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Story: Rugby league

First test match in New Zealand, 1910

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First test match in New Zealand, 1910

The first rugby league test match in New Zealand was played between the British Lions and the Kiwis in 1910 in Auckland. A crowd of 16,000 watched as the New Zealanders were thoroughly beaten, with a final score of 52–20.

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New Zealand Rugby League

Reference: n illustrated history: centenary 1910–2010: 100 years of New Zealand Rugby League. Established April 25, 1910. Auckland: New Zealand Rugby League, 2010, p. 7

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How to cite this page

John Coffey, Rugby league – Arrival in New Zealand, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/39042/first-test-match-in-new-zealand-1910 (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by John Coffey, published 30 November 2012.