Following the match against Middlesex , the team travelled to the north , where the strongest English rugby teams were based . Yorkshire and Lancashire dominated the county championship until many of their respective member clubs split from the RFU in 1895 over the issue of " broken time " payments . The New Zealanders lost to Hull 1 – 0 , defeated Dewsbury , then lost to Wakefield . After their first draw of the tour ( against Northumberland County ) they defeated Stockton @-@ on @-@ Tees and Tynemouth . Joe Warbrick appeared in the match against Tynemouth , but aggravated the foot injury that had kept him out of the side until that point . These victories were followed by a 13 – 4 defeat to Halifax on 10 November . The team then won seven matches in a row , including one against Hawick RFC , their only Scottish opposition of the tour . The last two matches that month were a loss to Swinton and a 9 – 0 victory over Liverpool and District . The team had played thirteen fixtures during November and won ten of them . By this point , the team was beset by injuries – of the fifteen players that played against Westmorland County on 24 November , five had injuries . The squad comprised only 26 players , and the tourists were often struggling to field a side . Nevertheless , their heavy schedule continued ; on 30 November 1888 they left for Dublin , where a match had been organised against the Ireland national team .