Australian Rugby League

Sean Fagan of RL1908.com

Rugby league began in Australia with the formation of club competitions in Sydney (1908), Brisbane (1909) and Newcastle (1910), and within barely a handful of seasons had become the dominant football code in NSW and Queensland. Australian players also began taking up contract offers from English rugby league clubs from 1909 onwards.

Dally Messenger

Rugby league was first played in Victoria (1910 in Melbourne) and in South Australia (1914 in Adelaide), but the momentum towards establishing a firm footing nationally stalled upon the outbreak of World War One.

The Australian rugby league team made its debut in May 1908, losing a Test match to New Zealand 11-10 in Sydney. Though a cross-Tasman rivalry between the two nations was born via further Tests in Australia in 1909, it would not be until after World War Two that the Kiwis again played Tests on Australian soil.

Series since have been dominated by the Kangaroos, though battles between the two neighbours can sometimes produce some particularly fierce contests.

In 2005 the Kiwis defeated Australia 24-0 in the Tri-Nations Final in England; for the Kangaroos it was their first loss in a series in almost three decades of international rugby league. New Zealand also beat Australia in the 2008 World Cup Final.

For the most part of the 20th Century, the predominant focus for Australians has been the traditional rugby league Ashes Series against England (aka Great Britain). Following along the lines of cricket’s custom, the Kangaroos and Lions exchanged tours on a regular basis (usually every two years). The first tour was made by Australia to England in 1908, and their most recent visit was in 2003.

Both countries have had long periods of domination over each other. England were practically unassailable from the initial series in 1908 until the 1950s. The next two decades saw both nations share the spoils of victory. From 1973 to the most recent tour in 2003, the Kangaroos have won every series. The introduction of end of season international tournaments and the decision of Super League in England to play in summer, has led to the Ashes series being a less frequent occurrence.

Commencing in 1937, Kangaroo tours to England have been extended to include France, where Test series and provincial matches have been played. In the 1950s Australia v. France matches provided tremendous thrills for fans in both countries. In that decade the French won three consecutive series against the Kangaroos. However, the most part, Australia has dominated matches between the nations.

The Kangaroos have also played Tests, internationals and World Cup matches against Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Wales, USA and South Africa. The Kangaroos have also proven to be particularly formidable in World Cups, winning nine of the 13 tournaments played.

After initially turning out wearing maroon and sky blue jerseys (taken from the Queensland and NSW state colours), the Kangaroos adopted the national green and gold colours in 1928 - becoming the first Australian national sporting team to wear a green and gold playing strip. The green being taken from the colour of the leaf of the gum tree, and the gold that of the flower of the wattle tree.

The use of a kangaroo as the team’s badge and nickname in 1908 was reflective of the most recognisably Australian animal. The Australian rugby league team that toured Britain in 1908/09 wore a distinctive badge that featured a single kangaroo standing within an outlined map of Australia. The kangaroo would go on to become the most prominent national symbol, and four years after that initial Kangaroo tour, a kangaroo/map design was used for the Commonwealth's first ever national postage stamp.

Also adopted by the 1908 touring team was a pre-match Aboriginal war cry. With words and movements provided by the Stradbroke Island (Queensland) indigenous community, the Kangaroos performed their war cry before every overseas match, until the tradition lapsed following the 1967 Ashes tour.