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BLAIR ‘PADDY’ MAYNE

 

Compiled by Stewart McClean

 

 

 

THE BRITISH LIONS TOUR OF SOUTH AFRICA 1938

 

 

R.B.Mayne, Queens University, Ulster and Ireland was a member of the Lions party which toured South Africa in 1938, he was one of five Ulster players to be honoured by selection along with S.Walker of Instonians, R.Alexander of NIFC and RUC,  G.E.Cromey and H.R.McKibben both of Queens University.

This is thought to be the first time that the term "LIONS" was used as they had always been referred to as The British Isles Touring Party prior to 1938.

The party sailed from Southampton on May 20th on board the liner Stirling Castle and arrived in Cape Town on June 3rd, by all accounts the critics were very impressed after watching the teams first try out.

The tour consisted of twenty provincial matches ** ++ and three full tests with R.B.Mayne playing in seventeen of the provincial matches and the three tests.

** It was originally to be eighteen but they were asked to stay on and play a further two matches.

Listed below is a resume of the match facts and comments pertaining to Blair Mayne. These have been compiled from articles and reports contained in The Northern Whig Newspapers which are stored in hard copy at Central Library in Belfast.

++Following research into those papers I have found recorded details of twenty four matches being played on this tour

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Opening Match.... Saturday 11th  June 38

Lions v Border        result..... won 11 pts to 8 pts

R.B.Mayne selected.

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2nd  Match.... Wednesday 15th  June 38

Lions v Griqualand    result..... won 22 pts to 9 pts

R.B.Mayne selected

“MAYNE OUTSTANDING IN PACK "

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3rd  Match.... Saturday 18th  June 38

Lions v Western Province    result... lost  11 pts to 8 pts

This was classed as a Town and Country side

R.B.Mayne selected

"ALTHOUGH BEATEN THE VISITORS IMPRESSED WITH THEIR

BRILLIANT OPEN PLAY AND THEIR RELENTLESS TACKLING"

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4th match.... Wednesday 22nd  June 38

Lions v S/West District  result... won  19 pts to 10 pts

R.B.Mayne not selected


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5th  Match....Saturday 25th  June 38

Lions v Western Province   result... lost 21 pts to 11 pts

R.B.Mayne selected

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6th  Match....Wednesday  29th  June 38

Lions v Western Transvaal   result...  won 26 pts to 9 pts

R.B.Mayne selected

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7th  Match.... Saturday 2nd  July 38

Lions v Orange Free State   result...  won 21 pts to 6 pts

R.B.Mayne selected

"R.B.MAYNE AN OUTSTANDING FORWARD IN BOTH TIGHT AND LOOSE"

‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑

8th  Match.... Wednesday 6th  July 38

Lions v Orange Free State  result...  won 18 pts to 3 pts

R,B,Mayne not selected

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9th  Match.... Saturday 9th  July 38

Lions v Transvaal   result... lost 12 pts to 9 pts

R.B.Mayne selected

"R.B.MAYNE OUTSTANDING IN A GOOD PACK"

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10th  Match.... Wednesday 13th  July 38

Lions v Northern Transvaal  result...  won 20 pts to 12 pts

R.B.Mayne selected

‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑

11th   Match.... Saturday 16th  July 38

Lions v Cape Province   result...  won 10 pts to 3 pts

R.B.Mayne selected

‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑

12th  Match.... Wednesday  19th  July 38

Lions v Rhodesian XV    result...  won 24 pts to 11 pts

R.B.Mayne not selected

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13th  Match.... Saturday 23rd  July 38

Lions v Rhodesia    result...  won 45 pts to 11 pts

R.B.Mayne selected

 

14th  Match.... Saturday 30th  July 38

Lions v Transvaal   result...  won 17 pts to 9 pts

R.B.Mayne selected

"MAYNE WAS A MAIN STAY OF THE PACK"

‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑

15th   Match.... Saturday 6th  August 38

THE FIRST TEST AGAINST SOUTH AFRICA

JOHANNESBURG

result...   Lost 26 pts to 12 pts

R.B.Mayne selected "

“MAYNE WAS OUTSTANDING IN A PACK WHICH GAMELY AND UNTIRINGLY STOOD UP TO A TREMENDOUS TASK"

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* On August 10th  the Lions were asked to stay for another  week and play a further two matches. *

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16th  Match.... Saturday 13th  August 38

Lions v Northern Provinces   result... lost 26 pts to 8 pts

This was an experimental side

R.B.Mayne selected

‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑

17th  Match.... Wednesday 17th  August 38

Lions v Natal   result...  won 15 pts to 11 pts

R.B.Mayne selected

"MAYNE WAS THE OUTSTANDING FORWARD AND HE WORKED VERY HARD"

---------------------------------------------------------

18th  Match.... Saturday 20th  August 38

Lions v Border XV   result...  won 19 pts to 11 pts

R.B.Mayne selected

This was regarded as a trial match for the second test

"MAYNE WAS THE OUTSTANDING FORWARD ON THE FIELD AND WAS WELL SUPPORTED BY THE ENTIRE PACK"

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19th  Match.... Wednesday 24th  August 38

Lions v North Easterns   result...  won 42 pts to 3 pts

R.B.Mayne not selected

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20th  Match.... Saturday 27th  August 38

Lions v Eastern Province   result...  won 6 pts to 5 pts

R.B.Mayne selected

"MAYNE AGAIN OUTSTANDING IN THE PACK"


21st  Match.... Saturday 3rd  September 38

…………………………………………………

THE SECOND TEST AGAINST SOUTH AFRICA

PORT ELIZABETH

result...  Lost 19 pts to 3 pts

R.B.Mayne selected

The temperature was 93 degrees in the shade, the heat was too much for them and some of them were nearly in a fainting condition at the close of play.

-------------------------------------------------------------

22nd  Match.... Saturday 10th  September 38

THE THIRD TEST AGAINST SOUTH AFRICA

CAPE TOWN

result...   Won 21 pts to 16 pts

R.B.Mayne selected

"MAYNE AGAIN OUTSTANDING IN THE OPEN AND MAGNIFICENT IN DEFENCE"

The British team were popular and deserving winners of one of the fastest, most open and exciting International matches ever seen in South Africa.

The crowd carried the captain S.Walker and members of the team off the field on their shoulders

There were eight Irishmen on this team.

This was only the third time in 47 years for a South African team to be beaten on that ground in an International game.

Newlands is the home of rugby in the Union and a familiar slogan in South Africa is...

" WE NEVER LOSE AT NEWLANDS"

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23rd  Match.... Saturday 17th  September 38

Lions v Western Provinces Universities

result...    Won 19 pts to 16 pts

R.B.Mayne selected

‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑

24th  Match.... Wednesday 21st  September 38

Lions v Western Provinces Country XV

result...    Lost 12 pts to 7 pts

R.B.Mayne selected

‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑

 

The touring party (pictured above at Newlands) sailed for home on Friday 23rd September 1938 on board the SS ATHLONE CASTLE.

 

FULL TOUR RECORD........

Played  24  Won 17 Lost 7  Drawn 0

PLAYERS.

FULL BACKS....

V.G.J.JENKINS         (London Welsh)

C.F.GRIEVE              (Oxford Uni).

 

THREEQUARTERS....

E.J.UNWIN                (Rosslyn Park)

W.H.CLEMENT        (Llanelli)

E.L.JONES                (Llanelli)

C.V.BOYLE              (Dublin Uni)

R.LEYLAND            (Waterloo)

D.J.MACRAE           (St.Andrews Uni.)

H.R.McKIBBEN       (Queens Uni)

B.E.NICHOLSON     (Old Whitgiftians and Harlequins)

HALF‑BACKS....

F.J.REYNOLDS        (Old Cranleighans)

G.E.CROMEY           (Queens Uni.)

J.L.GILES                  (Coventry)

H.TANNER               (Swansea)

G.J.MORAN              (Clontarf)

 

FORWARDS....

S.WALKER               (Instonions)

M.E.MORGAN          (Swansea)

W.G.HOWARD         (Old Birkonions)

W.H.TRAVERS         (Newport)

C.R.A. GRAVES        (Dublin Wanderers)

R.B.MAYNE              (Queens Uni.)

G.T.DANCER            (Bedford)

S.R.COUCHMAN     (Old Cranleighans)

A.G.PURCHAS         (Coventry)

J.A.WATERS            (Selkirk)

P.L.DUFF                  (Glasgow Acads.)

I.WILLIAMS             (Cardiff)

A.R.TAYLOR           (Cross Keys)

R.ALEXANDER       (North of Ireland)

 

TEAM CAPTAIN - S.WALKER.

TEAM MANAGER - Maj.B.C.HARTLEY.

ASSISTANT MANAGER - H.A.HAIGH‑SMITH.

 

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The profit on the British rugby teams recent tour of South Africa ammounted to ,13,837.3s.3d. The takings for all matches in which the touring team took part amounted to ,21,879.12s.3d and the expenditure in connection with the tour was ,8,042.9s.6d. (Financial details taken from newspaper report of the time)

 

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On Saturday 1st of February 1939 a match was arranged at Ravenhill between the Touring Party XV and a side selected by Maj Hartley. This match was to close the Senior rugby season of that year.

The Tourists won the match easily.

Tourists XV 39 pts.... Hartley's XV 12 pts

 

 

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