From The Vaults

25 December 2017

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from the World Rugby Museum!

Did you know that on Christmas Day in 1872 a match was played in Calcutta with 20 players representing England and 20 representing Scotland, Ireland and Wales? After a failed attempt at attracting members, the Calcutta Club folded and their remaining silver rupees were melted and formed into the Calcutta Cup that we still play for today.

2011-56 Christmas Card, 1964. Artist - Fougasse

The World Rugby Museum would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

View latest articles Next article

04 September 2023

#FromTheVaults - A Letter from a Rugby Schoolboy, 1811

It is 200 years since William Webb Ellis is said to have run carrying a football on the playing fields at Rugby School. This letter from our collection contains one of the earliest references to Rugby football...

21 August 2023

#FromTheVaults - All Blacks and Springboks

With New Zealand and South Africa preparing for a Rugby World Cup warm-up match at Twickenham on Friday, we’re highlighting two items which have recently been loaned to the World Rugby Museum.

31 July 2023

A Street Through Time

Charles Street, the former Groundsman of Blackheath Football Club, witnessed many of the finest rugby players of the late 19th and first half of the 20th Century. Here we share an audio interview by the BBC that we hold in our collection...