From The Vaults

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.

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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.

11 May 2016

Remembering 'The Pack'

In advance of the 2015 Rugby World Cup over 20,000 applications were received, of which 6,000 talented individuals were chosen to become members of 'The Pack' - an elite group of Rugby World Cup 2015 volunteers.

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.

23 April 2016

150 years of the Glasgow Accies...

Founded on 21st April, 1866 at a meeting held at the Glasgow Academy in Elmbank Street, the Academical Club played its first recorded football match, against West of Scotland FC, in January 1868 at Hamilton Crescent.

21 April 2016

In memory of Fin Todd (21/04/1915)

These words written by the late Frank Keating on the death of Andy Ripley could easily have been written about another tall, charismatic forward for Rosslyn Park, England and the British Isles: Alexander Findlater 'Fin' Todd.

10 April 2016

Young Americans by Stephen Cooper

Barely weeks after the first English Premiership rugby game played in New Jersey, USA by Saracens and London Irish, new evidence has emerged from a club's archives of early American rugby connections in England.

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