News

07 January 2025
Lewis Moody’s Top Three Things to See at the World Rugby Museum

The World Rugby Museum is home to the largest collection of rugby union memorabilia in the world, including a seemingly endless variety of jerseys, trophies and many more unique items and artifacts from unions across the globe, and the two centuries to date of the game's existence.

We recently caught up with ex-England Rugby captain, British & Irish Lion, and World Rugby Museum Ambassador, Lewis Moody MBE, to discover what he considers to be his top three things to see at the World Rugby Museum.

WARTIME AREA

"One of the first things I come to see in the World Rugby Museum is the Lest We Forget section [Wartime gallery]. This commemorates not only England internationals, but all serving rugby players, internationals, and club players that served and lost their life during the Great War."

"I had the pleasure of being the 2014 to 2018 Commemorative Ambassador for the RFU and got to visit all 27 First World War graves. 22 of them in France and Belgium. This is a place that connected me to the jersey in a really important way, because it reminded me that it was not only about putting on the jersey and winning the match on that day, it was about representing everyone that had gone before us."

When Britain declared war on Germany in 1914, the call to arms was met by rugby players around the world. Many international and club rugby players enlisted voluntarily within days or weeks of the declaration.

The museum's Wartime gallery showcases the unique bond between rugby and the armed forces, with fascinating objects including Adrian Stoop's WWI campaign medals, Ronnie Poulton's Berkshire Regimental Insignia, and Owen Farrell's jersey from the 2018 England v New Zealand match, which commemorated 100 years since Armistice Day.

2003 England, and 2005 All Blacks Jerseys

"I had the pleasure of playing in the 2003 Rugby World Cup, and I've lent my jersey [from the final] to the World Rugby Museum. It's still got the dirt on it. I was on the bench on that day but got to come on and take the line out at the end of the match."

"Alongside with it [Lewis' jersey], I have also donated Richie McCaw's All Blacks jersey. We played against each other during the Lions series in 2005."

Lewis' match-worn England jersey from the 2003 Rugby World Cup Final is proudly on display in the Rugby World Cup area of the World Rugby Museum, alongside Richie McCaw's iconic match-worn All Blacks jersey, which was worn during the 2005 British & Irish Lions tour of New Zealand. Both jerseys are kindly on loan to the museum from Lewis.

2003 William Webb Ellis Trophy

"One thing that you've got to visit when you come to the World Rugby Museum is of course, the 2003 Rugby World Cup, or William Webb Ellis Trophy as it's better known."

"I had the great pleasure of playing in that [England] team in 2003, having a small moment capturing the line-out at the end of the game, leading to Jonny Wilkinson's drop goal. Coming here always reminds me of those special moments that connect our team in 2003, to this trophy."

To date, the 2003 Rugby World Cup remains the only time that England have held the William Webb Ellis trophy aloft, as well as the only time a northern-hemisphere nation has done so. Therefore, it is a privilege to be able to proudly display the trophy in the tournament's very own, dedicated gallery of the World Rugby Museum for museum visitors to get a close look at the iconic silverware.