From The Vaults

13 November 2017

Did Webb Ellis pick up the ball? Who Cares! by Dai Richards

'Understanding the Origin and Evolution of Sport' by Dai Richards is out now. Here Dai gives us a taste of what's inside.

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13 November 2017

Did Webb Ellis pick up the ball? Who Cares! by Dai Richards

'Understanding the Origin and Evolution of Sport' by Dai Richards is out now. Here Dai gives us a taste of what's inside.

06 November 2017

INTERVIEW - Wade Dooley

As the years pass, so the distance covered by Wade Dooley for his third try against Wales on a memorable March day in 1992 increases. "It gets longer every time I tell the story," he says of the day he won his 50th cap and helped England seal back-to-back Grand Slams.

30 October 2017

William Webb Ellis and the Origins of Rugby - a new perspective

Did William Webb Ellis really pick up the ball and run in 1823? If so, did this act originate the game of rugby football?

23 October 2017

When the Back Row was King

In the late 1940s and early 1950s, three outstanding back row combinations emerged to drive their respective countries to periods of prolonged success...

16 October 2017

Spotlight on John Warburton Sagar

Spotlight on John Warburton Sagar, the twice capped ex-England international.

04 October 2017

Lest We Forget - Dave Gallaher and Albert Stewart, 04/10/1917

One had played three times for Ireland 1913-14, the other had emigrated from Ireland at the age of four and became one of the most famous rugby players in the world as captain of the first New Zealand rugby team.

25 September 2017

Under Twickenham's pitch...

This rusty old horseshoe might not look like much, but it potentially gives us an insight into several aspects of Twickenham's 100-year history. This is because nobody really knows for sure how it came to be here at Twickenham, but there are several theories.

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.

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