The 1921 South Africa rugby union tour of Australia and New Zealand was the third tour made by the Springboks rugby team, and their first tour to Australia and New Zealand. South Africa played three Test matches against the All Blacks. The series was drawn 1–all, and the long-running controversy between the countries over the All Blacks' inclusion of Maori players began.

The Springboks played five matches in Australia, winning them all. The three most important matches against New South Wales, were retroactively accorded Test status by the Australian Rugby Union in 1986, but remain as tour matches only for the South African Rugby Board.

South Africa then played nineteen matches in New Zealand, winning fifteen, losing two and drawing two.

Match summary Complete list of matches played by the Springboks in Australia and New Zealand

Test matches

# Date Rival City Venue Country Score 1 18 Jun Victoria XV Melbourne Australia 51–0 2 25 Jun New South Wales Sydney Showground Australia 25–10 3 27 Jun New South Wales Sydney Showground Australia 16–11 4 2 Jul New South Wales Sydney University Oval Australia 28–9 5 6 Jul Metropolitan Sydney Australia 14–8 6 13 Jul Wanganui Cooks Gardens New Zealand 11–6 7 16 Jul Taranaki Pukekura Park New Zealand 0–0 8 20 Jul Masterton Memorial Park New Zealand 18–3 9 23 Jul Wellington Athletic Park New Zealand 8–3 10 27 Jul West Coast-Buller Greymouth Rugby Park New Zealand 33–3 11 30 Jul Christchurch Lancaster Park New Zealand 4–6 12 3 Aug Timaru Fraser Park New Zealand 34–3 13 6 Aug Invercargill Rugby Park New Zealand 12–0 14 10 Aug Dunedin Carisbrook New Zealand 11-3 15 13 Aug Dunedin Carisbrook New Zealand 5–13 16 17 Aug / Palmerston North Palmerston North Showgrounds New Zealand 3–0 17 20 Aug / Auckland Eden Park New Zealand 24–8 18 24 Aug Rotorua Arawa Park New Zealand 17–9 19 27 Aug Auckland Eden Park New Zealand 9–5 20 30 Aug Hamilton Claudelands Racecourse New Zealand 6–0 21 3 Sep / Napier McLean Park New Zealand 14–8 22 7 Sep New Zealand Māori Napier McLean Park New Zealand 9–8 23 10 Sep / / Nelson Trafalgar Park New Zealand 26–3 24 17 Sep Wellington Athletic Park New Zealand 0–0

Notes

Balance Played in Pl W D L Ps Pc Australia 5 5 0 0 134 38 New Zealand 19 15 2 2 244 81 Total 24 20 2 2 378 119

Match details First Test

FBCharles Kingstone W Jack Steel CGeorge Aitken (c) CMark Nicholls W Percy Storey FH Ces Badeley SH Harry Nicholls WF Jim Donald P Ned Hughes P Bill Duncan F Richard Fogarty L Jim Moffitt L Jock Richardson F Moke Belliss L Andrew White FB Gerhard Morkel WAttie van Heerden C Charlie Meyer CWally Clarkson W Henry Morkel FH Mannetjies Michau SH Taffy Townsend P Frank Mellish H Theuns Kruger P Phil Mostert L Baby Michau L Harry Morkel F Alf Walker F Tokkie Scholtz N8 Boy Morkel (c)

Second Test

FBCharles Kingstone WJohn Steel CGeorge Aitken (c) CMark Nicholls WPercival Storey FHCecil Badeley SH Edward Roberts WF Jim Donald P Ned Hughes P Bill Duncan F Les McLean L Jim Moffitt L Jock Richardson F Moke Belliss L Alfred West FBGerhard Morkel WHenry Morkel CBilly Sendin CWally Clarkson WBill Zeller FHCharlie Meyer SH Mannetjies Michau P Nic du Plessis H Theuns Kruger P Phil Mostert L Tank van Rooyen L Royal Morkel F Mervyn Ellis F Tokkie Scholtz N8 Boy Morkel (c)

Third Test

FBCharles Kingstone WJohn Steel CMark Nicholls CKarl Ifwersen WKeith Siddells FHBilly Fea SH Edward Roberts (c) WF Moke Belliss P Richard Fogarty P Bill Duncan F Les McLean L Jim Moffitt L Jock Richardson F Charles Fletcher L Alfred West FBGerhard Morkel WAttie van Heerden CCharlie Meyer CSarel Strauss WBill Zeller FHSas de Kock SH Mannetjies Michau P Frank Mellish H Phil Mostert P Nic du Plessis L Tank van Rooyen L Royal Morkel F Mervyn Ellis F Alf Walker N8 Boy Morkel (c)

See also History of rugby union matches between New Zealand and South Africa

References