From The Vaults

20 February 2017

Remembering Seiji Hirao, 1963-2016

On Friday February 10th 2017 in the lavish setting of the Portopia Hotel in Kobe, the Japan Rugby Football Union together with the Kobe Steel Kobelco Steelers Rugby Club staged a remarkable memorial event to celebrate the life of Seiji Hirao...

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20 February 2017

Remembering Seiji Hirao, 1963-2016

On Friday February 10th 2017 in the lavish setting of the Portopia Hotel in Kobe, the Japan Rugby Football Union together with the Kobe Steel Kobelco Steelers Rugby Club staged a remarkable memorial event to celebrate the life of Seiji Hirao...

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09 January 2017

Jack Dallas – A life devoted to rugby

There are many personalities in the history of rugby union who have played a pivotal part in the development of the sport. Few though have played a significant part as both player and referee in matches...

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05 December 2016

Leon Barnard – the unlucky winger

Around 70 rugby players up to 1965 suffered the unfortunate experience of being picked to play for their country in an international or test match and, for a variety of reasons, were unable to play and were never "capped".

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25 November 2016

England's class of 1980

Fran Cotton made his debut for England in 1971, scrumming down alongside John Pullin. Tenacious flanker Tony Neary made his debut the same season and Roger Uttley and Bill Beaumont would join them as the decade progressed.

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13 November 2016

Lest We Forget - Alfred Frederick Maynard (England) 13/11/1916

Alfred Frederick Maynard was born in Penge, near Croydon, which is now part of Greater London. He was the youngest of six children of William John Maynard, and his wife Annie.

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10 October 2016

A.W.PEARSON: The first Australian-born International

It's doubtful if any of those in the party from Guy's Hospital Rugby Club, enjoying a drink before heading off to the 2001 Lions match in Melbourne, realised that they were only a metaphorical stone's throw from the venue where Alexander (Alec) William Pearson played his last rugby match...

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18 September 2016

Lest We Forget - Rupert Edward Inglis (England) 18/09/1916

Rupert Edward Inglis was easily the oldest of the 27 England internationals to die in service in WW1. He came from a distinguished background. His father, Major-General Sir John Eardley Wilmot Inglis, K.C.B. was the "Defender of Lucknow" (Indian Mutiny), and his grandfather was Bishop of Nova Scotia.

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05 September 2016

Lest We Forget - George Pugh (Australia) 05/09/1916

George Pugh was born in Glebe, Sydney on 16 January 1890 and won his only Australian test cap against the United States of America on the Wallabies North American tour of 1912.

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03 September 2016

Lest We Forget - Horace Wyndham Thomas (Wales) 03/09/1916

Horace Wyndham Thomas was that very rare combination: not only a gifted Cambridge choral scholar, but also a brilliant Welsh international rugby player.

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25 August 2016

“Dicky” Lloyd (Ireland) - the one who came back...

There were a handful of rugby players who played international rugby both sides of the 1st World War. Perhaps the most fortunate was the Irish fly half Dicky Lloyd...

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18 August 2016

International Rugby's most decorated player

The Black Ferns fly half, Anna Richards, is the most decorated player in the history of international rugby. With a total of 49 caps under her belt, Richards is the most capped Black Fern to date...

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14 August 2016

Lest We Forget ̶ Charles "Charlie" Meyrick Pritchard (Wales) 14/08/1916

During the Great War, Captain Wyndham Williams RAMC kept a diary of his experiences as a medical officer on the Western Front.

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