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 squad's leadership 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).

Touring squad The Rugby League News published a photo and details of the touring team including the players' ages and weights. 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. 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 TestsonTour Games Tries Goals FG Points Keith Barnes (c) 24 11 st. 10 lb. (74 kg) Balmain 8 22 0 101 0 202 Dud Beattie 23 15 st. 0 lb. (95 kg) Ipswich Railways 4 20 0 0 0 0 Ron Boden , 21 12 st. 6 lb. (79 kg) Toowoomba Valleys 0 14 5 0 0 15 Tony Brown 23 12 st. 0 lb. (76 kg) Newtown 2 9 4 0 0 12 Bob Bugden 23 11 st. 10 lb. (74 kg) St George 0 5 4 0 0 12 Peter Burke 25 11 st. 2 lb. (71 kg) Manly-Warringah 1 13 9 0 0 27 Brian Carlson Utility Back 26 13 st. 0 lb. (83 kg) North Sydney 4 23 19 49 0 155 Darrel Chapman 21 11 st. 6 lb. (73 kg) Kempsey 1 18 3 0 0 9 Brian Clay , 25 13 st. 3 lb. (84 kg) St George 6 20 4 1 0 14 Bill Delamare 23 15 st. 0 lb. (95 kg) Manly-Warringah 2 19 5 0 0 15 Reg Gasnier 20 12 st. 5 lb. (78 kg) St George 6 19 20 0 0 60 Brian Hambly , 22 14 st. 6 lb. (92 kg) Wagga Magpies 8 21 9 1 0 29 Ken Irvine 19 11 st. 12 lb. (75 kg) North Sydney 3 21 17 0 0 51 Noel Kelly , 23 13 st. 9 lb. (87 kg) Ipswich Brothers 1 14 2 1 0 8 Eddie Lumsden 22 13 st. 2 lb. (83 kg) St George 8 27 25 0 0 75 Rex Mossop (vc) , 30 14 st. 5 lb. (91 kg) Manly-Warringah 5 26 2 0 0 6 Barry Muir 21 10 st. 11 lb. (68 kg) Brisbane Western Suburbs 7 21 1 0 0 3 Gary Parcell 26 14 st. 6 lb. (92 kg) Ipswich Brothers 5 20 2 0 0 6 Don Parish 21 11 st. 7 lb. (73 kg) Dubbo Macquarie 0 12 7 16 0 53 Jim Paterson , 23 14 st. 6 lb. (92 kg) Townsville Souths 3 22 4 0 0 12 Johnny Raper , 20 13 st. 2 lb. (83 kg) St George 4 17 14 0 0 42 Elton Rasmussen , 22 15 st. 5 lb. (98 kg) Toowoomba All Whites 3 20 4 1 0 14 Johnny Riley 20 12 st. 0 lb. (76 kg) St George 2 15 2 0 0 6 Ian Walsh 25 13 st. 4 lb. (84 kg) Eugowra 8 23 3 1 0 11 Harry Wells 27 14 st. 6 lb. (92 kg) Western Suburbs 7 22 11 0 0 33 Billy Wilson 30 14 st. 1 lb. (89 kg) St George 6 19 2 0 0 6

Great Britain The largest non-test attendance of the tour was 29,156 when the Kangaroos defeated St. Helens at Knowsley Road.

Test Venues The three Ashes series tests took place at the following venues.

Swinton Leeds Wigan Station Road Headingley Central Park Capacity: 40,000 Capacity: 35,000 Capacity: 48,000

The Ashes series 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.

First Test 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.

Great BritainPositionAustralia1. Eric FraserFB1. Keith Barnes (c)2. Billy BostonWG10. Johnny Riley3. Eric Ashton (c)CE8. Harry Wells4. Alan DaviesCE7. Reg Gasnier5. Mick SullivanWG3.Eddie Lumsden6. Dave BoltonSO16. Brian Clay7. Alex MurphySH12. Barry Muir8. Abe TerryPR21. Billy Wilson9. Tommy HarrisHK26. Ian Walsh10. Brian McTiguePR24. Dud Beattie12. Mick MartynSR22. Gary Parcell11. Dick HuddartSR18. Rex Mossop13. Derek TurnerLF19. Brian HamblyJim ChallinorCoachClive Churchill

5 days prior to the match against Bradford Northern, the Kangaroos played the first test against France.

Second Test 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 BritainPositionAustralia Frank DysonFB Keith Barnes (c)2. Ike SouthwardWG4. Eddie Lumsden3. Eric AshtonCE8. Harry Wells4. Neil FoxCE7. Reg Gasnier5. Mick SullivanWG3. Brian Carlson6. Dave BoltonSO16. Brian Clay7. Jeff Stevenson (c)SH12. Barry Muir10. Don RobinsonPR22. Gary Parcell9. Tommy HarrisHK26. Ian Walsh8. Abe TerryPR21. Billy Wilson12. Don VinesSR17. Elton Rasmussen11. Brian McTigueSR18. Rex Mossop13. Johnny WhiteleyLF19. Brian HamblyJim ChallinorCoachClive Churchill

Third Test This would be the final time that Great Britain (or England) would win the Ashes on home soil (as of 2017).

Great BritainPositionAustralia Gerry RoundFB Keith Barnes (c)2. Ike SouthwardWG3. Eddie Lumsden3. Eric AshtonCE8. Harry Wells4. Neil FoxCE7. Reg Gasnier5. Mick SullivanWG4. Brian Carlson6. Dave BoltonSO16. Brian Clay7. Jeff Stevenson (c)SH12. Barry Muir15. Jack WilkinsonPR21. Billy Wilson9. Tommy HarrisHK26. Ian Walsh8. Abe TerryPR24. Dud Beattie10. Don RobinsonSR19. Brian Hambly11. Brian McTigueSR18. Rex Mossop13. Johnny WhiteleyLF15. Johnny RaperJim ChallinorCoachClive Churchill

France The first test against France was played while The Kangaroos were still completing the British leg.

First Test 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.

FrancePositionAustraliaAndré LacazeFBKeith Barnes (c)Maurice VoronWGEddie LumsdenJacques Merquey (c)CEHarry WellsAntoine JimenezCEReg GasnierAndré SavonneWGKen IrvineGilbert BenausseSOTony BrownGeorges FagesSHBarry MuirJean PannoPRGary ParcellAntranick AppelianHKIan WalshAldo QuaglioPRDud BeattieRobert EramouspéSRJim PatersonJean AubertSRRex MossopSerge TonusLFBrian Hambly CoachClive Churchill

Second Test

FrancePositionAustraliaClaude MantoulanFBKeith Barnes (c)Maurice VoronWGBrian CarlsonJean FoussatCEHarry WellsAntoine Jimenez (c)CEReg GasnierAndré SavonneWGEddie LumsdenRobert MoulinasSOJohnny RaperRene JeanSHBarry MuirHonoré ContiPRBilly WilsonAndré CasasHKIan WalshMarcel BescosPRDud BeattieRobert EramouspéSRGary ParcellJean BartheSRBrian HamblySerge TonusLFBrian Clay CoachClive Churchill

Third Test

FrancePositionAustraliaAndré LacazeFBKeith Barnes (c)Raymond GruppiWGEddie LumsdenJean FoussatCEHarry WellsGérard BélivaudCEReg GasnierAndré SavonneWGBrian CarlsonClaude MantoulanSOJohnny RaperBernard FabreSHBarry MuirHonoré ContiPRBilly WilsonAndré CasasHKIan WalshMarcel BescosPRElton RasmussenPierre LaurentSRJim PatersonSerge TonusSRBrian HamblyGeorges FagesLFBrian Clay CoachClive Churchill

Italy To finish the tour, the Kangaroos played two games against an Italian representative team.

ItalyPositionAustraliaMimmo PozziFBKeith Barnes (c)Natale MolariWGEddie LumsdenAlberto CominCEJohnny RileyLuigi LuiseCEHarry WellsGian Carlo TaginiWGKen IrvineGianfranco MarazzinaSOJohn RaperFerdy SartoratoSHBarry MuirCarlo GuglielminoPRBilly WilsonGiovanni BortolozzoHKIan WalshGiovanni FiorinPRBill DelamareGastone BiadeneSRGary ParcellGiovanni VignaSRRex MossopGilberto RuffoLFBrian Hambly CoachClive Churchill

ItalyPositionAustraliaAlberto CominFBKeith Barnes (c)Augusto De PaseWGEddie LumsdenGiampaolo PavinCEDarrel ChapmanFerdy SartoratoCEBrian HamblySilvio PavanWGKen IrvineOreste DolfinSOTony BrownFrancesco BovoSHPeter BurkeCarlo MasottiPRIan WalshSergio GeiHKNoel KellyMarco MartiniPRBill DelamareGilberto RuffoSRJim PatersonRenzo GrigoliSRElton RasmussenGiovanni BortolozzoLFBrian Clay CoachClive Churchill

References

External links 1959-60 Kangaroo Tour at Rugby League Project