Other Nationalities rugby league team


The Other Nationalities rugby league team was a rugby league representative team that usually consisted of non-English players. They competed in the first ever rugby league international in 1904, against, fielding players from Wales and Scotland. The team was later represented by players from Australia, Fiji, Ireland, New Zealand, and South Africa. The Other Nationalities team wore green shirts.

History

The Other Nationalities rugby league team was initially formed to act as opposition to England in the early days of the sport when international competition was non-existent. Matches were annual and played mid season from the first game in 1904 until 1907, the year of the first ever rugby league tour and the beginning of the sport being played in a country outside of the UK. Games then became more irregular and were mostly played as warm-up games for England ahead of tours. The final England vs Other Nationalities match was played in 1933.
Following the Second World War between 1949 and 1956, the team competed in the European Championship, at the time a double round robin competition between England, Wales, and France. The team won the 1952–53 and 1955–56 tournaments, in addition to three runners-up finishes.
The team did not play again until 1964 when they played their only match in the Southern Hemisphere in a friendly vs Sydney Colts at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The match was played as a curtain-raiser to France's third and final test against Australia on their 1964 tour of the country and was arranged in order to boost attendance aimed France's poor performances during the tour. The team was made up of foreign players playing in the NSWRL plus two Frenchmen that missed selection for France's match against Australia.
A year later, the team played a friendly against St Helens celebrating the club's first floodlit match. That year, they also played New Zealand at Selhurst Park as part of the 1965 Kiwi tour of Great Britain and France.
1974 and 1975 marked the team's final appearances, competing in the British County Championship. The team faced Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Cumbria, played each team once in both editions of the tournament they competed. The team was made up of players from outside those three counties.

Results

DateHomeScoreAwayCompetitionVenueAttendance
5 April 19043-9Other NationalitiesFriendlyCentral Park, Wigan6,000
2 January 190526-11Other NationalitiesFriendlyPark Avenue, Bradford6,000
1 January 19063-3Other NationalitiesFriendlyCentral Park, Wigan8,000
5 February 192133-16Other NationalitiesFriendlyLonsdale Park, Workington
15 October 192417-23Other NationalitiesFriendlyHeadingley, Leeds3,000
4 February 192637-11Other NationalitiesFriendlyRecreation Ground, Whitehaven7,000
20 March 192927-20Other NationalitiesFriendlyHeadingley, Leeds5,000
7 April 193019-35Other NationalitiesFriendlyThrum Hall, Halifax2,000
1 October 193031-18Other NationalitiesFriendlyKnowsley Road, St Helens10,000
30 March 193334-27Other NationalitiesFriendlyLonsdale Park, Workington11,000
19 September 19497-13Other Nationalities1949-50 European ChampionshipDerwent Park, Workington17,500
22 October 19495-6Other Nationalities1949-50 European ChampionshipThe Park, Abertillery2,000
15 January 19508-3Other Nationalities1949-50 European ChampionshipStade Vélodrome, Marseille25,000
10 December 195016-3Other Nationalities1950-51 European ChampionshipStade du Parc Lescure, Bordeaux28,000
31 March 195121-27Other Nationalities1950-51 European ChampionshipSt Helens Rugby Ground, Swansea5,000
11 April 195110-35Other Nationalities1950-51 European ChampionshipCentral Park, Wigan17,000
3 November 1951Other Nationalities17-141951-52 European ChampionshipCraven Park, Hull18,000
1 December 195111-22Other Nationalities1951-52 European ChampionshipThe Park, Abertillery3,386
23 April 195231-18Other Nationalities1951-52 European ChampionshipCentral Park, Wigan20,000
18 October 195212-31Other Nationalities1952-53 European ChampionshipFartown Ground, Huddersfield20,000
23 November 195210-29Other Nationalities1952-53 European ChampionshipStade Vélodrome, Marseille18,000
15 April 1953Other Nationalities16-181952-53 European ChampionshipWilderspool, Warrington8,449
7 October 1953Other Nationalities30-51953-54 European ChampionshipOdsal Stadium, Bradford14,646
18 October 195315-10Other Nationalities1953-54 European ChampionshipStade Chaban-Delmas, Bordeaux12,000
28 November 195330-22Other Nationalities1953-54 European ChampionshipCentral Park, Wigan19,000
12 September 195516-33Other Nationalities1955-56 European ChampionshipCentral Park, Wigan18,234
19 October 1955Other Nationalities32-191955-56 European ChampionshipHilton Park, Leigh7,000
18 July 1964 Sydney Colts25-16Other NationalitiesCurtain-raiser to Australia vs France 3rd TestSydney Cricket Ground, Sydney16,731
27 January 1965Other Nationalities2-19 St. HelensFriendly Knowsley Road, St Helens15,000
18 August 1965Other Nationalities7-151965 Kiwi TourCrystal Palace, London
11 September 1974

Player statistics

NameNationalityDate of debutGamesTriesGoalsDropsPoints
Australiadts|31 March 1951sortname|George|Andrews|George Andrews

Other teams

Throughout history there have been several other teams created using a similar concept.

Exiles

Combined Nationalities

The Combined Nationalities rugby league team a rugby league team created to play an international fixture against France in 1954. The team comprised European-based non-French rugby league footballers.
The team lost 15-19 during the match at Stade de Gerland, Lyon, on Sunday 3 January 1954.
;Starting XIII:
The Combined Nations All Stars were created following the COVID-19 pandemic as opposition to England using UK based players as international travel was still restricted. The team played twice with the following results:
DateOpponentScoreLocationAttendanceRef.
25 June 202124–26rl|England

2021 Team

1. Jake Connor
2. Ken Sio
3. Peter Mata'utia
4. Ricky Leutele
5. Jermaine McGillvary
6. Jackson Hastings
7. Aidan Sezer
8. Matt Prior
9. Nathan Peats
10. Tevita Satae
11. Kenny Edwards
12. Kelepi Tanginoa
13. Luke Yates
Subs
14. Kruise Leeming
15. Pauli Pauli
16. Suaia Matagi
17. Andre Savelio

2022 Team

1. Peter Mata'utia
2. Ken Sio
3. Rhyse Martin
4. Kenny-Dowall
5. Mahe Fonua
6. Jacob Miller
7. Brodie Croft
8. Ligi Sao
9. Daryl Clark
10. Zane Tetevano
11. Kenny Edwards
12. Kelepi Tanginoa
13. Matt Prior
Subs
14. Kruise Leeming
15. Joe Lovodua
16. Tevita Satae
17. David Fifita