The 1936 British Lions tour of Argentina was a series of rugby union matches arranged between the British Lions and various Argentine teams. The tourists played ten matches, nine of which were against club and combined teams while one match took in a full Argentina national team. Despite being sanctioned by the International Rugby Board, no caps were awarded to players from either side.

This was the third and final international tour to South America by a combined British team, and although classed as the British Lions, it was predominantly English, with a handful of Scottish and Irish players.

The Lions won all the games played, scoring 399 points and conceding only 12.

Background By 1936 Argentine rugby was in expansion and growth. Four years earlier, the Junior Springboks had visited the country to play several matches. In 1933 two South African players, Wollie Wolheim and Rybeck Elliot returned to Argentina to play for local team Hindú, which was considered by the Argentine Union as a sort of professionalism and Hindú was suspended for one season. Lions (tercer viaje olvidado) by Ricardo Sabanes on Periodismo Rugby website, 1 Jun 2017

In 1935 eleven players of San Isidro (the most important rugby team of Argentina by then) were suspended by the club executives. The banned players organised some friendly matches under the name "Abelleyra XV" until they established a new institution, San Isidro Club.SIC: El alumbramiento , La Nación, 12 July 2005

The last Lions tour to Argentina came when former player Douglas Prentice, who had led the team during their tour to New Zealand an Australia in 1930 and was the current manager, arrived with twenty-three players. No Welsh players were part of the team despite Wales had won the Home Nations that year.

The British played only one test v. Argentina at Gimnasia y Esgrima, with a record attendance of 15,000, on August 16. The Lions won by 23–0. The Argentine line-up for that game was Héctor Alfonso; R. Elliot, Herbert Talbot, Horacio Pascuali, Emilio Schiavio; Percy Talbot, Noel Cooper; Jorge Cilley, Gilbert Logan, José Frigoli; J.L. Francombe (cap), Tomás Salzman; Bernardo Mitchelstein, Víctor Inchausti, Archie Cameron.

Belgrano was the only team to score a try against The Lions, when the visiting team won by 37–3.

Touring party Doug Prentice (Leicester), Manager Dr. Hugh Llewellyn Glyn Hughes (Blackheath), Referee

Players

Bernard Gadney (Leicester) Captain Charles Beamish (Leicester) John Brett (Oxford University) Vesey Boyle (Dublin University). John Gordon A'Bear (Gloucester) Owen Chadwick (Cambridge University) Paul Cooke (Oxford University) Pop Dunkley Harlequins) George Hancock (Birkenhead Park) Peter Hobbs (Richmond) Peter Hordern (Gloucester) Fred Huskisson (Old Merchant Taylors) Tom Knowles (Birkenhead Park) J. S. Moll (Lloyds Bank) Alexander Obolensky (Oxford University) Denis Pratten (Blackheath) Robin Prescott (Harlequins) Wilson Shaw (Glasgow High School) John Tallent (Blackheath) Harold Uren (Waterloo) Jim Unwin (Rosslyn Park) Jock Waters (Selkirk) Bill Weston (Northampton)

Notes

Match summary Complete list of matches played by the British Isles in Argentina:British & Irish Lions results on Rugby Football HistoryEarly Lions: Squads and results (1888–1938) on BBC Sport, 18 May 2005Match report Great Britain XV tour - Buenos Aires, 16 August 1936

Test match

#DateRivalScoreVenueCity 1 15 Jul Buenos Aires F.C. 55–0 Gimnasia y Esgrima Buenos Aires 2 18 Jul Argentina A 27–0 Gimnasia y Esgrima Buenos Aires 3 22 Jul Olivos 27–3 Gimnasia y Esgrima Buenos Aires 4 26 Jul Argentina B 28–0 Gimnasia y Esgrima Buenos Aires 5 29 Jul Pacific Railway 62–0 Gimnasia y Esgrima Buenos Aires 6 2 Aug Litoral Rugby Union 41–0 Plaza Jewell Rosario7 5 Aug Old Georgian 55–6 Gimnasia y Esgrima Buenos Aires 8 9 Aug Belgrano A.C. 37–3 Gimnasia y Esgrima Buenos Aires 9 16 Aug 23–0 Gimnasia y Esgrima Buenos Aires 10 23 Aug CASI–Hindú–CUBA Combined 44–0 Gimnasia y Esgrima Buenos Aires

Balance Pl W D L Ps Pc 10 10 0 0 399 12

Match details Argentina Test

Argentina British IslesHéctor Alfonso FB15FB Harold UrenRiebeck Elliot W14W Jim Unwin Herbert Talbot C13C John TallentHoracio PascualliC12C Wilson ShawEduardo Schiavio W11W Vesey Boyle Percy Talbot FH10FH Tom KnowlesNoel CooperSH9SH Bernard Gadney (c) Gilbert LoganN88N8 Peter HobbsJosé FrigoliF7F Peter HordernJorge Cilley F6F Bill WestonTomás SalzmanL5L Fred HuskissonJumbo Francombe (c) L4L Charles Beamish Ray Cameron P3P John BrettVirgilio InchaustiH2HOwen ChadwickBernardo MitchelsteinP1P Robin Prescott

References