From The Vaults

11 January 2024

The Jimmy Peters Story

James ‘Jimmy’ Peters was the first black man to play rugby union for England. He had a difficult start in life but, showing great strength of character, he overcame hardships, setbacks and intolerance to represent his country with distinction.

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11 January 2024

The Jimmy Peters Story

James ‘Jimmy’ Peters was the first black man to play rugby union for England. He had a difficult start in life but, showing great strength of character, he overcame hardships, setbacks and intolerance to represent his country with distinction.

11 December 2023

Japan’s Auntie Rugby

Established in 1952, IWATAYA is a Japanese golf equipment manufacturer, but its origin can be traced back 101 years. In this article Hideki Shoji explores the company’s long history and its links to the sport of rugby...

04 December 2023

50 Years of Stewart’s Melville College Former Pupil Club

Richard Steele reminisces about the history of and his experience with the club…

13 November 2023

PLAYER PROFILE: Ugo Monye

On 26 November 2023, Ugo Monye will be making his Legends Tour of Twickenham Stadium debut, so we're taking a look back at his playing career...

12 November 2023

#FromTheVaults - Newspaper Cutting, 1915

This newspaper cutting from 1915 features a photograph of three international rugby players in their military uniforms on the Western Front...

06 November 2023

Who Was Jack King?

Earlier this year, we were able to show for the first time what we believe to be the oldest footage of an international rugby test-match in existence...

23 October 2023

Rugby and its Camp-ball Roots by Tom Langton

Did you know that an old term for Football in England was Camp-ball or Camping? Tom Langton explains in this article...

16 October 2023

New Zealand Universities visit Japan

New Zealand Universities toured Japan from January to February in 1936. In this article, Hideki Shoji presents research from the tour...

02 October 2023

William Webb Ellis: What We Know

Schoolboy William Webb Ellis is purported to have invented Rugby Football when he 'picked up the ball and ran' in 1823. But who was Webb Ellis, did he really invent the game and what did he do next?

18 September 2023

Where It All Started by Karl Quinney

Not everyone can lay claim to having the birthplace of a worldwide sport close to where they live. Born and bred in the town of Rugby, freelance travel writer Karl Quinney explores the scene where sporting history was made 200 years ago...

08 September 2023

France at the men's Rugby World Cup 1987-2023

Successive French teams have enriched each of the men’s Rugby World Cup tournaments in their own inimitable style since the historic initial tournament in Australia and New Zealand in 1987. And now in September 2023 the tournament returns to France and the nation's hopes are high that this will be their year...

04 September 2023

#FromTheVaults - A Letter from a Rugby Schoolboy, 1811

It is 200 years since William Webb Ellis is said to have run carrying a football on the playing fields at Rugby School. This letter from our collection contains one of the earliest references to Rugby football...

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