History of rugby union matches between the British and Irish Lions and other countries

One of the most famous matches in Canadian rugby history became known as the "victory for the ages"; it was British Columbia's defeat of the 1966 British Lions[1][2]

Teams
FB 15 Don Burgess RW 14 Brian McKee OC 13 Tom Brown IC 12 Tim Cummings LW 11 Jim Ryan FH 10 Ted Hunt (c) SH 9 Ross McDonald LP 1 Bill Taylor HK 2 Garry Fumano TP 3 Peter Grantham LL 4 Dave Milne RL 5 Dick Layzell OF 6 Chuck Pentland BF 7 Mike Chambers N8 8 Al Bianco		FB 15 Stewart Wilson RW 14 Sandy Hinshelwood OC 13 Colin McFadyean IC 12 Barrie Bresnihan LW 11 Dewi Bebb FH 10 Dai Watkins SH 9 Roger Young LP 1 Denzil Williams HK 2 Frank Laidlaw TP 3 Ray McLoughlin LL 4 Mike Campbell-Lamerton (c) RL 5 Brian Price BF 6 Howard Norris OF 7 Gary Prothero N8 8 Willie John McBride

see:
1959 British Lions tour to Australia and New Zealand
1966 British Lions tour to Australia and New Zealand

On the return journey to the UK, the Lions stopped off in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) to play the final tour match of the 1930 British Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia and the 1950 British Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia. The games were played on 1 October 1930 and 18 September 1950, both at the Racecourse in Colombo. The 1930 game was won 45–0. The 1950 local team was composed of executive staff from British companies, British armed forces and three local players: Summa Navaratnam, Leslie Ephraims and Clair Roeloffsz.[3] The Lions won 44–6. This was to be the last Lions match played by the great Irish outside-half, Jack Kyle.[4]
see:
1930 British Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia
1950 British Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia

When the British Lions went to South Africa for their 1955[5] and 1962 tours, they played East Africa in Nairobi on the return legs of their journeys. The Lions won both of these games, 39–12[6] and 50–0 [7] respectively. The 1955 game was East Africa's first international and also saw the official opening of the team's home stadium, the RFUEA Ground,[8] then called the Ngong Road Ground.[9]
see:
1955 British Lions tour to South Africa
1962 British Lions tour to South Africa

On 16 August 1977, Fiji played their 88th test match and first against the British Lions. An examination of Fiji's results in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s demonstrates that they were far more proficient at the 15-man game than they are today. A hard fought game saw the lead change four times with no side getting more than seven points ahead at any time. Fiji scored five tries to the Lions' three and finished worthy winners. The Lions made one replacement during the match, Gordon Brown going on for Trevor Evans. Fiji picked six replacements but used none.[10]

16 August 1977

Fiji	25–21	British Lions
Try: Narisia (2) Rauto Kuinikoro Racika Con: Rauto Drop: Tikoisuva		Try: Bennett Beaumont Burcher Con: Bennett (3) Pen: Bennett

Buckhurst Park, Suva, Fiji Referee: Sefanaia Koroi Touch judge: R Jepson Touch judge: J Peck

Fiji: (15) Kemueli Musunamasi; (14) Joape Kuinikoro; (13) Senitiki Nasave; (12) Qele Ratu; (11) Wame Gavidi; (10) Pio Tikoisuva (captain); (9) Samisoni Viriviri; (8) Viliame Ratudradra; (7) Vuata Narisia; (6) Rupeni Qaraniqio; (5) Ilisoni Taoba; (4) Ilaitia Tuisese; (3) Nimilote Ratudina; (2) Atonio Racika; (1) Josefa Rauto
Replacements: Livai Volavola; Isimeli Batibasaga; Isikeli Cagilaba; Lepani Tagicakibau; Luke Nabaro; Apenisa Tokairavua
British Lions: (15) Andy Irvine ( Scotland); (14) Gareth Evans ( Wales); (13) Ian McGeechan ( Scotland); (12) David Burcher ( Wales); (11) Phil Bennett (captain) ( Wales); (10) John Bevan ( Wales); (9) Alun Lewis (uncapped); (8) Jefferey Squire ( Wales); (7) Trevor Evans ( Wales); (6) Tony Neary ( England); (5) Allan Martin ( Wales); (4) Bill Beaumont ( England); (3) Graham Price ( Wales); (2) Bobby Windsor ( Wales); (1) Charlie Faulkner ( Wales)
Replacements: Gordon Brown( Scotland)
see:
1977 British Lions tour to New Zealand

A regular feature of Lions tours to South Africa between 1910 and 1974 were matches played against Rhodesia, though during this period of history in Southern Africa the designation of Rhodesia is not straightforward. At its simplest it can be regarded as the territories that today comprise Zambia and Zimbabwe. These territories in no way can be regarded as a single entity, let alone a country. It is also not apparent if players selected to play for Rhodesia were drawn from one, two or all three of these territories or even (for the period between 1953 and 1963) if any players came from modern day Malawi.

In 1910 when the Lions first visited, Barotziland-North-Western Rhodesia and North-Eastern Rhodesia were two independent territories (administered by the British South Africa Company that together essentially made up the modern day country of Zambia) and Southern Rhodesia was a British colony that is now Zimbabwe.

By the time of the 1924 and 1938 Lions tours, North-Western and North-Eastern Rhodesia had been merged to form the protectorate of Northern Rhodesia; the colony of Southern Rhodesia still existed.

For the 1955 and 1962 tours, these two territories had been combined and, along with modern-day Malawi, made up the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland.

In 1964 Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland were granted independence and became Zambia and Malawi respectively. Southern Rhodesia remained a colony and called itself Rhodesia (between 1964 and 1979) and Zimbabwe Rhodesia (in 1979), though this name was not accepted by the British government who, until the independence of Zimbabwe in 1980, continued to call the territory Southern Rhodesia.
see:
1910 British Lions tour to South Africa
1924 British Lions tour to South Africa
1938 British Lions tour to South Africa
1955 British Lions tour to South Africa
1962 British Lions tour to South Africa
1968 British Lions tour to South Africa
1974 British Lions tour to South Africa

As for Rhodesia above, the designation of South West Africa is not simple but for different reasons. The area of land has always been essentially the territory that makes up modern day Namibia; but its legal status was far from clear. As with South Africa, it was essentially under an apartheid regime.

South West Africa was a German colony (German South West Africa) from 1884, several small parts were annexed by Britain and added to the Cape Colony which itself was combined with Colony of Natal, Transvaal Colony and the Orange River Colony to become the Commonwealth realm of the Union of South Africa in 1910. After World War I South-West Africa was declared a League of Nations Mandate to be administered by South Africa and after World War II it was supposed to become a United Nations Trust Territory, but South Africa objected and refused to allow it to achieve independence. South Africa's position was supported by the International Court of Justice which required, however, that South Africa follow the previously applied League of Nations Mandate.

Thus for the 1955 and 1962 Lions tours South West Africa was being regarded and administered as a fifth province of South Africa though it was never officially incorporated into the Commonwealth realm.

In 1966 the United Nations General Assembly declared the League of Nations Mandate terminated and required that South Africa withdraw from Namibia immediately. There followed a protracted struggle for independence by the South West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO) with the territory finally achieving independence as the Republic of Namibia in 1990. As a result, when the Lions played South-West Africa in 1968, 1974 and 1980 they were technically playing an independent nation that should have been called Namibia, but a nation that was yet to come into existence.
see:
1955 British Lions tour to South Africa
1962 British Lions tour to South Africa
1968 British Lions tour to South Africa
1974 British Lions tour to South Africa
1980 British Lions tour to South Africa

The first match of a British Lions team played not while on tour took place on 22 September 1951 at Cardiff Arms Park against the Cardiff club side. The match is sometimes listed as the last game of the Lions 1950 tour, though this was technically not a true Lions team. It may have been difficult to pick a full Lions side however as five members of that Lions touring party played for Cardiff; Billy Cleaver, Jack Matthews, Bleddyn Williams, Rex Willis and Cliff Davies. The match, which was staged to celebrate Cardiff's 75th Anniversary, was won by the Lions 14–12.[11]

The second Lions match at home, though sometimes listed as the last match of the 1955 British Lions tour to South Africa was also not technically a true British Lions match; it was not officially sanctioned by the team and did not include all the big names of that tour, such as Tony O'Reilly, Jeff Butterfield, Phil Davies, Dickie Jeeps, Bryn Meredith and Jim Greenwood. This match too was played at the Cardiff Arms Park, then the Welsh national stadium, against a Welsh XV on 22 October 1955. This match was staged to mark the 75th anniversary of the Welsh Rugby Union, the Lions won 20–17.[11]
see:
1955 (vs Wales XV)

The first officially sanctioned home match was a charity fund-raiser held as part of the Queen's silver jubilee celebrations; it was played at Twickenham on 10 September 1977 against the Barbarians. The Lions were at full tour party strength and the Barbarian side included J. P. R. Williams, Gerald Davies, Gareth Edwards, Jean-Pierre Rives and Jean-Claude Skrela. The match nearly did not take place, the players threatened to boycott the match when their wives and partners were initially not invited to attend. The Lions won 23–14.[11] A second meeting between the sides took place in Hong Kong on 1 June 2013 before the Lions embarked on their tour of Australia, The Lions won the match 59–8.
see:
1977 (vs Barbarians)

On 16 April 1986, the second officially sanctioned Lions home match was played against the Rest of the World at Cardiff Arms Park. This was a warm-up match played both to prepare the side for the impending tour to South Africa and also as a celebration match to mark the International Board's centenary. It turned out to be the only match played by this Lions side; the tour had already been called off by the hosts under political pressure due to the apartheid regime that still existed in South Africa at this time. The Lions won this match 15–7.[11]
see:
1986 (vs The Rest)

On 4 October 1989, a pseudo-Lions combination was put together to play a match at the Parc des Princes against France. The "Lions" were made up mostly of players form the recently completed tour to Australia. The match formed part of the bicentennial celebrations of the French Revolution. France lost the match 29–27.[11]
see:
1989 (vs France)

The most recent officially sanctioned Lions home match was played against Argentina at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on 23 May 2005. Although six test matches have been played against Argentina on three tours (one in 1910, four in 1927 and one in 1936), they have only faced the Lions this one time on foreign soil. The match was designed to be a warm-up match for the impending tour to New Zealand. The Pumas were underdogs going into the match, never having won a match in their 95-year history of playing the Lions. However, they played a scintillating game and were only denied victory by a Jonny Wilkinson penalty seven minutes after the end of regulation time. The final result was a 25–25 draw.[11]
see:
2005 (vs Argentina)