1899 British Lions tour to Australia
The 1899 British Isles tour to Australia was the fourth rugby union tour by a British Isles team and the second to Australia; though the first tour in 1888 was a private venture, making the 1899 tour the first official undertaking of Australia. It is retrospectively classed as one of the British Lions tours, as the Lions naming convention was not adopted until 1950.
The touring British team
The British rugby union team in 1899, while at Albany, West Australia. Sixteen members of the team are shown here, along with two delegates of the Perth Rugby Union.
The Australian side who contested the 1st Test of 1899
The Queensland team that played the British Lions on 8 July. The players had avoided the photographer through the day, and were finally obliged to sit for the portrait very soon after leaving the field.
1896 British Lions tour to South Africa
1896 British Isles tour to South Africa was a rugby union tour undertaken by the British Isles, one of the first British and Irish Lions tours. The team toured South Africa for the second time in 1896. Between 11 July and 5 September, they played 21 games, including four tests against South Africa. The British Isles XV won the Test series 3–1 and completed the 17-game provincial program unbeaten, scoring 204 points and conceding just 45 in all matches.
The Touring team
The South African team that won the Fourth Test, the very first international rugby victory for the country
