From The Vaults

14 July 2016

Lest We Forget ̶ David “Dai” Watts (Wales) 14/07/1916

Yet another casualty of the Battle of the Somme, "Dai" Watts ̶ a tough and immensely strong forward ̶ was at the core of a formidable and powerful Welsh pack who outplayed all their international opponents in the last season before the Great War.

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14 July 2016

Lest We Forget ̶ David “Dai” Watts (Wales) 14/07/1916

Yet another casualty of the Battle of the Somme, "Dai" Watts ̶ a tough and immensely strong forward ̶ was at the core of a formidable and powerful Welsh pack who outplayed all their international opponents in the last season before the Great War.

12 July 2016

Lest We Forget ̶ John Lewis Williams (Wales) 12/07/1916

During the 2015 Rugby World Cup, the flying Welsh wing-three-quarter, John ("Johnny" or "Johnnie") Lewis Williams, was inducted into World Rugby's Hall of Fame, ninety-nine years after his death in the Great War.

09 July 2016

Lest We Forget – Robert Lawrence Pillman (England) 09/07/1916

Robert Lawrence (or Laurence) Pillman was born in Sidcup, Kent the youngest of five children of Joseph Charles Pillman and his wife Mary Anna. His older brother Charles "Cherry" Pillman was, like Robert, an England international.

07 July 2016

Lest We Forget - Richard “Dick” Thomas (Wales) 07/07/1916

Company Sergeant Major Dick Thomas was killed during the early stages of the Battle of the Somme, while bravely leading his men in the initial attack on Mametz Wood on the 7th July 1916.

23 June 2016

1916: the first Rugby International in the Netherlands

On 5 November, an extraordinary wartime rugby 'international' will be replayed in the Netherlands town of Leeuwarden.

20 June 2016

Lest We Forget - Tommy Thompson (South Africa) 20/06/1916

Among the five World War One casualties from the ranks of Springbok internationals was Gerald "Tommy" Thompson, universally known as Tommy, a balding terrier of a Western Province forward who won selection for the 1912-13 tour of the United Kingdom and France.

16 June 2016

New Zealand Natives Tour, 1888-89

The first rugby tour of the British Isles by an overseas team was undertaken by the New Zealand Natives side in 1888-1889. Originally to be called the Maoris, the team were named the Natives instead.

09 June 2016

Jimmy Peters' Grave Restored

Jimmy Peters was a fast, elusive English half-back who rose to prominence firstly with Bristol and then Plymouth and Devon in the opening decade of the 20th Century. Abandoned as a child Peters was raised firstly at Fegan's Orphanage, Southwalk Street London and then the 'Little Wanderers' Orphanage in Greenwich.

31 May 2016

Abercrombie, Wilson and the Battle of Jutland by Phil McGowan

In 1889 Great Britain passed its Naval Defence Act. The act instituted a commitment to maintaining naval supremacy by servicing a navy of equal size to both the second and third largest navies in the world.

15 May 2016

Lest We Forget - Jackie Morkel (South Africa) 15/05/1916

Jan Willem Hurter Morkel was one of those South African rugby players who in one memorable season established a reputation at international level that has never faded.

08 May 2016

From the Deep Vaults...

James Corsan is currently working on a Harlequins Heritage project in connection with the forthcoming 150th anniversary of the founding of the club.

28 April 2016

The Memorial Gate, Twickenham

The Rowland Hill Memorial Gates were first unveiled in 1929 to commemorate the life of Sir George Rowland Hill, at the time rugby's most famous administrator, who had died the previous year.

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