Rugby league tours are a series of matches in the sport of rugby league against multiple opponents from one geographic area.
Numerous tours have occurred throughout history and have been mostly carried out by the top three rugby league nations Australia (Kangaroos), Great Britain (Lions), and New Zealand (Kiwis).
Tours historically consisted of a number of non-test matches against club or composite teams and single-match tests against national sides, before a three-game test series against the national side of the tour's primary destination. These three-game test series were the primary event of the tours and would often be their own competition, the most famous being The Ashes. More modern tours have often skipped non-test matches to play only the "primary event".
While the phrase "traditional era" and "modern era" have no set definition in rugby league and can vary massively depending on the context. No tours of any kind occurred between 2007 (coincidentally 100 years after the first tour) and 2015, the largest time without a tour in peace time. As a result 2015 can be considered the start of the modern era for tours. It was at this time when the majority of tours only saw a three-game test series with a single nation.
Prior to 1954 and the first Rugby League World Cup, tours were the main form of international competition in the sport.
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See also: Great Britain national rugby league team |
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See also: England national rugby league team |
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Main article: Kangaroo Tour |
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See also: Australia national rugby league team |
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See also: New Zealand national rugby league team |
Women's tours have operated very similar to men's tours, however many women's tours have seen a two-test series instead of the three-test series common with men's tours.