In a return match on 19 January , Yorkshire fielded a stronger side than in the first match and inflicted one of the Natives ' heaviest losses , a 16 – 4 defeat . The team then went undefeated until 16 February , when they faced England . Officials of the strictly amateur Rugby Football Union ( RFU ) had become increasingly concerned at the behaviour of the New Zealanders , regarding them as unsportsmanlike , and tensions reached a nadir in the aftermath of the England international , during which the RFU secretary George Rowland Hill , refereeing the game , awarded a number of controversial tries to England , prompting three of the Natives to temporarily leave the field in protest ; England eventually won 7 – 0 . The Natives apologised afterwards for their behaviour , but the damage was not repaired . The New Zealanders left England without an official send @-@ off , and travelled to Australia where they toured Victoria , New South Wales and Queensland . They then returned to New Zealand , where they displayed a level of combination not seen in their home country before . They went 31 games undefeated before losing their final match , on 24 August 1889 , 7 – 2 to Auckland .