From The Vaults

03 January 2017

Tolkien’s Battle of the Eastern Field

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien is best known for his epic Lord of the Rings novels. A lesser known aspect of his personal history was his involvement in rugby union from a young age.

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03 January 2017

Tolkien’s Battle of the Eastern Field

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien is best known for his epic Lord of the Rings novels. A lesser known aspect of his personal history was his involvement in rugby union from a young age.

19 December 2016

Rugby's Greatest Upsets Part One - Scotland v England, 1871

In 1870 football enthusiast and administrator Charles W Alcock arranged an international football match between Scotland and England in London. It ended in a tie so another game was arranged which England won. Scotland was incensed.

12 December 2016

THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL MATCH AT KINGSHOLM - England 3 Wales 13, 6th January 1900

With a fixture list already bristling with Welsh opponents by the end of the 19th century, and flush with the success of their new ground at Kingsholm, opened in 1891, it is perhaps unsurprising that the Gloucester club aspired to stage an international, and in the autumn of 1899 an application was made to the Rugby Union.

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".

02 December 2016

TRIPLE CROWN & GRAND SLAM TROPHIES: NOT SO RARE?

For much of history the Triple Crown has been what the Pope wears in his most ceremonial moments or the shorthand for the three most famous U.S. horse races for three year olds. For the Rugby world, though, it became the feat of one of the Home Countries defeating all three others in a single season.

28 November 2016

Waiting for Lomu graces the walls of Twickenham Stadium

Inspired by a mixture of celebration and nostalgia stirred by the 2015 Rugby World Cup, Morrison embarked on a journey to create a single image representing 25 rugby legends.

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.

18 November 2016

Muddied Oafs of Rugby

One of the most common epithets applied to a Rugby player is that of being a "muddied oaf". Though usually given in a light-hearted manner, and even worn with pride, it nevertheless reinforces a stereotype portraying Rugby footballers as lacking intelligence or manners, and often both.

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.

11 November 2016

Twickenham’s Rose and Poppy Gates of Remembrance

On 29 April 2016, the Rugby Football Union unveiled their stunning new Rose and Poppy Gates at Twickenham stadium, the official Home of England Rugby.

31 October 2016

How the city of Bradford helped shape the early history of Rugby Football

Ask a rugby enthusiast to name the traditional giants of English rugby and the chances are that Bradford would not come to mind. Yet immediately prior to the 1895 split, the Park Avenue club was considered alongside Newport and Blackheath as one of the leading sides in the British Isles.

23 October 2016

Alf Wright and the England Rose

Alf Wright recently made the news as the person who standardised the England rose way back in 1920. In homage to Alf's original design, the 2016/17 England jersey features a patched rose. But who exactly was Alf Wright and why is he fondly remembered by all at the World Rugby Museum?

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