Unions |
Rugby Football League Welsh Rugby League Scotland Rugby League Rugby League Ireland |
---|---|
Nickname(s) | The Lions |
Coach(es) | none |
Captain(s) | none |
Most appearances |
Garry Schofield (46) Mick Sullivan (46) |
Top scorer | Neil Fox (228) |
Most tries | Mick Sullivan (41) |
First match | |
Great Britain 14-6 New Zealand Headingley Rugby Stadium, Leeds, England (18 January 1908) |
|
Largest win | |
Fiji 4–72 Great Britain Suva, Fiji (October 1996) |
|
Largest defeat | |
Australia 64–10 Great Britain Sydney, Australia (July 2002) |
The Great Britain national rugby league team represents Great Britain in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League (RFL), the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions".
For most of the 20th century the Great Britain team was assembled to go on tours overseas, and to play against foreign touring teams, as well as competing in Rugby League World Cup tournaments. They were one of the strongest teams in rugby league, though usually playing second fiddle to Australia. They won the Rugby League World Cup on three occasions: 1954, 1960 and 1972.
Since 1995 the RFL have preferred to send the home nations as separate teams for World Cup purposes. Great Britain continued to compete as a test playing nation both home and away. They competed against Australia for the Ashes, and New Zealand for the Baskerville Shield, as well the Tri-Nations series with both Australia and New Zealand. Great Britain also played in series and tours against other nations such as France, Papua New Guinea and Fiji.
In 2006, the RFL announced that after the 2007 All Golds Tour the Great Britain team would no longer compete on a regular basis, and that players would be able to represent England, Wales and Scotland at Test level. It is planned that the Great Britain team will come together in future only for occasional tours, similar to the British and Irish Lions in rugby union.