1921–22 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain

Early in the 1921 NSWRFL season, players who were selected had to leave their clubs for the tour. All but one of the League's nine teams (University) were represented in the touring squad:

The sole New Zealand player that accompanied the Australians on tour has been listed in the Australian Rugby League's Kangaroos players register.[8]

1 October 1921

Great Britain	6–5	Australia
Tries: Squire Stockwell Billy Stone Goals:	[11]	Tries: Cec Blinkhorn Goals: Jim Craig (1)

Headingley, Leeds Attendance: 31,700 Referee: Frank Renton (England)

The Kangaroos' winning streak came to an end when they played against England. Australasia led 5–3 at the break and the match seemed to be theirs when Frank Burge scored a late try, but it was disallowed by referee Frank Renton. Thus, a sole second-half try from the British close to full-time was enough for them to win it.

10 October 1921	England	5–4	Australasia	Highbury, London
	Tries: Frank Todd Goals: Tom Clarkson (1)	[12]	Goals: Goals: Bert Gray (1) Duncan Thompson (1)	Attendance: 12,000

At halftime York led 4–3 in a game that "was characterised by rough and scrambling play, minor injuries being numerous."[15]

5 November 1921

Great Britain	2–16	Australia
Goals: Johnny Rogers Goals:	[16]	Tries: Cec Blinkhorn (2) Harold Horder Dick Vest Goals: Duncan Thompson (2)

The Boulevard, Hull Attendance: 21,504 Referee: R. Robinson

In the second Test the scores were 2-all at half-time, but after that the Australian backline of Horder, Carstairs, Vest and Blinkhorn cut loose. The Kangaroos scored 4 tries to nil, the win setting up the third and final Test as the Ashes decider. This was also the last Test in the international career of Sandy Pearce and made him the oldest ever Kangaroo.

The Kangaroos played sixteen more tour matches between the second and third Tests:

Up to and including the final Kangaroo Tour which included matches against English club sides in 1994, this would be the highest ever score by the Kangaroos. The closest The Kangaroos ever came to this score was an 80–2 win over the Sheffield Eagles in 1994.

10 December 1921	Wales	16–21	Australasia	Taff Vale Park, Pontypridd
	Goals: Tommy Howley, Johnny Rogers Goals: Ben Gronow (4) Jim Sullivan (1)	[17]	Tries: Cec Blinkhorn, Frank Burge, Jim Craig, Harold Horder, Albert Johnston Goals: Duncan Thompson (3)	Attendance: 13,000

Among those present for this match was the UK's Speaker of the House of Commons, J. H. Whitley. The half-time score was 18–3 to the visitors, who were without Dick Vest due to ill health.[18]

14 January 1922

Great Britain	6–0	Australia
Tries: Herman Hilton F Gallagher Goals:	[19]	Tries: Goals:

The Willows, Salford Attendance: 22,000 Referee: R. Jones

The decider was played on a heavy, snow-bound field, much to the dismay of the fleet-footed Kangaroos. Early in the match the Australians were reduced to twelve men when Chook Fraser suffered a broken leg.[20] In what was described as "a bruising encounter", Herman Hilton took a pass from his captain, the "prince of centres", Harold Wagstaff to dive over, taking two defenders over the try-line with him.[21] The final score was 6–0 to the home side.[22] By winning this third and deciding test of the series, Britain claimed the Ashes.

By the end of the tour, Australian three-quarter, Cec Blinkhorn, had scored 39 tries in 29 matches, which still stands as the record for most tries scored on a Kangaroo tour.[23] The other winger, Harold Horder scored 35, and forward Frank Burge was not far behind with 33 tries from 23 games.[24]

The team travelled back to Australia on the Orvieto, arriving in Fremantle in February 1922.[25] Upon their return to Sydney a large dinner was held for the tourists by the New South Wales Rugby Football League, which was attended by the likes of Sir Joynton Smith, to celebrate the players' courageous effort and the fact that this was the first team to return to Sydney with a profit.[26]