From The Vaults

21 April 2025

1899 Lions Scrapbook

In 1899 the Lions returned to Australia. The tourists were often keen diarists and scrapbookers, and this example by Guy Evers showcases his experiences on the 'Anglo-Australian' tour...

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21 April 2025

1899 Lions Scrapbook

In 1899 the Lions returned to Australia. The tourists were often keen diarists and scrapbookers, and this example by Guy Evers showcases his experiences on the 'Anglo-Australian' tour...

11 April 2025

How a group of cricketers founded the British & Irish Lions

The following article is an extract from ‘The British & Irish Lions: The Official History 2025 Tour edition’.

31 March 2025

France and Italy, A Century Apart

The overwhelming Guinness Six Nations 73-24 home defeat for Italy at the hands of France in their 2025 fiftieth competitive international has led to consideration of whether one can draw meaningful parallels between the early days of French international rugby and the performance of the Azzurri since the inauguration of the Six Nations competition in 2000...

21 March 2025

Historic Rugby Internationals: Scotland v England, 1925

It's been 100 years since Murrayfield hosted its first match. World Rugby Museum researcher Richard Steele looks back at this historic game between Scotland and England on 21 March 1925...

19 March 2025

Our Oldest Club Cap

This Trojans cap from 1882 – on long-term loan to the World Rugby Museum – is the oldest club cap in our care, but is it the oldest in existence?.

03 March 2025

Thrilling tries from a bygone era

There is nothing more thrilling for a crowd than the sight of a winger racing down the touch line, sometimes in the clear and sometimes with defenders to beat...

21 February 2025

A Trip to Murrayfield

World Rugby Museum researcher Richard Steele shares his memories of the 1990 Calcutta Cup match at Murrayfield…

31 January 2025

Ireland’s International Debut

On 15 February 1875, the first ever representative Irish football team took to the field, at the Oval in London...

24 January 2025

Inverleith – Scotland’s rugby ground at the beginning of the 20th century

One hundred years ago on Saturday 24 January 1925 the Scotland rugby team played its 39th international on the rugby ground at Inverleith in north Edinburgh...

13 January 2025

1891 Lions Tour

The 1891 Lions tour remains a landmark in the history and development of rugby union worldwide, coming at the beginning of a tumultuous decade for rugby in the northern hemisphere in which the growing threat of professional rugby became a reality...

06 January 2025

Irish Warrior: The Paddy Mayne Story

As BBC drama SAS Rogue Heroes returns for a second series, we're looking at the story of Blair "Paddy" Mayne, the Ireland International rugby player who went on to be recruited into the Special Air Service...

23 December 2024

Music and Song – Rugby’s Unlikely Game Changer! By Paddy Lennon

Music and song have been part of rugby union for generations. Whether at country or club level, administrators and coaches long ago realised the potential of music and song as a motivator both on and off the pitch. In this article which draws on a chapter in his award-winning book “London Irish – 125 years of Passion in Exile”, Paddy Lennon charts the influence and impact of music and lyrics on the game.