From The Vaults

06 August 2015

From Middle Park to Gallipoli

On Saturday 8 August, 1914, only four days after Australia had entered the war, East Melbourne played South Melbourne on the Middle Park ground in the final game of the season...

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06 August 2015

From Middle Park to Gallipoli

On Saturday 8 August, 1914, only four days after Australia had entered the war, East Melbourne played South Melbourne on the Middle Park ground in the final game of the season...

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23 July 2015

The 1956 Arctic Rugby Football Championship

The World Rugby Museum was recently contacted by a man who, in the 1950s, helped to implement the DEW Line system in northern Canada.

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08 July 2015

MATCH REPORT - Harlequins v Richmond, 1909

Harlequin Football Club (Harlequins F.C) had a gentleman's agreement with the RFU to use their new football ground even before it was built in 1909. The first game at Twickenham was contested between Harlequins and Richmond, two local rivals, on the 2nd October 1909.

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08 June 2015

INTERVIEW - Lawrence Dallaglio

Lawrence Dallaglio, despite his Italian father, was brought up in England, and with his mother Eileen being half English and half Irish the former Wasps back row forward had a further choice to make. He made his England debut against South Africa as a replacement in 1995.

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12 May 2015

Remembering the Middlesex Sevens

The Middlesex Sevens began life as a southern counterpart to the popular Melrose Sevens that had taken place in the Scottish Borders since the 7-man game had been invented there by a butcher, called Ned Haig, in 1883.

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09 May 2015

Lest We Forget - Harry Berry (England and Gloucester) and Harry Barnes (Gloucester) 09/05/2015

One hundred years ago today the only Gloucester international rugby player to die in the Great War, Henry 'Harry' Berry, was killed in action on 9th May 1915, during the Battle of Aubers Ridge. Herbert Henry 'Harry' Barnes, his Gloucester teammate, was also killed this day in the same battle. Martin Davies and Malc King here pay tribute to them both.

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06 May 2015

...he might have stood as a symbol of the heart of England...remembering Ronnie Poulton

The following is an extract from AA Thomson's 'What Do They Know of England?' published in 1955. It begins with a description of Ronnie Poulton's devastating display against Cambridge in the 1909 Varsity Match:

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16 April 2015

Club Histories - The Amazing Old Streetonians

Rugby clubs come in all different shapes and sizes and not all of them fit the traditional mould of having been formed by ex-public schoolboys in the Victorian era.

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09 April 2015

Baa Baa’s Birthday

125 years ago on the 9th April 1890, in the early hours of the morning, W P Carpmael and the Southern Nomads team sat down after a successful Easter tour and a hearty meal to form a touring rugby side.

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12 February 2015

Family Histories - Samuel George Williams

Like Great Grandfather, Like Son... The Museum was recently contacted by Paul Whitehead, the great-grandson of Devon and England stalwart Samuel George Williams.

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15 January 2015

Amateurism Gone Awry

This 1908 New Zealand Jersey came to the museum by way of Tom Smith, an Anglo-Welsh and Leicester Tigers player from the 1900s. The Museum recently bought his collection at auction and it gives a unique insight into one of rugby union's early tours and the state of amateurism within the game at that time.

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22 December 2014

Nadolig Llawen!

With Christmas fast approaching I wanted to delve into our stores and see what festive cheer I could find. Hidden amongst team photographs and aerial shots of the stadium I found this Christmas postcard: Sent on Christmas Eve 1903 to Miss Alice Roberts from Newport, South Wales...

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