2 | 0 | 0 | align=right | 6 |
The largest non-test attendance of the tour was 29,156 when the Kangaroos defeated St. Helens at Knowsley Road.
The three Ashes series tests took place at the following venues.
| Swinton | Leeds | Wigan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Station Road | Central Park | ||
| Capacity: 40,000 | Capacity: 30,000 | Capacity: 40,000 | |
----------------------------------------
The Ashes series against Great Britain saw an aggregate crowd of 91,604 attending the Test series. The largest attendance of the tour came during the Kangaroos 22-14 first test win over Great Britain at Station Road in Swinton with 35,224 in attendance.
The first Ashes series test was played at Station Road, Swinton and drew the tours largest attendance of 35,224. Australia won the first test 22-14 with Reg Gasnier playing in his first ever test match against Great Britain named as the man of the match with 3 tries.
| Australia | Position | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Eric Fraser | FB | 1. Keith Barnes (c) | |
| 2. Billy Boston | WG | 10. Johnny Riley | |
| 3. Eric Ashton (c) | CE | 8. Harry Wells | |
| 4. Alan Davies | CE | 7. Reg Gasnier | |
| 5. Mick Sullivan | WG | 3.Eddie Lumsden | |
| 6. Dave Bolton | SO | 16. Brian Clay | |
| 7. Alex Murphy | SH | 12. Barry Muir | |
| 8. Abe Terry | PR | 21. Billy Wilson | |
| 9. Tommy Harris | HK | 26. Ian Walsh | |
| 10. Brian McTigue | PR | 24. Dud Beattie | |
| 12. Mick Martyn | SR | 22. Gary Parcell | |
| 11. Dick Huddart | SR | 18. Rex Mossop | |
| 13. Derek Turner | LF | 19. Brian Hambly | |
| Jim Challinor | Coach | Clive Churchill |
5 days prior to the match against Bradford Northern, the Kangaroos played the first test against France.----------------
The Kangaroos went within one penalty goal of becoming the first All-Australian team to win The Ashes on British soil and the first touring side to win The Ashes since 1911-12. However, the Lions survived and the series would go on to a deciding 3rd test.
| Great Britain | Position | Australia | |
|---|---|---|---|
| FB |
| ||
| 2. Ike Southward | WG | 4. Eddie Lumsden | |
| 3. Eric Ashton | CE | 8. Harry Wells | |
| 4. Neil Fox | CE | 7. Reg Gasnier | |
| 5. Mick Sullivan | WG | 3. Brian Carlson | |
| 6. Dave Bolton | SO | 16. Brian Clay | |
| 7. Jeff Stevenson (c) | SH | 12. Barry Muir | |
| 10. Don Robinson | PR | 22. Gary Parcell | |
| 9. Tommy Harris | HK | 26. Ian Walsh | |
| 8. Abe Terry | PR | 21. Billy Wilson | |
| 12. Don Vines | SR | 17. Elton Rasmussen | |
| 11. Brian McTigue | SR | 18. Rex Mossop | |
| 13. Johnny Whiteley | LF | 19. Brian Hambly | |
| Jim Challinor | Coach | Clive Churchill |
This would be the final time that Great Britain (or England) would win the Ashes on home soil (as of 2017).
The first two games of the French leg of the tour were actually played while The Kangaroos were still completing the British leg.
Australia won the first test against the French at the Parc des Princes in Paris. Kangaroos winger Eddie Lumsden crossed for 3 tries while legendary winger Ken Irvine made the first of 33 test appearances for Australia.
| France | Position | Australia | |
|---|---|---|---|
| André Lacaze | FB | Keith Barnes (c) | |
| Maurice Voron | WG | Eddie Lumsden | |
| Jacques Merquey (c) | CE | Harry Wells | |
| Antoine Jimenez | CE | Reg Gasnier | |
| André Savonne | WG | Ken Irvine | |
| Gilbert Benausse | SO | Tony Brown | |
| Georges Fages | SH | Barry Muir | |
| Jean Panno | PR | Gary Parcell | |
| Antranick Appelian | HK | Ian Walsh | |
| Aldo Quaglio | PR | Dud Beattie | |
| Robert Eramouspé | SR | Jim Paterson | |
| Jean Aubert | SR | Rex Mossop | |
| Serge Tonus | LF | Brian Hambly | |
| Coach | Clive Churchill |
----
The game against the French Army XIII was played 4 days before the third Ashes test against Great Britain----
| France | Position | Australia | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Mantoulan | FB | Keith Barnes (c) | |
| Maurice Voron | WG | Brian Carlson | |
| Jean Foussat | CE | Harry Wells | |
| Antoine Jimenez (c) | CE | Reg Gasnier | |
| André Savonne | WG | Eddie Lumsden | |
| Robert Moulinas | SO | Johnny Raper | |
| Rene Jean | SH | Barry Muir | |
| Honoré Conti | PR | Billy Wilson | |
| André Casas | HK | Ian Walsh | |
| Marcel Bescos | PR | Dud Beattie | |
| Robert Eramouspé | SR | Gary Parcell | |
| Jean Barthe | SR | Brian Hambly | |
| Serge Tonus | LF | Brian Clay | |
| Coach | Clive Churchill |
| France | Position | Australia | |
|---|---|---|---|
| André Lacaze | FB | Keith Barnes (c) | |
| Raymond Gruppi | WG | Eddie Lumsden | |
| Jean Foussat | CE | Harry Wells | |
| Gérard Bélivaud | CE | Reg Gasnier | |
| André Savonne | WG | Brian Carlson | |
| Claude Mantoulan | SO | Johnny Raper | |
| Bernard Fabre | SH | Barry Muir | |
| Honoré Conti | PR | Billy Wilson | |
| André Casas | HK | Ian Walsh | |
| Marcel Bescos | PR | Elton Rasmussen | |
| Pierre Laurent | SR | Jim Paterson | |
| Serge Tonus | SR | Brian Hambly | |
| Georges Fages | LF | Brian Clay | |
| Coach | Clive Churchill |
To finish the tour, the Kangaroos played two games against an Italian representative team.
----Ken Irvine crossed for 6 tries in this game.----