1903 British Lions tour to South Africa


The 1903 British Isles tour to South Africa was the fifth tour by a British Isles team and the third to South Africa. It is retrospectively classed as one of the British Lions tours, as the Lions naming convention was not adopted until 1950.
Led by Scotland's Mark Morrison and managed by Johnny Hammond the tour took in [|22] matches. Of the games three were test matches, played against the South Africa national rugby union team. The British Isles drew the first two test matches and lost the final encounter.
Having lost only one game out of 40 matches in the previous two tours of South Africa, the British Isles team were truly tested by the South African rugby nation on this tour. Of the 22 games played, the tourist won eleven, drew three and lost eight. Unlike past teams, the British Isles three-quarter line was not seen as the team's strongest asset and more reliance was placed in the pack. Of the backs, only Reg Skrimshire, the only Welsh player selected, was judged to have shown any true flair; while the pack failed to live up to expectations, even when led by Scottish power-house David Bedell-Sivright.
The tour included Louis Leisler Greig, who later became well known as a royal equerry, friend of George VI and became a prominent member of the far right January Club.

Touring party

Test matches
DateOpponentLocationResultScore
19 JulyWestern Province CountryCape TownLost7–13
211 JulyWestern Province TownsCape TownLost3–12
313 JulyWestern ProvinceCape TownLost4–8
418 JulyPort ElizabethPort ElizabethWon13–0
5[|20] JulyEastern ProvincePort ElizabethWon12–0
622 JulyGrahamstownGrahamstownWon28–7
725 JulyKing William's TownKing William's TownWon37–3
827 JulyEast LondonEast London, Eastern CapeWon7–5
91 AugustGriqualand WestKimberleyLost0–11
104 AugustGriqualand WestKimberleyLost6–8
118 AugustTransvaalJohannesburgLost3–12
1211 AugustPretoriaPretoriaWon15–3
1313 AugustPietermaritzburgPietermaritzburgWon15–0
1415 AugustDurbanDurbanWon22–0
1519 AugustWitwatersrandJohannesburgWon12–0
1622 AugustTransvaalJohannesburgLost4–14
1726 AugustJohannesburgDraw10–10
1829 AugustOrange River CountyBloemfonteinWon17–16
192 SeptemberGriqualand WestKimberleyWon11–5
205 SeptemberKimberleyDrew0–0
2110 SeptemberWestern ProvinceCape TownDrew3–3
2212 SeptemberCape TownLost0–8

The matches

After playing the first two Tests in white shirts, South Africa wore a green jersey for the first time in their final Test at Newlands.

First Test

Team details--

Second Test

Team details--

Third Test

Team details--

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