From The Vaults

27 March 2021

27th March - A Red Letter Day for Rugby

On 27th March 1971, England and Scotland stepped out at Murrayfield for their second international test-match in the space of a week. The previous Saturday, both sides had completed their 5 Nations campaign at Twickenham, where Peter Brown's conversion had secured a 16-15 victory for Scotland.

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27 March 2021

27th March - A Red Letter Day for Rugby

On 27th March 1971, England and Scotland stepped out at Murrayfield for their second international test-match in the space of a week. The previous Saturday, both sides had completed their 5 Nations campaign at Twickenham, where Peter Brown's conversion had secured a 16-15 victory for Scotland.

26 March 2021

Meet the 1871 Captains...

When England and Scotland took the field for the first time on 27th March 1871, they were led by Francis Moncrieff and Frederick Stokes. At 21, Edinburgh born Moncreiff was the senior of the two and, as a former pupil of Edinburgh Academy and captain of Edinburgh Academicals, was in the most familiar of circumstances as the two teams ran out at Raeburn Place.

25 March 2021

Spotlight on Raeburn Place

It all began at Raeburn Place on March 27th, 1871, when an English Twenty arrived to meet the challenge of Scottish footballers. A series of ‘international football’ matches had taken place in 1870 and 1871 but none of them has satisfied the Scottish sporting public, firstly because the players selected to represent them were local to London not Scotland and secondly because they were playing the wrong football.

22 March 2021

RFU150 - The Women's Rugby Football Union

As the Rugby Football Union celebrates its 150th year, we examine six influential governing bodies and their roles in the history and development of Rugby Union since 1871. In our final part we look at the role of the pioneering Women's Rugby Football Union..

15 March 2021

RFU150 - New Zealand Rugby

As the Rugby Football Union celebrates its 150th year, we examine six influential governing bodies and their roles in the history and development of Rugby Union since 1871. This time we look at the contributions of New Zealand Rugby..

08 March 2021

Give it to the Hooker!

Last year's Autumn Nations Cup produced some ground-breaking moments. Introduced to cover the gap caused by the Covid pandemic in 2020 which closed sports stadiums for long periods to all but a very few spectators, these matches in the northern hemisphere aroused both interest and controversy among TV viewers and pundits.

01 March 2021

RFU150 - The Northern Rugby Football Union

As the Rugby Football Union celebrates its 150th year, we examine six influential governing bodies and their roles in the history and development of Rugby Union since 1871. This time we look at the influence of the rival code..

22 February 2021

RFU150 - World Rugby

As the Rugby Football Union celebrates its 150th year, we examine six influential governing bodies and their roles in the history and development of Rugby Union since 1871. This time we look at World Rugby..

15 February 2021

The Formation of Sunderland FC

Keith Gregson examines links between the founding of the Rugby Football Union in 1871 and the establishment of Sunderland Football Club in 1873...

08 February 2021

RFU150 - The Scottish Rugby Union

As the Rugby Football Union celebrates its 150th year, we examine six influential governing bodies and their roles in the history and development of Rugby Union since 1871. This time we summarise the role of the Scottish Rugby Union..

01 February 2021

RFU150 - The Rugby Football Union

It is not known which telegram or conversation among gentlemen led to the birth of international rugby in 1871, but it is clear that polite society was abuzz...

26 January 2021

SPECIAL EXHIBITION- The Rugby Football Union at 150

On 26th January 1871 the representatives of twenty-one football clubs met at the Pall Mall restaurant in central London to form the Rugby Football Union. 150 years later this special exhibition will chronicle the colourful history of one of the world's oldest sporting institutions.

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