Descendants of the only two rugby union players to represent both Wallabies and British Isles meet at Australian War Memorial

They are the only Wallabies and British lions to have achieved the feat, now celebrated by their families together ahead of the second test.

The families of the only two players to ever represent both the Wallabies and the British and Irish Lions have travelled around the globe to finally meet.

The descendants of Major Blair Inskip Swannell and Lieutenant Thomas James Richards marked the occasion during the 2025 tour at the Australian War Memorial, more than a century after the players served at Gallipoli.

Swannell was an English rugby forward who was invited to play with the British Isles on seven occasions during their 1899 Australian tour and once more on their 1904 Australian and New Zealand tour.

He remained in Sydney following the tour and played once for his new country against the Kiwi’s.

Swannell died in 1915 while serving at the Landing at Anzac Cove on the first day in Gallipoli.

Richards, born in NSW, played in the 1908 tour of the UK for the Wallabies before heading for South Africa. While there in 1910, the British Isles were touring after picking up multiple injuries, turned to Richards.

He would go on to represent the British Isles 12 times.

The Swannell and Richards families visit the Australian War Memorial. Photo: Supplied.

Richards’ diary from 1915 at the Memorial. Photo: Supplied.

The families of the two this year were given the chance to meet and view items from the War Memorial collection, which included photographs of the duo and excerpts from Richard’s diary, including one on Swannell.

“Poor B. I Swannell is dead several days ago. A week ago to-day, I believe, he had a shot through his head. I am really grieved as ‘Swanny’ with all his faults etc. was quite all right, though he is a character seldom met,” Richards wrote in 1915.

“The fact we know so much about Tom is because he was a prolific writer, he wrote about his thoughts and emotions which makes his diaries quite extraordinary,” his great-grandson Paul Menck said.

The British & Irish Lions and the Wallabies play their next test in Melbourne. Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images.

Robert Swannell travelled from England for the opportunity to meet Menck and see the Memorial.

“I was determined to come to Australia for this Lions Tour, and I have always wanted to meet the Richards family and see the Australian War Memorial where Blair’s death is honoured,”

Robert Swannell said.

The Player of the Match medal at the Australia and New Zealand invitational game was named in honour of Blair Swannell on 12 July.

The tour’s official matches kicked off on 19 July, where the visiting Lions beat the Wallabies 27-19.

The visitors looked comfortable for much of the match, but the home team will be hoping to change their fortunes in the second test on 26 July at the MCG.

Originally published as Descendants of the only two rugby union players to represent both Wallabies and British Isles meet at Australian War Memorial