1910 British Lions tour to South Africa

1910 British Lions tour
to South Africa
Official photo of the British Isles team
Date11 June – 6 September
Coach(es)Walter E. Rees
England William Cail
Tour captain(s)Ireland Tommy Smyth
Test series winners South Africa (2–1)
Top test point scorer(s)England Jack Spoors (9)
1910 British Lions tour to South Africa
Summary
P W D L
Total
24 13 03 08
Test match
03 01 00 02
Opponent
P W D L
 South Africa
3 1 0 2

The 1910 British Isles tour to South Africa was the eighth tour by a British Isles rugby union team and the fourth to South Africa. It is retrospectively classed as one of the British Lions tours, as the Lions naming convention was not adopted until 1950. As well as South Africa, the tour included a game in Bulawayo in Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe.

Led by Ireland's Tommy Smyth and managed by Walter E. Rees and W Cail the tour took in 24 matches. Of the 24 games, 21 were against club or invitational teams and three were test matches against the South African national team. The British Isles team lost two and won one test match against the Springboks.

Seven players from Newport RFC were selected for the tour which was for a time the record for players selected from one club for a British Lions Tour.

The Lions jerseys switched from red to blue, with white shorts and red socks. This combination would remain until 1950.[1]

Team kit
  1. ^ Lions change their stripes on Lions website, 17 Apr 2005