From The Vaults

18 September 2017

Rupert Inglis - Rector of the Somme

Inglis had played for England as a forward in 1886 and had been ordained in 1889, before enlisting at the age of 51.

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18 September 2017

Rupert Inglis - Rector of the Somme

Inglis had played for England as a forward in 1886 and had been ordained in 1889, before enlisting at the age of 51.

11 September 2017

In A League of their Own

This article is a continuation of Keith Gregson's 'The Plight of the Northern Amateur'.

28 August 2017

Lest We Forget – David “Dai” Westacott (Wales) 28/08/1917

Dedicated to "Dai" Westacott, who had just one cap at forward for Wales but might have expected more, since he played for Cardiff for seven seasons during one of the club's most successful periods.

07 August 2017

Vodka, Monsters and a disputed third place: the 1991 Women’s Rugby World Cup

The first Women's Rugby World Cup could easily not have occurred. The International Rugby Board refused to recognise the tournament, 600 potential sponsors were consulted with not a single one interested in supporting the event, and a number of unions refused sponsorship for their national women's teams, who then had to pay their own way.

04 August 2017

New Zealand's Second Lieutenant Kaipara

A member of the inaugural New Zealand Maori team of 1910, Autini Pitara Kaipara was described by his peers as an outstanding rugby footballer.

31 July 2017

Lest We Forget - Edgar Roberts Mobbs (England), 31/07/1917

Edgar Roberts Mobbs was born in Northampton. Although a promising sportsman, his early departure from school meant that he did not feature there in the 1st XV. He was soon playing rugby at club level though, first with Olney and then 234 times for Northampton, for whom he was captain from the 1907/08 season until 1913...

31 July 2017

Lest We Forget - Arthur James Wilson (England), 31/07/1917

From 1900 he spent four years at Glenalmond College in Perthshire, where he became a prefect and was a regular member of the rugby XV and of the cricket XI in his final two years.

28 July 2017

Passchendaele and the last moments of Edgar Mobbs, 31st July 1917

By capturing the village of Passchendaele, the British hoped to progress in the direction of the Belgian coast where the Allies might curtail the threat of the German U-boat. After long deliberation Prime Minister Lloyd George agreed Field Marshal Haig's plan and zero-hour was set for 3.50 am on the morning of the 31st July, after a fifteen-day four million shell bombardment.

24 July 2017

Ireland 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup

The Women's Rugby World Cup 2017 is around the corner, taking place in Belfast and Dublin from 9-26 August 2017. The Irish Rugby Football Union was chosen to host the eighth Women's tournament in May 2015 and looks set to deliver a phenomenal event.

17 July 2017

The Plight of the Northern Amateur

This work is based on cuttings in a scrapbook given to me in my capacity as archivist of Ashbrooke Sports Club in Sunderland, home of Sunderland RFC (founded 1873).

10 July 2017

Goals From A Mark, 1871 - 1914

On January 2nd 1886 towards the end of the first half of their match against Wales when they were leading by two tries to nil, the English forward CH (Charles) Elliot caught a miscued kick for touch by the Welsh full back DH (Harry) Bowen on the full and claimed a mark.

03 July 2017

Remembering Drewy Stoddart - ‘the most famous sportsman in Queen Victoria’s empire’

The man dubbed 'the most famous sportsman in Queen Victoria's empire' was born in County Durham in 1860. His sporting proficiency was quickly recognised and he became only the second man in history to captain England at both cricket and rugby.

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