From The Vaults

14 July 2015

Rugby from the front, 1914-1918

Rugby led the rush to war in 1914. As a famous recruiting poster trumpeted in December, 'Rugby Union Footballers Doing their Duty - over 90% have enlisted'.

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14 July 2015

Rugby from the front, 1914-1918

Rugby led the rush to war in 1914. As a famous recruiting poster trumpeted in December, 'Rugby Union Footballers Doing their Duty - over 90% have enlisted'.

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26 June 2015

PLAYER PROFILE - JHP Strang

The museum recently received an enquiry from a Mr Strang who had in his possession an 1888 England cap that had belonged to his Grandfather. 1888 was an interesting year for English rugby. A dispute between England and Scotland meant that England would not contest any of the fixtures that normally constituted the Home Nations Championship.

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04 June 2015

Lest We Forget - William Moore Bell Nanson (England) 04/06/1915

William Moore Bell Nanson was born in Carlisle. He was one of seven children of Charles James Nanson and his wife Elizabeth. His father was a slater and slate merchant and, after attending the local Lowther Street School, William followed in his footsteps.

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05 May 2015

Lest We Forget - Ronnie Poulton (England) 05/05/1915

Ronald William Poulton (later unofficially known as Poulton Palmer) was, by general acclaim, the most celebrated rugby player of his day. He was born in Headington, Oxford, one of five children of pro-Darwinian Professor, Sir Edward Bagnall Poulton and his wife Emily.

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25 April 2015

Lest We Forget - Teddy Larkin and Blair Swannell (Australia) 25/04/1915

On the first day of the landings (Anzac Day) Australia lost two gifted, but very different, men who had represented their country before on the field of international rugby.

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19 April 2015

Lest We Forget - Alexander Findlater Todd (England) 21/04/1915

Alexander Findlater Todd, known to the family as "Fin", was born in Lewisham, South London, one of six children of Bruce Beveridge Todd and his wife Phoebe. His father was a wine merchant in the firm of Findlater, Mackie, Todd & Co Ltd, for whom Alexander briefly worked before the war. The company became part of Waitrose in the 1990s.

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31 March 2015

‘Good Sport’ – a history of English multi-discipline international sportsmen

The concept of the all-round sportsman was one of the most significant role models to emerge in the second half of the 19th century. In an era when to be a "good sport" was a distinct asset both in athletic and social terms, the playing of a number of different sports to a high standard frequently led to important opportunities for professional and social advancement for a young sportsman.

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03 March 2015

Lest We Forget - Ronald Owen Lagden (England) 03/03/1915

Ronald Owen Lagden was born in Maseru, Basutoland (modern Lesotho) on the border of present day South Africa, one of five children of Sir Godfrey Yeatman Lagden KCMG and Lady Lagden.

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25 January 2015

Lest We Forget - Percy Dale Kendall (England) 25/01/1915

Percy Dale Kendall, known as 'Toggie", was born in Prescot, Lancashire. His father and mother, Francis and Margaret, had four children, of whom Percy was the third. Francis was a solicitor.

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24 January 2015

Lest We Forget - Charles Gerald Taylor (Wales) 24/01/1915

If Charles Taylor hadn't decided to pursue a naval career he might never have become a rugby player. He was born in Ruabon, north Wales on 8 May 1863, the son of Reverend Alfred and Annie Taylor. His father was headmaster of Ruabon Grammar School, where Charles was educated.

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16 December 2014

RUGBY DYNASTIES: The Gould and Bancroft Brothers

There have been many sets of brothers over the years that have played international rugby for their countries, but it was two particular sets of brothers who played pivotal parts in the rise of Welsh international rugby from 1881 to the end of the 19th century.

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01 December 2014

Lest We Forget - Francis Eckley Oakeley (England) 01/12/1914

Francis Oakeley was the fifth son of the vicar of Holy Trinity, Hereford. His father James and his mother Frances had 11 children in all. He was educated at the Cathedral School in Hereford from where he went at the age of 13 to the Royal Naval College at Osborne on the Isle of Wight, before transferring two years later to Dartmouth to complete his training.

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