Rugby League Coaching Manuals

In a historic and unique day of remembrance and celebration held at the birthplace of rugby league, the George Hotel in Huddersfield, the Rugby League Heritage Centre paid tribute to the famous “Indomitables” tour to Australasia.

The 1946 Rugby League Lions tour to Australia and New Zealand marked the re-launch of international rugby league in a world devastated by the Second World War. The Lions retained the Ashes and became the only Great Britain team to remain unbeaten in a full test series in Australia.

The tour had been requested by the Australian government who wanted to lift the morale of their people, coming to terms with the tragedy of the war. A delegation from Australia had made a personal plea to the British Parliament in Westminster for their support to enable the tour to go ahead.

The Indomitables captain was the immortal Gus Risman of Salford and Workington fame, Gus had toured previously in 1932 and 1936.

The tourists were transported on the aircraft carrier the HMS Indomitable which took almost six weeks to reach Australia, when the great ship was instructed to drop them off in Perth on the western shores and divert to Singapore to collect injured prisoners who had been incarcerated in Changi during the Japanese occupation.

This left the tourists with a nightmare train journey of five days to Sydney. They had no sleeping accommodation and only stopped for food at army camps along the route.

The players drew lots to see who won the right to sleep on wire netted luggage racks, the rest slept upright in the hot and overcrowded carriages.

When the team returned to England five months later they had travelled over 25,000 nautical miles around the world!

Only two players of that ground breaking trip which lasted almost six months are still alive and it was wonderful to see Joe Egan a great hooker with Wigan and Bryn Knowelden a centre with Barrow and Warrington take their bows in front of a huge crowd of relatives.

Families of the “Indomitables” who had travelled from all parts of the UK hung on every word as Joe and Bryn both soon to be nonagenarians gave emotional speeches. Bryn said “I have always dreamed of one day meeting up again with everyone involved with the tour, today my dream came true”

The whole reunion event came about through a remarkable chance meeting between Simon Foster and Michael Owens sons of Trevor Foster MBE of Bradford Northern and Ike Owens of Leeds and Huddersfield, two Welsh back row forwards who starred for the “Indomitables”.

Simon and Michael had taken sporting memorabilia belonging to their fathers from the 1946 tour to the BBC Antiques Road-show, Sports Relief Special at Lords in 2008. The two had never met and were surprised to find they had taken along similar archive including international caps and jerseys for a valuation.

Simon said “The BBC producer seeing an opportunity immediately set up a recording for a rugby league “Indomitables” feature to be shown as part of the televised programme. This lead to a further programme going out a few months later.

The TV programmes sparked a huge interest from other relatives of  the “Indomitables” who were keen to make contact with us. They all had stories to tell and much additional archive material was uncovered including a fascinating and revealing personal day to day diary of the tour written by Welshman and second row forward Doug Phillips who played for Oldham”.

Simon continues “One thing lead to another and we felt with such great interest being aroused it would be a good idea to bring all the families together, enjoy a meal and share memories and memorabilia.

"To meet at the birthplace of rugby league and enjoy the company of Joe and Bryn has been very nostalgic and an emotional experience for us”.

Big thanks were expressed to the Dewsbury duo of ex Great Britain International, Sky TV  commentator Mike `Stevo` Stephenson and his manager Sam Morton of the Gillette Rugby League Heritage Centre for their tremendous support on the day.