The Rugby League Ledger

Another way of keeping score

Aberdare Shield: Match Log 1908–1959

Every match in the lineage of the Aberdare Shield, the lineal title of men’s international rugby league, from Wales v New Zealand on 1 January 1908 to the end of 1959. The holder keeps the shield with a win or a draw, and it passes to any national team that beats them. Scores show the holder first. The story continues on 1960 to the present.

1900s

No.	Date	Holder	Score	Challenger	Result
1	1 Jan 1908	Wales	9–8	New Zealand	First match: Wales become the first holders
2	20 Apr 1908	Wales	35–18	England	Retained
3	28 Dec 1908	Wales	7–31	England	Won by England
4	2 Jan 1909	England	14–9	Australia	Retained
5	3 Feb 1909	England	17–17	Australia	Drawn, retained
6	3 Mar 1909	England	14–7	Australia	Retained
7	4 Dec 1909	England	19–13	Wales	Retained

1910s

No.	Date	Holder	Score	Challenger	Result
8	9 Apr 1910	England	18–39	Wales	Won by Wales
9	10 Dec 1910	Wales	13–39	England	Won by England
10	1 Apr 1911	England	27–8	Wales	Retained
11	18 Oct 1911	England	6–11	Australia	Won by Australia
12	8 Nov 1911	Australia	19–10	Great Britain	Retained
13	6 Dec 1911	Australia	3–5	England	Won by England
14	20 Jan 1912	England	31–5	Wales	Retained
15	15 Feb 1913	England	40–16	Wales	Retained
16	14 Feb 1914	England	16–12	Wales	Retained

1920s

No.	Date	Holder	Score	Challenger	Result
17	19 Jan 1921	England	35–9	Wales	Retained
18	10 Oct 1921	England	5–4	Australia	Retained
19	11 Dec 1922	England	12–7	Wales	Retained
20	7 Feb 1923	England	2–13	Wales	Won by Wales
21	1 Nov 1923	Wales	11–18	England	Won by England
22	7 Feb 1925	England	27–22	Wales	Retained
23	30 Sep 1925	England	18–14	Wales	Retained
24	12 Apr 1926	England	30–22	Wales	Retained
25	6 Apr 1927	England	11–8	Wales	Retained
26	11 Jan 1928	England	20–12	Wales	Retained
27	14 Nov 1928	England	39–15	Wales	Retained

1930s

No.	Date	Holder	Score	Challenger	Result
28	18 Mar 1931	England	23–18	Wales	Retained
29	27 Jan 1932	England	19–2	Wales	Retained
30	30 Nov 1932	England	14–13	Wales	Retained
31	28 Mar 1935	England	15–15	France	Drawn, retained
32	10 Apr 1935	England	24–11	Wales	Retained
33	1 Feb 1936	England	14–17	Wales	Won by Wales
34	7 Nov 1936	Wales	3–2	England	Retained
35	6 Dec 1936	Wales	9–3	France	Retained
36	29 Jan 1938	Wales	7–6	England	Retained
37	2 Apr 1938	Wales	18–2	France	Retained
38	5 Nov 1938	Wales	17–9	England	Retained
39	16 Apr 1939	Wales	10–16	France	Won by France

The 1933–34 matches against Australia and France are not listed: the official record keepers record that side as Great Britain, which did not hold the shield.

1940s

No.	Date	Holder	Score	Challenger	Result
40	23 Feb 1946	France	6–16	England	Won by England
41	12 Oct 1946	England	10–13	Wales	Won by Wales
42	16 Nov 1946	Wales	5–19	England	Won by England
43	8 Dec 1946	England	3–0	France	Retained
44	17 May 1947	England	5–2	France	Retained
45	20 Sep 1947	England	8–10	Wales	Won by Wales
46	18 Oct 1947	Wales	20–28	New Zealand	Won by New Zealand
47	8 Nov 1947	New Zealand	10–7	Great Britain	Retained
48	20 Dec 1947	New Zealand	9–25	Great Britain	Won by Great Britain
49	9 Oct 1948	Great Britain	23–21	Australia	Retained
50	6 Nov 1948	Great Britain	16–7	Australia	Retained
51	29 Jan 1949	Great Britain	23–9	Australia	Retained

1950s

No.	Date	Holder	Score	Challenger	Result
52	12 Jun 1950	Great Britain	6–4	Australia	Retained
53	1 Jul 1950	Great Britain	3–15	Australia	Won by Australia
54	22 Jul 1950	Australia	5–2	Great Britain	Retained
55	11 Jun 1951	Australia	15–26	France	Won by France
56	30 Jun 1951	France	11–23	Australia	Won by Australia
57	21 Jul 1951	Australia	14–35	France	Won by France
58	4 Aug 1951	France	15–16	New Zealand	Won by New Zealand
59	6 Oct 1951	New Zealand	15–21	Great Britain	Won by Great Britain
60	10 Nov 1951	Great Britain	20–19	New Zealand	Retained
61	15 Dec 1951	Great Britain	16–12	New Zealand	Retained
62	22 May 1952	Great Britain	12–22	France	Won by France
63	25 Oct 1952	France	16–22	Wales	Won by Wales
64	16 Sep 1953	Wales	5–24	England	Won by England
65	7 Nov 1953	England	7–5	France	Retained
66	10 May 1956	England	9–23	France	Won by France
67	1 Nov 1956	France	8–15	Australia	Won by Australia
68	17 Nov 1956	Australia	10–21	Great Britain	Won by Great Britain
69	1 Dec 1956	Great Britain	9–22	Australia	Won by Australia
70	15 Dec 1956	Australia	0–19	Great Britain	Won by Great Britain
71	26 Jan 1957	Great Britain	45–12	France	Retained
72	3 Mar 1957	Great Britain	19–19	France	Drawn, retained
73	10 Apr 1957	Great Britain	29–14	France	Retained
74	15 Jun 1957	Great Britain	23–5	France	Retained
75	17 Jun 1957	Great Britain	6–31	Australia	Won by Australia
76	22 Jun 1957	Australia	26–9	France	Retained
77	14 Jun 1958	Australia	25–8	Great Britain	Retained
78	5 Jul 1958	Australia	18–25	Great Britain	Won by Great Britain
79	19 Jul 1958	Great Britain	40–17	Australia	Retained
80	26 Jul 1958	Great Britain	10–15	New Zealand	Won by New Zealand
81	9 Aug 1958	New Zealand	15–32	Great Britain	Won by Great Britain
82	14 Mar 1959	Great Britain	50–15	France	Retained
83	5 Apr 1959	Great Britain	15–24	France	Won by France
84	31 Oct 1959	France	19–20	Australia	Won by Australia
85	21 Nov 1959	Australia	10–11	Great Britain	Won by Great Britain
86	12 Dec 1959	Great Britain	18–12	Australia	Retained