 It was the first tour of the British Isles by a team from the Southern Hemisphere, and the longest in the history of the sport.By the time the Natives returned to New Zealand, they had developed into a side superior to any in the country, and introduced a number of tactical innovations.Seventeen of the 26 players went on to play provincially in New Zealand, and two, Ellison and David Gage, subsequently captained New Zealand.