The Regiment 1992 GB Tour

[Wigan Riversider]

Chatting with a bloke today who was on the 1992 GB Tour Down Under who was invited to join The Regiment.

I remember seeing them at the WC Final at Wembley later on that year even though I was not on the 1992 Tour.

Any anecdotes anyone?

[Gomersall]

Final Test in Brisbane the Regiment marched past at the bottom of the terracing at the old Lang Park behind the posts. A torrent of beer cans rained down on them. Calmly the Regiment picked the cans up and returned them with interest. I don’t think the Aussies were expecting that.

[Dunbar]

I accept it may just be me but I have no idea what this is about.

[Gomersall]

11 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

I accept it may just be me but I have no idea what this is about.

The Regiment were a large group of supporters from Leeds IIRC who followed GB in Australia on the last tour as we knew them in 1992. A RL Barmy Army if you will.

[Dunbar]

1 minute ago, Gomersall said:

The Regiment were a large group of supporters from Leeds IIRC who followed GB in Australia on the last tour as we knew them in 1992. A RL Barmy Army if you will.

Thanks.

[Richard de la Riviere]

Was Roy Dickinson part of it? 

[DavidM]

Not the SAS then

[Gomersall]

1 hour ago, Richard de la Riviere said:

Was Roy Dickinson part of it? 

Yes, I think so.

[Pie tries]

I saw them in Melbourne ‘92 - walking in single file down the street - felt like a hundred of them - all wearing identical outfits. Aussies standing in the street staring - never seen anything like it

Get tge ashes booked back in - home and away, even if only once every four years. Iconic series

[Harry Stottle]

9 hours ago, Pie tries said:

I saw them in Melbourne ‘92 - walking in single file down the street - felt like a hundred of them - all wearing identical outfits. Aussies standing in the street staring - never seen anything like it

Get tge ashes booked back in - home and away, even if only once every four years. Iconic series

The pinnicle of RL.

[Workington Man]

13 hours ago, Harry Stottle said:

The pinnicle of RL.

It definitely was, back in the 90s. Thirty odd years ago. 

Nowhere near that now though sadly. 

[Leyther_Matt]

…I wish I was there!

[Gooleboy]

Those British RL fans were the original barmy army, not the cricket lot.

[Gomersall]

7 hours ago, Gooleboy said:

Those British RL fans were the original barmy army, not the cricket lot.

I think there were rumoured to be ten thousand Brits out there by the time of the last Ashes Test.

[Cumbrian Fanatic]

2 hours ago, Gomersall said:

I think there were rumoured to be ten thousand Brits out there by the time of the last Ashes Test.

I was there for the last test and it certainly felt like that, the GB fans basically took over the whole area around Lang Park. A lad I grew up with, had by that stage been living in Brisbane for about 5 years, has since told me that it the only time he has ever felt homesick.

Small anecdote on how well they were received, on the following Sunday I went to the Broncos game with my mate and all his Aussie friends. In the pub afterwards, I went to the bar to order 4 beers, probably XXXX, but they didn't have any so I asked for another brew (Powers?) None of that either. Jokingly I asked what kind of pub it was with no beer and got the reply "all you bloody poms drank it on Friday".

My mate later told me that the landlord wrote to the local Brisbane paper saying it was the best night any of his pubs had ever had, with the best crowd, especially given that they were fans of a beaten team

[Damien]

11 hours ago, Gooleboy said:

Those British RL fans were the original barmy army, not the cricket lot.

In RL we've been an original lots of things and lost ownership of every single one!

[Damien]

3 hours ago, Gomersall said:

I think there were rumoured to be ten thousand Brits out there by the time of the last Ashes Test.

I'm always so envious when I see those old clips. It looked fantastic. I always remember my Nan & Grandad being booked to go on the last planned proper Ashes in 1996 which was then cancelled because of the SL war. A lifelong ambition and they never got to go.

[Gomersall]

47 minutes ago, Cumbrian Fanatic said:

I was there for the last test and it certainly felt like that, the GB fans basically took over the whole area around Lang Park. A lad I grew up with, had by that stage been living in Brisbane for about 5 years, has since told me that it the only time he has ever felt homesick.

Small anecdote on how well they were received, on the following Sunday I went to the Broncos game with my mate and all his Aussie friends. In the pub afterwards, I went to the bar to order 4 beers, probably XXXX, but they didn't have any so I asked for another brew (Powers?) None of that either. Jokingly I asked what kind of pub it was with no beer and got the reply "all you bloody poms drank it on Friday".

My mate later told me that the landlord wrote to the local Brisbane paper saying it was the best night any of his pubs had ever had, with the best crowd, especially given that they were fans of a beaten team

We went to Manly v St George (I think it was SG) a week after the last Test and in the Leagues club after the game the Aussies wanted us to sing Always Look on the Bright Side of Life which we duly did.

[Wigan Riversider]

I was told that there were only two rules to The Regiment.

1. The Brigadier was in charge.

2. When he blew his bugel all assembled had to sup up and move to the next pub.

Also 'Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life' was their anthem.

 

Like a poster above, I had set my heart on the 1996 Tour which didn't happen due to summer rugby, Murdoch etc.

GB did tour NZ in 1996 or have I got that wrong

[Gomersall]

2 minutes ago, Wigan Riversider said:

I was told that there were only two rules to The Regiment.

1. The Brigadier was in charge.

2. When he blew his bugel all assembled had to sup up and move to the next pub.

Also 'Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life' was their anthem.

 

Like a poster above, I had set my heart on the 1996 Tour which didn't happen due to summer rugby, Murdoch etc.

GB did tour NZ in 1996 or have I got that wrong

Yes they did and also went to Fiji on the same tour. I was toying with going but SL put everything up in the air and nothing was confirmed until late on so I ended up going down under for the Aussie play offs and Grand Final.

[gingerjon]

2 minutes ago, Gomersall said:

Yes they did and also went to Fiji on the same tour. I was toying with going but SL put everything up in the air and nothing was confirmed until late on so I ended up going down under for the Aussie play offs and Grand Final.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1996_Great_Britain_Lions_tour

[Wigan Riversider]

1 minute ago, Gomersall said:

Yes they did and also went to Fiji on the same tour. I was toying with going but SL put everything up in the air and nothing was confirmed until late on so I ended up going down under for the Aussie play offs and Grand Final.

Thanks.

I went over to Oz in 1997 during the SL war and watched Norths.

Miss the GB and Kangaroo tours.

Due to middle aged grumpiness I only watch Chorley Panthers now, but wow I enjoyed that 1992 tour on my sky dish including all the non test fixtures.

[Gomersall]

1 hour ago, Wigan Riversider said:

Thanks.

I went over to Oz in 1997 during the SL war and watched Norths.

Miss the GB and Kangaroo tours.

Due to middle aged grumpiness I only watch Chorley Panthers now, but wow I enjoyed that 1992 tour on my sky dish including all the non test fixtures.

After the Melbourne record score in the second Test we were due to fly up to Brisbane at 5:30 am the next day if memory serves me right. We just went on the pop in central Melbourne and then back to the hotel where we watched a replay of the game on a big screen as the hotel manager had kindly recorded the match for us. There was plenty of time to sleep after the flight.

[Wigan Riversider]

Wasn't Martin Offiah denied an equalising try at Lang Park the week after Melbourne in the third test?

Any idea what became of The Regiment?

[Gomersall]

3 minutes ago, Wigan Riversider said:

Wasn't Martin Offiah denied an equalising try at Lang Park the week after Melbourne in the third test?

Any idea what became of The Regiment?

If I remember correctly Offiah flew down the touch line but stepped on the line when evading a tackler.