June 2022 is the centenary of the first international football series played between Australia and New Zealand.
For the men involved, the Dunedin first ‘Test’ on June 17, 1922, was the first day of the future. The coming-of-age of the game would see not only international football but also domestic discussions about professionalism, relationships with Asia, FIFA membership, reorganising Empire contact and Olympic Games ambitions.
The 1922 series, followed a year later by return matches in Australia, were met with big crowds, kicking off a decade of cosmopolitan action for both teams.
The burning ambition of Australia and New Zealand was to establish a strong domestic base, and through regular contact with each other, to stretch out as serious international competitors in the British Empire, and the wider world.
Burning Ambition traces the genesis of the first Australia and New Zealand national teams, recounts the inaugural three ‘Tests’ in New Zealand in June 1922, examines the obstacles to making the series happen, and the efforts of dreamers and toilers in both countries to make international football a reality.
The book includes line-ups of every match played between Australian state sides and New Zealand, and Australia and New Zealand from 1904 to 1923, as well as photos and news clippings from the tours.
The burning ambition of these people never died.
Burning Ambition recognises, commemorates, respects and celebrates the pioneering efforts of those from both nations which inspire us still.
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Introduction
Early Football in Australasia
Australasia – Two Nations, One Cause
Pioneers of the New Zealand Game
British Roots – Australia, New Zealand and the Early Game
The Internationalists – Big Ideas for a Global Game
Corinthians and Friends – The Unofficial Push for International Football
The Match Begins – New Zealand and New South Wales on Tour 1904-05
Wartime Football – Keep Playing No Matter What
The English Invitation
Picking the Teams – Why Australia Never Picked Its Best Side
The Big Time At Last – New Zealand and Australia’s First International Steps
1922 Tour Matches – Taking it to the People
Women’s Football – Playing in the Shadows
Two Ways to Pick a Team – The 1923 Selection Processes
The 1923 Test Matches – The Battle for Supremacy is Decided
New Zealand Tour Matches – On the Road in Australia
Alex Gibb – Australia’s Leader
George Campbell – Kiwi Captain and First Trans-Tasman Star
The Ashes
Australian Players and Management
New Zealand Players – The Players Who Brought Home the Ashes
Enjoying the view: Non-Game Activities
Cross-Code Support or Obstruction
Football by Numbers – the Pacific Invention of Numbered Shirts
Storey’s Tour Report – A Bird’s Eye View of Touring
Angst Between Nations – The ‘Storey Story’ Replied
A Fork in the Road – Arrival, Divergence and the Way Ahead
Appendix – The Test Match Record
Acknowledgements
About the Authors