The team sailed for Australia from Dunedin , leaving on 1 August 1888 . In Melbourne , Scott recruited Jack Lawlor to train the players in Victorian Rules football in Britain as preparation for possible Victorian Rules matches on their return to Australia . The team played two rugby matches against the Melbourne Rugby Union team , winning the first and drawing the second , before continuing to Britain via Suez . They arrived in London on 27 September 1888 .