The 1936 tourists had a different captain in each of the three Ashes Tests, which were won 2-1 following a surprisingly heavy 24-8 defeat in the series opener in Sydney.
Australia conceded the only try of the first half when Harry Beverley stole over from a short pass by Tommy McCue but the hosts were in rampant mood in the second half, scoring four tries of their own and by the time Beverley went over for his second late on, the game was up.
Jim Brough took over the captaincy from Castleford’s Arthur Atkinson for the second Test in Brisbane, where a masterful performance by Swinton hooker Tommy Armitt, who won 51 of 76 scrums in the game, saw England level the series with a 12-7 win.
Gus Risman captained the Lions for the first time in the third Test at the SCG, where smart tactical kicking helped set up the position from which Barney Hudson and Stan Brogden scored tries and Martin Hodgson kicked three goals in a 12-7 win.
The victory gave England their seventh successive Ashes series success and sent them across the Tasman Sea full of confidence, as eight wins from eight matches played testifies.
In the third Ashes Test and the two Tests against New Zealand, the Lions fielded five Salford back in Risman, Hudson, Alan Edwards, Emlyn Jenkins and Billy Watkins.
Swinton’s Martin Hodgson, making his second tour, made most appearances with 18 and was the leading scorer with three tries and 65 goals. Salford winger Edwards was top try-scorer with 21.
At the end of the second Test against New Zealand in Auckland, all the players gathered in the centre of the pitch to sing Auld Lang Syne: little did anyone known that it would be 10 years before the Lions visited the land of the long white cloud again.
Tour Summary
| Played | 25 |
| Won | 22 |
| Lost | 3 |
| For | |
|---|---|
| Tries | 131 |
| Goals | 109 |
| Points | 611 |
| Against | |
| Tries | 46 |
| Goals | 61 |
| Points | 260 |