View source for 1955–56 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain and France

{{Infobox rugby league tour
| image =
| caption =
| date =
| tour = 1955-56
| team = New Zealand
| yearstart = 1955
| yearfinish = 1956
| destination = England and France
| manager = Colin Siddle
| coach = [[Harold Tetley]]
| captain = [[Tommy Baxter]]
| top point scorer = [[Dick Haggie]] 155
| top try scorer = [[Vern Bakalich]] 26
| top test point scorer = [[Dick Haggie]] 23
| top test try scorer = [[Henry Maxwell (rugby league)|Henry Maxwell]] 4 <br /> {{flagdeco|GB|12}} [[Mick Sullivan]] 6
| matchplayed = 37
| matchwon = 18
| matchdraw = 3
| matchlost = 16
| testplayed = 6
| testwon = 2
| testdraw = 0
| testlost = 4
| opponent1 = {{rl|GB}}
| played1 = 3
| won1 = 1
| draw1 = 0
| lost1 = 2
| opponent2 = {{rl|FRA}}
| played2 = 3
| won2 = 1
| draw2 = 0
| lost2 = 2
| previous = [[1951–52 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain and France|1951-52]] by {{leagueicon|Kiwis|12}} <br /> [[1952–53 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France|1952-53]] by {{leagueicon|Australia|12}} <br /> [[1954 Rugby League World Cup|1954 RLWC]] in {{flagdeco|FRA|12}}
| next = [[1956 New Zealand rugby league tour of Australia|1956]] {{leagueicon|Kiwis|12}} to {{leagueicon|Australia|12}} <br /> [[1956–57 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France|1956-57]] by {{leagueicon|Australia|12}} <br /> [[1961 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain and France|1961]] by {{leagueicon|Kiwis|12}}
}}
The '''1955–1956 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain and France''' was a tour by the [[New Zealand national rugby league team]]. New Zealand lost both test series 1–2.
==Squad==
The team was coached by [[Harold Tetley]] and managed by Colin Siddle.<ref>{{Cite journal | author1=New South Wales Rugby Football League. | journal=The Rugby League News| location=Sydney | publisher=N.S.W. Rugby Football League | via=Trove | year=1920|title= N.Z. Picks Strong Side|volume= 36|issue= 34 (1 October 1955)|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-642190288| id=nla.obj-642190288| access-date=21 Jan 2020}}</ref> [[Cliff Johnson (rugby league)|Cliff Johnson]] was originally selected but withdrew and was replaced by Maxwell.
Vern Bakalich scored a then record twenty six tries while on tour.<ref name=akl100/>
Match Results and Players' Records (appearances, tries and goals) were printed in the 1956 edition of the Sydney-based publication, ''E.E. Christensen's Official Rugby League Yearbook''.
{| class="sortable" border="0" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2" style="width:80%;" style="text-align:center;"
|- style="background:#AAD0FF"
! Player
! {{Tooltip|Position|Main Position}}
! Age
! Club
! Tests<br /><small>on<br />Tour</small>
! Games
! Tries
! Goals
! <small>[[Drop goal|FG]]</small>
! Points
|-
| align=left | [[Alister Atkinson]] || {{rlp|LK}} || 30 || align=left |{{leagueicon|canterburynzrl|16}} [[Canterbury rugby league team|Canterbury]] || 3 || 22 || 10 || style="color:lightgray" |0 || style="color:lightgray" |0 || align=right | 30
|-
| align=left | [[Vern Bakalich]] || {{rlp|WG}} || 26 || align=left |{{leagueicon|aucklandnzrl|16}} [[Auckland rugby league team|Auckland]] || 6 || 28 || 26 || style="color:lightgray" |0 || style="color:lightgray" |0 || align=right | 78
|-
| align=left | [[Tommy Baxter]] || {{rlp|CE}} || || align=left |{{leagueicon|aucklandnzrl|16}} [[Auckland rugby league team|Auckland]] || 6 || 32 || 5 || style="color:lightgray" |0 || style="color:lightgray" |0 || align=right | 15
|-
| align=left | [[Sel Belsham]] || {{rlp|HB}} || 24 || align=left |{{leagueicon|aucklandnzrl|16}} [[Auckland rugby league team|Auckland]] || 3 || 10 || 2 || style="color:lightgray" |0 || style="color:lightgray" |0 || align=right | 6
|-
| align=left | [[Lory Blanchard]] || {{rlp|PR}}, {{rlp|HK}} || 31 || align=left |{{leagueicon|canterburynzrl|16}} [[Canterbury rugby league team|Canterbury]] || 4 || 22 || 2 || style="color:lightgray" |0 || style="color:lightgray" |0 || align=right | 6
|-
| align=left | [[John Bond (rugby league)|John Bond]] || {{rlp|SR}} || || align=left |{{leagueicon|canterburynzrl|16}} [[Canterbury rugby league team|Canterbury]] || 1 || 9 || 3 || style="color:lightgray" |0 || style="color:lightgray" |0 || align=right | 9
|-
| align=left | [[Jock Butterfield]] || {{rlp|HK}}, {{rlp|SR}} || 23 || align=left |{{leagueicon|canterburynzrl|16}} [[Canterbury rugby league team|Canterbury]] || 4 || 21 || 4 || style="color:lightgray" |0 || style="color:lightgray" |0 || align=right | 12
|-
| align=left | [[Pat Creedy]] || {{rlp|HB}} || 27 || align=left |{{leagueicon|canterburynzrl|16}} [[Canterbury rugby league team|Canterbury]] || 3 || 24 || 2 || 12 || style="color:lightgray" |0 || align=right | 30
|-
| align=left | [[Neville Denton]] || {{rlp|FB}} || 21 || align=left |{{leagueicon|aucklandnzrl|16}} [[Auckland rugby league team|Auckland]] || 0 || 6 || 3 || style="color:lightgray" |0 || style="color:lightgray" |0 || align=right | 9
|-
| align=left | [[Ian Grey (rugby league)|Ian Grey]] || {{rlp|SR}} || 24 || align=left |{{leagueicon|aucklandnzrl|16}} [[Auckland rugby league team|Auckland]] || 2 || 11 || 5 || style="color:lightgray" |0 || style="color:lightgray" |0 || align=right | 15
|-
| align=left | [[Dick Haggie]] || {{rlp|FB}}, {{rlp|WG}} || 21 || align=left |{{leagueicon|aucklandnzrl|16}} [[Auckland rugby league team|Auckland]] || 4 || 27 || 11 || 61 || style="color:lightgray" |0 || align=right | 155
|-
| align=left | Robert Hawes || {{rlp|WG}} || || align=left |{{leagueicon|St Helens|16}} [[West Coast rugby league team|West Coast]] || 1 || 9 || 3 || style="color:lightgray" |0 || style="color:lightgray" |0 || align=right | 9
|-
| align=left | [[Trevor Kilkelly]] || {{rlp|HK}} || || align=left |{{leagueicon|canterburynzrl|16}} [[Canterbury rugby league team|Canterbury]] || 2 || 15 || 1 || style="color:lightgray" |0 || style="color:lightgray" |0 || align=right | 3
|-
| align=left | [[Henry Maxwell (rugby league)|Henry Maxwell]] || {{rlp|PR}} || || align=left |{{leagueicon|aucklandnzrl|16}} [[Auckland rugby league team|Auckland]] || 6 || 27 || 7 || style="color:lightgray" |0 || style="color:lightgray" |0 || align=right | 21
|-
| align=left | [[George McDonald (rugby league)|George McDonald]] || {{rlp|SR}} || || align=left |{{leagueicon|Waikato|16}} [[Waikato rugby league team|South Auckland]] || 3 || 22 || 0 || style="color:lightgray" |0 || style="color:lightgray" |0 || align=right | 0
|-
| align=left | [[Ron McKay]] || {{rlp|CE}} || || align=left |{{leagueicon|aucklandnzrl|16}} [[Auckland rugby league team|Auckland]] || 5 || 24 || 5 || 8 || style="color:lightgray" |0 || align=right | 31
|-
| align=left | [[Bill McLennan (rugby league)|Bill McLennan]] || {{rlp|PR}} || || align=left |{{leagueicon|St Helens|16}} [[West Coast rugby league team|West Coast]] || 5 || 28 || 2 || 4 || style="color:lightgray" |0 || align=right | 14
|-
| align=left | [[Les McNicol]] || {{rlp|WG}}, {{rlp|CE}} || 23 || align=left |{{leagueicon|St Helens|16}} [[West Coast rugby league team|West Coast]] || 1 || 13 || 6 || style="color:lightgray" |0 || style="color:lightgray" |0 || align=right | 18
|-
| align=left | [[George Menzies]] || {{rlp|FE}} || 24 || align=left |{{leagueicon|St Helens|16}} [[West Coast rugby league team|West Coast]] || 2 || 14 || 3 || style="color:lightgray" |0 || style="color:lightgray" |0 || align=right | 9
|-
| align=left | [[Roy Moore (rugby league)|Roy Moore]] || {{rlp|FB}} || || align=left |{{leagueicon|aucklandnzrl|16}} [[Auckland rugby league team|Auckland]] || 3 || 13 || 3 || 19 || style="color:lightgray" |0 || align=right | 47
|-
| align=left | [[Rex Percy]] || {{rlp|SR}} || 21 || align=left |{{leagueicon|aucklandnzrl|16}} [[Auckland rugby league team|Auckland]] || 4 || 23 || 12 || 1 || style="color:lightgray" |0 || align=right | 38
|-
| align=left | [[Jim Riddell]] || {{rlp|SR}} || || align=left |{{leagueicon|aucklandnzrl|16}} [[Auckland rugby league team|Auckland]] || 2 || 12 || 0 || style="color:lightgray" |0 || style="color:lightgray" |0 || align=right | 0
|-
| align=left | [[Keith Roberts (rugby league)|Keith Roberts]] || {{rlp|HB}} || 23 || align=left |{{leagueicon|canterburynzrl|16}} [[Canterbury rugby league team|Canterbury]] || 2 || 14 || 5 || style="color:lightgray" |0 || style="color:lightgray" |0 || align=right | 15
|-
| align=left | Bruce Robertson || {{rlp|WG}} || || align=left |{{leagueicon|aucklandnzrl|16}} [[Auckland rugby league team|Auckland]] || 1 || 9 || 4 || style="color:lightgray" |0 || style="color:lightgray" |0 || align=right | 12
|-
| align=left | [[Bill Sorensen]] || {{rlp|FE}}, {{rlp|CE}} || || align=left |{{leagueicon|aucklandnzrl|16}} [[Auckland rugby league team|Auckland]] || 5 || 33 || 8 || style="color:lightgray" |0 || style="color:lightgray" |0 || align=right | 24
|-
| align=left | [[John Yates (rugby league)|John Yates]] || {{rlp|PR}}, {{rlp|SR}} || || align=left |{{leagueicon|aucklandnzrl|16}} [[Auckland rugby league team|Auckland]] || 0 || 11 || 2 || style="color:lightgray" |0 || style="color:lightgray" |0 || align=right | 6
|}
==Fixtures==
A full list of fixtures is available at the [https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/tours/kiwis-tour-1955-56/summary.html Rugby League Project] website.
{| class="wikitable" width="100%"
!Date!! Opponent !! Venue!! Result!! Score!! Attendance!! Report
|-
|8 October 1955||[[Great Britain national rugby league team|Great Britain]]||[[Station Road, Swinton]]||Loss||6-25||21,937||<ref>[http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/great-britain-vs-new-zealand-1955/game-1/great-britain-vs-new-zealand.html Great Britain 25 def. New Zealand 6] ''rugbyleagueproject.org''</ref>
|-
|12 November 1955||[[Great Britain national rugby league team|Great Britain]]||[[Odsal Stadium]], [[Bradford]]||Loss||12-27||24,443||<ref>[http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/great-britain-vs-new-zealand-1955/game-2/great-britain-vs-new-zealand.html Great Britain 27 def. New Zealand 12] ''rugbyleagueproject.org''</ref>
|-
|17 December 1955||[[Great Britain national rugby league team|Great Britain]]||[[Headingley Rugby Stadium|Headingley]], [[Leeds]]||Win||28-13||10,438
||<ref>[http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/great-britain-vs-new-zealand-1955/game-3/great-britain-vs-new-zealand.html Great Britain 13 lost to New Zealand 28] ''rugbyleagueproject.org''</ref>
|-
|8 January 1956||[[France national rugby league team|France]]||[[Stadium Municipal]], [[Toulouse]]||Loss||7-24||10,184
||<ref>[http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/france-vs-new-zealand-1956/game-1/france-vs-new-zealand.html France 24 def. New Zealand 7] ''rugbyleagueproject.org''</ref>
|-
|15 January 1956||[[France national rugby league team|France]]||[[Stade de Gerland]], [[Lyon]]||Win||22-13||7,051||<ref>[http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/france-vs-new-zealand-1956/game-2/france-vs-new-zealand.html France 22 lost to New Zealand 31] ''rugbyleagueproject.org''</ref>
|-
|31 January 1956||[[France national rugby league team|France]]||[[Parc des Princes]], [[Paris]]||Loss||24-3||7,051||<ref>[http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/france-vs-new-zealand-1956/game-3/france-vs-new-zealand.html France 24 def. New Zealand 3] ''rugbyleagueproject.org''</ref>
|}
The Kiwis were so ravaged by injuries that they only had twelve fully fit players available for the final Test against France.<ref name=akl100>Coffey, John and Bernie Wood ''Auckland, 100 years of rugby league, 1909-2009'', 2009. {{ISBN|978-1-86969-366-4}}.</ref>
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Kiwis tours}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:1955-1956 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain and France}}
[[Category:New Zealand national rugby league team tours]]
[[Category:1955 in New Zealand rugby league|Great Britain]]
[[Category:1956 in New Zealand rugby league|Great Britain]]
[[Category:1955 in English sport|New Zealand tour]]
[[Category:1956 in French sport|New Zealand tour]]
[[Category:1955 in rugby league|New Zealand tour of Australia]]
[[Category:1956 in rugby league|New Zealand tour of Australia]]
[[Category:Rugby league tours of Great Britain]]
[[Category:Rugby league tours of France]]