The 1932 Great Britain Lions tour was a tour by the Great Britain national rugby league team) of Australia and New Zealand which took place between May and August 1932. The tour involved a schedule of 26 games, 18 in Australia including a three-test series against Australia for the Ashes and a further eight in New Zealand including a three-test series against New Zealand.

Captained by Welshman Jim Sullivan, the Lions returned home having won 23, lost two and drawn one of their games. They won the Ashes against Australia by two tests to one and made a clean sweep against New Zealand winning all three test matches.

Despite being a British team - six of the squad were Welsh - the team were universally referred to by both the press at home and away, as England.

Squad A 26-man squad was selected for the tour with the names announced in March 1932.

+ Backs Name Club Age s Gus Risman Salford 22 Jim Sullivan Wigan 28 Threequarters s Alf Ellaby St. Helens 27 Barney Hudson Salford 26 Stanley Smith Leeds 21 Jack Woods Barrow 23 s Arthur Atkinson Castleford 25 Stan Brogden Huddersfield 21 Billy Dingsdale Warrington 25 Gilbert Robinson Wakefield Trinity 22 Half-backs s Ivor Davies Halifax 24 Ernest Pollard Wakefield Trinity 21 Scrum halves Les Adams Leeds 23 Bryn Evans Swinton 28

+ Forwards Name Club Age Front row s John Lowe Leeds 25 Leslie White Hunslet 25 s Nat Silcock Widnes 26 Joe Thompson Leeds 29 Billy Williams Salford 28 Joe Wright Swinton 28 Back row s Norman Fender York 21 Albert Fildes St. Helens 29 Martin Hodgson Swinton 23 Bill Horton Wakefield Trinity 25 s Fred Butters Swinton 25 Jack Feetham Salford 24

The two team managers were G.F. Hutchins of Oldham and R.F. Anderton of Warrington.

Schedule and results The team sailed from Southampton on 14 April 1932 on-board the SS Jervis Bay arriving in Melbourne on 19 May and travelling to Sydney by train on 20 May. Date Opponents Venue Score (GB first) Attendance Notes 28 May Metropolis Sydney Cricket Ground style="text-align: center;" 42,644 Metropolis was a representative side made up of players playing in the Sydney area. Program1 June Western New South Wales Wade Park style="text-align: center;" 6,000 Western New South Wales was a representative team for teams playing in New South Wales Country Rugby League groups 10 and 14.4 June New South Wales Sydney Cricket Ground style="text-align: center;" 30,104 6 June Australia Sydney Cricket Ground style="text-align: center;" 70,204 The attendance was a new world record for a rugby league test. 8 June Far Northern Recreation ground, Lismore style="text-align: center;" 4,965 Far Northern was a representative side covering the northern area of New South Wales.11 June Queensland Brisbane Cricket Ground style="text-align: center;" 13,034 15 June Brisbane Firsts Brisbane Cricket Ground style="text-align: center;" 4,843 Brisbane Firsts was a representative team drawn from the first-grade clubs in the Brisbane area.18 June Australia Brisbane Cricket Ground style="text-align: center;" 26,574 20 June Wide Bay Gympie style="text-align: center;" 2,500 Wide Bay was a representative team drawn from clubs in the Wide Bay division of the Queensland Rugby League.21 June Central Queensland Rockhampton Showground style="text-align: center;" 4,000 Central Queensland was a representative team drawn from clubs in the Central division of the Queensland Rugby League.25 June Northern Queensland Townsville style="text-align: center;" 7,312 Northern Queensland was a representative team drawn from clubs in the Northern division of the Queensland Rugby League.28 June Far North Queensland Parramatta Park, Cairns style="text-align: center;" 5,000 Far North Queensland was the representative team of the Cairns District Rugby League2 July Ipswich Ipswich style="text-align: center;" 3,022 Ipswich was the representative team for the Southern region of the Queensland Rugby League.6 July Toowoomba Toowoomba style="text-align: center;" 10,861 Toowoomba was the representative side of the Toowoomba Rugby League.9 July New South Wales Sydney Cricket Ground style="text-align: center;" 19,744 14 July Newcastle Newcastle style="text-align: center;" 6,563 Newcastle was the representative team of the Newcastle Rugby League. This game was interrupted by a timekeeper's error sounding the end of game 11 minutes early. The game was resumed and played to completion when the error was discovered.16 July Australia Sydney Cricket Ground style="text-align: center;" 50,053 20 July Riverina Wagga Showground, Wagga Wagga style="text-align: center;" 9,000 Riverina was the representative team for teams in Group 9 of the New South Wales Country Rugby League.27 July North Auckland Kensington Park Whangārei style="text-align: center;" 3,000 30 July New Zealand Carlaw Park, Auckland style="text-align: center;" 25,000 3 August South Auckland Taupiri style="text-align: center;" 1,600 6 August Auckland Carlaw Park, Auckland style="text-align: center;" 16,000 10 August West Coast Victoria Park, Greymouth style="text-align: center;" 3,000 West Coast was the representative team of the West Coast Rugby League.13 August New Zealand Monica Park, Christchurch style="text-align: center;" 7,000 17 August North Island Winter Show Grounds, Wellington style="text-align: center;" 3,000 20 August New Zealand Carlaw Park, Auckland style="text-align: center;" 12,000

Following the end of the third test against New Zealand, the team sailed for home the same day on-board the SS Tamaroa, having readied for the last test on the ship, arriving back in Southampton on 23 September 1932.

During the Australian leg of the tour the team scored 105 tries and 84 goals (483 points) while conceding 32 tries and 38 goals (172 points), total attendances approaching 320,000 generated gate receipts of A£27,885. In the games in New Zealand the team scored 65 tries and 52 goals (299 points) conceding 17 tries and 18 goals (87 points).

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

Sydney Brisbane Sydney Cricket Ground Brisbane Cricket Ground Capacity: 70,000 Capacity: 40,000

First test

The first test was played at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Monday 6 June 1932. The interest in the game was so large that the ground was full an hour before the kick-off and the police ordered the gates to be closed. Several thousand people watched from the stands in the adjacent agricultural ground and many more watched from any vantage point they could find. A ceremonial kick-off was made by retired player Dally Messenger.

AustraliaPositionEngland 13. Frank McMillanFB 1. Jim Sullivan (c) 12. Cliff PearceWG 9. Stanley Smith 10. Eric WeisselCE 5. Stan Brogden 11. Fred LawsCE 6. Arthur Atkinson 9. Joe WilsonWG 3. Alf Ellaby 8. Ernie NormanFE/SO 14. Ernest Pollard 7. Hector GeeHB/SH 12. Bryn Evans 1. Herb Steinohrt (c) PR 20. Nat Silcock 2. Jack LittleHK 15. Leslie White 3. Mick MadsenPR 18. Joe Thompson 5. Joe PearceSR 21. Bill Horton 4. Dan DempseySR 23. Martin Hodgson 6. Wally PriggLK/LF 25. Jack Feetham

The referee was former Australian player turned match official William Neill. England scored first as Alf Ellaby ran a try in from the English 25-yard (20-metre) line, Jim Sullivan missed the conversion. Australia took the lead through two penalties both taken by Eric Weissel before England scored another try, this time scored by Arthur Atkinson. Sullivan was successful with the conversion giving England an 8–4 lead. Weissel scored another penalty before half time to make the score 8–6 in England's favour.

The second half was scoreless although both sides had chances which weren't taken. The attendance figure of 70,204 set an international rugby league record for a game played anywhere until finally beaten when 73,631 saw Australia defeat Great Britain in the 1992 Rugby League World Cup final played at the old Wembley Stadium in London, England. It stands as the record international attendance for a game played in Australia, unbroken as of 2024.

Second test

The second test was played in Brisbane on 18 June 1932, two weeks after the first test. 26,000 packed into the Brisbane Cricket Ground to witness what many consider to be one of the most violent games of rugby league ever played. Many subsequent writers have named the game the Battle of Brisbane

Before the game started the Australian manager, Harry Sunderland, went into the English dressing room with the referee to lecture the English team on how the play-the-ball was to be interpreted during the game, an act which bewildered the English players.

AustraliaPositionEngland Frank McMillanFB Jim Sullivan (c) Cliff PearceWG Stanley Smith Ernie NormanCE Stan Brogden Fred LawsCE Arthur Atkinson Joe WilsonWG Alf Ellaby Eric WeisselFE/SO Ernest Pollard Hector GeeHB/SH Les Adams Herb Steinohrt (c)PR Nat Silcock Dan DempseyHK Leslie White Mick MadsenPR Joe Thompson Joe PearceSR Bill Horton Les HeidkeSR Martin Hodgson Frank O'ConnorLK/LF Jack Feetham

As the game kicked off, Australia made an excellent start when Hector Gee scored a try in the first minute which Weissel converted to give Australia a 5–0 lead. At the first scrum the English prop, Joe Thompson, was knocked out and had to be carried from the pitch; as substitutions were not allowed at this date, teams had to play short until the injured players were fit to return. Within the first 10 minutes, Australia scored another try as Joe Wilson went over after a scrum near the English goal line. The conversion was missed so the score remained 8–0. England had a try disallowed and shortly before half-time Australia increased their lead to 10–0 with another Weissel penalty. During the half Thompson had returned to the pitch and the Australian centre Ernie Norman had left the pitch having been "sandwiched" by two of the English backs. The Australian winger, Cliff Pearce was knocked unconscious by the English centre, Arthur Atkinson but without any action being taken by the referee.

The second half carried on in the same vein, England scored two tries through Stanley Smith and Ernest Pollard to bring the score to 10–6 but the injury list got longer. Gee sustained a severe cut to his upper lip which required stitches, Australian lock forward Frank O'Connor and English forwards, Bill Horton and Leslie White all suffered head injuries which required stitching. With 15 minutes left Australia were reduced to only 10 men on the pitch, Gee has been stretchered off with concussion, Norman was receiving treatment for another injury and Dan Dempsey had his arm broken. Worse was to come as Weissel broke his ankle, but refused to leave the pitch. Manager, Harry Sunderland pushed both Norman and Gee back onto the field even though there weren't fit enough to rejoin. England were applying pressure with the ball but somehow a loose ball was passed to Weissel who, even with a broken ankle, managed to run before Sullivan tackled him just three yards from the goal line. From the play-the-ball Gee took the ball and scored a try which Pearce converted to give Australia a 15–6 lead which was how the game ended.