From The Vaults

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

For much of history the Triple Crown has been what the Pope wears in his most ceremonial moments or the shorthand for the three most famous U.S. horse races for three year olds. For the Rugby world, though, it became the feat of one of the Home Countries defeating all three others in a single season.

Inspired by a mixture of celebration and nostalgia stirred by the 2015 Rugby World Cup, Morrison embarked on a journey to create a single image representing 25 rugby legends.

I was recently looking through a collection of miscellaneous photographs in the World Rugby Museum when I came across on from the 1950s showing the rugby team of Gordonstoun School. Glancing at the back of the photograph, my attention was drawn to a young lad in the front row of the picture, by the name of R N (Roy) Williamson.

The BBC Sports Personality of the year award has been running since the mid-1950s. Originally devised by the British television executive Sir Paul Fox, the awards have evolved to honour not just individual talent from the UK but also team achievements, overseas personalities, coaches, junior sporting personalities and more.

In 2006 a silver shield was produced as the physical embodiment of an idea that had existed since 1894. The Triple Crown was first made reference to by the Irish Times in 1894 after Ireland had defeated England, Wales and Scotland in a single season for the first time.

In February of 1889, during a test-match against the touring New Zealand Natives, England's AE Stoddart, whilst on the attack, lost a 'portion' of his shorts. As was the custom, Stoddart's team-mates formed a circle around him to protect his modesty whilst he collected himself.

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.