A new chapter in famous Ashes history for AMT Headingley

The Ashes is returning to AMT Headingley this Saturday when the famous stadium will host the third Test in The ABK Beer Ashes Series on November 8, kicking off at 230pm (GMT) and shown live on BBC One.

This will be the 13^th Ashes Rugby League Test at AMT Headingley, but the first for 43 years. The first nine resulted in home wins, stretching from 1921 to 1967 – but the Kangaroos have won the last three, most recently completing a 3-0 series whitewash in 1982. 

However the unique nature of AMT Headingley means the stadium’s Ashes history also includes 26 cricket Tests stretching back even further, to 1899. England’s win in the most recent, in 2023, levelled the record at 9 wins each, with 8 draws. England’s 9 wins include two of the most famous and unlikely Tests of all time, in 1981 and 2019. Great Australian performances include Don Bradman’s unbeaten 334 in 1930, his highest Test score. 

Both sides of the stadium have been extensively developed in recent years and AMT Headingley has been the venue for series-clinching England wins in each of the last two autumns, against Tonga in 2023 and Samoa last year.

International rugby at AMT Headingley actually dates back to before the creation of the Northern Union in 1895. Leeds hosted the twelfth Calcutta Cup between England and Scotland in 1893 with the visitors winning two drop goals to nil in front of over 30,000. This was 16 years before the RFU opened Twickenham, which became England Rugby Union's permanent home. 

Only the Sydney Cricket Ground has hosted more Ashes games in history than AMT Headingley. Not including one off games games, World Cup matches or Tri and Four Nations games, AMT Headingley has hosted 12 Ashes matches with Station Road, Swinton the next closest in England with 10 followed by Wembley, which hosted its sixth this Autumn. The Sydney Cricket Ground has hosted 31 Ashes matches, Lang Park is second in Australia with eight. 

REPRESENTATIVE MATCHES PLAYED AT AMT HEADINGLEY

TEST MATCHES

1908 - Jan. 25th, Great Britain 14 New Zealand 6

1921 - Oct. 1st, Great Britain 6 Australia 5

1927 - Jan. 15th, Great Britain 32 New Zealand 17

1929 - Nov. 9th, Great Britain 9 Australia 3

1933 - Nov. 11th, Great Britain 7 Australia 5

1937 - Oct. 16th, Great Britain 5 Australia 4

1947 - Oct. 4th, Great Britain 11 New Zealand 10

1948 - Oct. 9th, Great Britain 23 Australia 21

1951 - Dec. 15th, Great Britain 16 New Zealand 12

1952 - Oct. 4th, Great Britain 19 Australia 6

1955 - Dec. 17th, New Zealand 28 Great Britain 13

1957 - Jan. 26th, Great Britain 45 France 12

1959 - Mar. 14th, Great Britain 50 France 15

1959 - Nov. 21st, Great Britain 11 Australia 10

1961 - Sep. 30th, New Zealand 29 Great Britain 11

1963 - Nov. 30th, Great Britain 16 Australia 5

1967 - Oct. 1st, Great Britain 16 Australia 11

1971 - Nov. 6th, Great Britain 12 New Zealand 3

1973 - Nov. 24th, Australia 14 Great Britain 6

1978 - Nov. 18th, Australia 23 Great Britain 6

1980 - Nov. 15th, Great Britain 10 New Zealand 2

1982 - Nov. 28th, Australia 32 Great Britain 8

1984 - Feb. 17th, Great Britain 10 France 0

1985 - Mar. 1st, Great Britain 50 France 4

1987 - Jan. 24th, Great Britain 52 France 4

1988 - Feb. 6th, Great Britain 30 France 12

1990 - Apr. 7th, France 25 Great Britain 18

1991 - Feb. 16th, Great Britain 60 France 4

1993 - Apr. 2nd, Great Britain 72 France 6

1993 - Nov. 6th, Great Britain 29 New Zealand 10

2007 - June 22nd, Great Britain 42 France 14

INTERNATIONAL MATCHES

1924 - Oct. 15th, England 17 Other Nationalities 23

1929 - Mar. 17th, England 27 Other Nationalities 20

1932 - Nov. 30th, England 14 Wales 13

1947 - May 17th, England 5 France 2

1950 - Nov. 11th, England 14 France 9

1952 - Oct. 25th, Wales 22 France 9

1962 - Nov. 17th, England 18 France 6

1969 - Oct. 18th, England 40 Wales 23

1970 - Feb. 24th, England 26 Wales 7

1975 - Nov. 12th, Australia 25 England 0

1977 - Jan. 29th, Wales 6 England 2

2003 - Oct. 29th, Great Britain 52 New Zealand A 18

2005 - Oct. 22nd, England 22 France 12

2006 - Oct. 22nd, England 26 France 10

2006 - Oct. 22nd, Samoa 10 Tonga 18

2011 - June 10th, England 12 Exiles 16

2019 - Oct. 20th, England Knights 38 Jamaica 6

2023 - Nov. 4th, England 24 Tonga 6

2023 - Nov. 4th, England Women 60 Wales 0

2024 - Nov. 2nd, England 34 Samoa 16

2024 - Nov. 2nd, England Women 82 Wales 0 

WORLD CUP

1960 - Oct. 1st, Australia 21 New Zealand 15

1970 - Oct. 24th, Great Britain 11 Australia 4

1970 - Nov. 7th (Final), Australia 12 Great Britain 7

1975 - Mar. 16th, England 20 France 2

1995 - Oct. 14th, England 46 South Africa 0

2000 - Nov. 4th, England 66 Fiji 10

2000 - Nov. 11th, England 26 Ireland 16

2013 - July 15th (Final), Australia Women 22 New Zealand Women 12

2013 - Nov. 8th, New Zealand 56 Papua New Guinea 10

2013 - Nov. 15th, New Zealand 40 Scotland 4

2022 - Oct. 15th, Australia 42 Fiji 8

2022 - Oct. 16th, Jamaica 2 Ireland 48

2022 - Oct. 28th, New Zealand 48 Ireland 10

2022 - Nov. 1st, England Women 72 Brazil Women 4

2022 - Nov. 1st, PNG Orchids 34 Canada Ravens 12

2022 - Nov. 9th, Canada Ravens 22 Brazil Women 16

2022 - Nov. 9th, England Women 42 PNG Orchids 4