The Lions wore newly-designed red shirts for the first time that night but up until 1938 the tourists representing the four Home Nations had donned blue jerseys. The likes of Blair Mayne and Sammy Walker’s trip to South Africa was dubbed the ‘The Last of the Blue Lions’. It was the 1930 Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia that sparked controversary and the need for the tourists to change shirt colour. The tourists played 28 matches – including five tests, four against New Zealand and one against the Wallabies. It was the first time in 22 years the Lions have ventured into Australia, with only seven games played there as the tour was predominantly to New Zealand. Letters were sent to 100 players asking would they be willing to put their lives on hold, eventually 29 responded to set sail for a tour that would last to Oceania for two decades. The players received a daily allowance of three shillings for necessities, but this sum had to be given in tokens rather than cash. The game’s amateur status prevented the players from receiving any sort of hard cash, so the tour manager - James Baxter – had to hand out vouchers to spend in the hotel or on board the ship. The Lions left Southampton aboard the steam ship Rangitata on April 11 and arrived in Wellington Harbour via the Panama Canal on May 14. Referred to as the British Isles, the term Lions was first used in 1924 by some journalists in South Africa and by 1930 it became common vernacular. Off-field battles and mind games began as soon as the Lions arrived in New Zealand. It was pointed out that the Lions’ dark blue shirts would clash with the All Blacks tops. Rugby protocol dictates when there is a clash of colours the home team changes shirts to accommodate the visitors. In their previous 38 international test matches New Zealand had worn their black shirts with the silver fern and were reluctant to change. Baxter who had won three caps for England at rugby and an Olympic silver medal in 1908 for yachting cleverly manipulated the situation by writing a letter to the Dr Adams, president of the New Zealand Union. He suggested that since the All Blacks colours meant so much to the players and supporters of New Zealand the tourists would be happy to play in white. There was one slight problem with Baxter’s offer, the Lions had only brought one set of shirts – the dark blue. To resolve the situation, New Zealand changed their kit and earned the moniker of the All Whites – however, it didn’t seem to matter to the team as they clinched the series 3-1 after losing the first test to the Lions. The Lions, in their next tour to New Zealand 20 years later, changed to red shirts for the first time. The Lions were also having their own internal kit issues. George Beamish, one of the five Irish players on the tour, wasn’t happy that there was no green in the Lions kit to represent the Emerald Isle. Born in Dunmanaway, Co Cork, Beamish was educated at Coleraine Academical Institution. The backrow was capped 25 times for Ireland, playing his club rugby with Leicester and London Irish. He went on to become an Air Marshal in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War and received a knighthood in 1955. The Lions kit in 1930 consisted dark blue shirts with white collars, white shorts and the socks red with a white turnover tops. Beamish led a delegation to the Lions management to voice his displeasure about the failure to recognise the contribution of Irish players to a side drawn from the four home nations. Scotland were acknowledged by the blue shirts, England had the white shorts and Wales by red socks. A green flash was added to the socks for the 1930 tour and by the time the Lions arrived in South Africa eight years later the flash was replaced by a green turnover on the socks which is still present on the current kit. Beamish played 21 times for the Lions, including all five tests - and scored two tries on the tour, one against Otaga and the other against Marlborough/Nelson Bay. He captained Ireland against South Africa in 1931 and retained the armband for the following year’s Home Nations Championship. France were banned due to allegations of professionalism as Beamish led Ireland to a share of the title. Another Coleraine Inst old boy - Henry O’Hara O’Neill - also played in all five tests on the 1930 tour. Born in Portstewart in 1907, O’Hara O’Neill helped Coleraine Inst win the Schools’ Cup in 1925, beating Methody 13-3 in the second final staged at Ravenhill. The prop went to Queen’s to read agriculture and put his studies on hold to travel with the Lions. Twenty-two players have represented Queen’s and the Lions but O’Hara O’Neill is the only prop. The Lions had never won a test in New Zealand, but O’Hara O’Neill and his team-mates rewrote the history books on June 21 in Dunedin. The prop started the first test, England winger Jim Reeves got the only try of the first half to give the Lions a 3-0 lead at the interval. As the snow and hail fell, New Zealand – after Baxter’s meddling – weren’t allowed to retire to the dressing rooms for half-time refreshments but it didn’t seem to matter as George Hart levelled the game with a try for the hosts. The sides remained tied going into the closing stages and the Lions were desperately defending near their own line when Welsh flanker Ivor Jones intercepted a pass from opposition scrum half Jimmy Mill. Jones, renowned for his speed, set off on a counter- attack, he sprinted deep into New Zealand territory before he was confronted by All Black full back George Nepia. Nepia halted Jones’ momentum but couldn’t stop the flanker offloading to his fellow countryman Jack Morley, who ran a great support line and the Newport winger raced over to seal the historic 6-3 victory for the Lions. O’Hara O’Neill played for the Lions more times that he did for Ireland. He racked up 17 appearances for the tourists while wearing the green shirt six times, which included a three-year gap between his third and fourth caps for Ireland.