Anniversary of first ever international rugby league game
New Year's Day saw the touring party head to Wales for their first international match. Aberdare Athletic Ground was the venue of the first ever rugby league international on 1 January 1908, played between Wales and New Zealand. The New Zealand Rugby League later recognised this match as New Zealand's first ever test match.
Aberdare had been chosen for the venue as it could hold a larger capacity than Merthyr, in the end, an estimated 20,000 Welshmen turned up. The Welsh side contained a former Welsh amateur international as well as several players who had been playing in the Northern Union for years.
WALES: Chick Jenkins, Dai Thomas, Tom Llewellyn, Bert Jenkins, Llewellyn Treharne, David Beynon, Johnny Thomas, Dai Jones, David Davies, Oliver Burgham, George W. Thomas, Dai Rees, Howell de Francis.
NEW ZEALAND: Hubert Turtill, Dally Messenger, Harold Rowe, Arthur Kelly, William Wynyard, Edgar Wrigley, Richard Wynyard, Massa Johnston, William Mackrell, Dan Gilchrist, Charles Pearce, Angry Cross, Hercules Wright (c).
1 January 1908
Wales 9–8 New Zealand
Wales Tries: Thomas, Francis, Jones[15]
New Zealand Tries: Kelly, W.Wynyard
Goals: Messenger
Aberdare Athletic Ground, Aberdare
Dai Jones scored the winning try for Wales in the first match of international rugby league
New Zealand led the match 8–3 at halftime but the Welsh came back and Dai Jones scored a try with only minutes to go that put the Welsh 9–8 in front. Dick Wynyard then dropped a pass in front of the try line and the Welsh won the first international rugby league match.