The years rolled away and the old fire was relit in the bellies of some of the sport’s greatest players when the Rugby League Lions Association held its annual reunion luncheon in late January.
A CAPACITY audience of 450 people came together in Wigan to remember and celebrate international rugby league and the exploits of the players selected to represent their country in the southern hemisphere.
First held in 1945 and relaunched with some success by Rugby League Cares eight years ago, the Lions lunch has grown to become one of the most uplifting and positive events in the calendar.
The 2024 event was no exception and the move from its recent home in Bradford to The Edge conference centre in Wigan saw the Lions roar with pride as they marked two notable anniversaries.
Fifty years after they went so close to wresting the Ashes back out of Australian hands and emulating the 1970 tourists, members of the 1974 Lions took to the stage to share memories from their time on tour.
Jim Mills, Paul Charlton, David Redfearn, George Nicholls and Eric Chisnall regaled a captivated audience with stories of how the Ashes series was ultimately decided by some partisan refereeing decisions and how a patched-up Great Britain team had gone so close to glory in the decisive third Test.
The audience was treated to a highlights video from the 1974 tour, including never-before-seen footage of the Lions’ second Test victory and rare interviews with tour captain Chris Hesketh and hooker John Gray.
This year also marks the 40th anniversary of the 1984 tour, when the youngest-ever Lions squad sent Down Under returned home having lost all six Tests in Australia and New Zealand but with their reputations enhanced.
Two years earlier, the 1982 Kangaroos had swept all before them, restricting Great Britain to a solitary try in the third Test (scored by Hull winger Steve Evans) and earning the name ‘The Invincibles.’
Eight 1984 tourists – captain Brian Noble, Harry Pinner, Terry Flanagan MBE, Mick Worrall, Joe Lydon, Chris Burton, Andy Gregory and Neil Holding – were given a rousing reception as they recalled some of their experiences from four decades ago.
Gregory, who had been selected as first choice scrum-half, spoke of his disappointment at not starting any of the Ashes Tests but paid tribute to the player who did, expressing appreciation for Holding’s ‘richly-deserved selection’ and high-quality performances.
Holding had his tourmates, and the audience, in stitches with his impression of Frank Myler, and a story of the coach’s attempts to get his players to learn the words of an ill-advised tour theme song.
The event also saw the Lions play a moving video tribute to the Association members who had died since the 2023 reunion: John Taylor (1962), David Willicombe (1974, 1975), David Watkins MBE (1974, 1975), Mike Coulman (1975), Bev Risman (1968) and Peter Glynn (1979), who sadly passed away on the eve of the luncheon.
The Lions maintained another recent tradition by presenting heritage certificates to members: these included 1988 tourist Paul Groves, five-time tourist Prof Chris Brookes and Peter Rowe, a member of the Wales team in the 1975 World Cup.
But the most rousing reception of the day was reserved for two local heroes, both of whom have been elevated into the RL Hall of Fame: Billy Boston MBE and Martin Offiah MBE.
With the sound of Tom Jones’s Delilah ringing out, 89-year-old Boston (Lion number 196) received a standing ovation as he walked onto stage to present Lion number 434 Offiah with his heritage certificate.
“Most people in this room will have made more tackles than I did but no-one has scored more tries than me other than this gentleman,” quipped Offiah. “It’s a real honour for me to receive my heritage certificate from Billy.”
Offiah also paid tribute to two fellow Lions in the audience who had played key roles in his career by coaching him: Doug Laughton, who signed him for Widnes, and former Great Britain coach Malcolm Reilly, who selected him for three tours.
The Lions lunch was sponsored by Ellis Rugby and held with the generous support of Wigan Council and its leader David Molyneux.
The event raised a magnificent £4,000 for the Rugby League Benevolent Fund, which provides lifelong support to players who have suffered life-changing injuries on the field of play.
First published in Rugby League World magazine, Issue 494 (March 2024)
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