23 September 2024
The Autograph Hunter
The World Rugby Museum has recently acquired an unusual and unique item, a scarf embroidered with the signatures of famous international rugby players...
From The Vaults
27 November 2014
Wallabies Feeling Blue
The museum has recently acquired a New South Wales (NSW) jersey that was collected by Tom Smith of Leicester during the 1908 Anglo-Welsh (British Lions) tour to Australia and New Zealand.
The 1908 tourists played NSW 3 times, winning twice and losing once. They did not play any tests against Australia, but lost two and drew one of three tests against New Zealand.
Tom Smith subsequently converted to the professional rugby league code.
In Australian rugby's early days the union game was strongest in NSW. The national side often wore blue NSW jerseys when playing in Sydney and also when on tour, including on the Wallabies first trip to Europe in 1908/09.
1930 Australia Jersey on display in World Rugby Museum
The Wallabies famous green and gold jersey was first introduced in 1929, although to avoid a colour clash it changed from predominantly green to predominantly gold when Australia toured South Africa in 1961.
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