Rugby-Pioneers

Season II is over... hope to see you back in September !

Ladies and Gentlemen, the second season of "rugby-pioneers" is over... as I am leaving home for long and "unconnected" holidays with my family !

This website is now 18 months old... but I am ready to go for an other season starting next September, as I still have a couple a rugby postcards and rugby prints to share with you... This site enjoys an average 50 visits per day which is definitely not a media hit, but I like the idea of sharing my interest for rugby memorabilia and rugby interest with so many people around the world !

Thanks a lot to all of you who have left comments on the website or have sent me nice mails : feedbacks and discussions are warmly welcome !

Special Thanks to all of you (Paul, Rui Vasco, Pat, Benoît, Ebe, Greg) who have contributed by sending your own memorabilia and stories... please come back when you like, and invite your friends ! And I know a couple of guys out there who are expected to contribute next season....

All ruggers are welcome to share a beer this August in La Baule, or next season Place de la Madeleine in Paris where I work... just drop a mail at fhumbert (at) gmail.com !

Bye !

Ooops, I forgot to introduce this nice rugby poster print, advertising for Kina Lillet (an "aperitif" from Bordeaux), drawn in the 30s by French artist André Galland.


Technorati Tags: rugby, print, galland

Stade Français vs Racing Club de France

Gentlemen from Paris... Stade Français in dark blue jerseys vs Racing Club de France in circled light blue jerseys... main Parisian rivals in the 1890s and early 1900s…

Stade Français is my favorite team ! By a strange shortcut in history, it happens that this leading club in French professional league (champion in 2003 and 2004) was also one of the leading teams in the nascent (amateur) championship at the end of the 19th century... During the first 15 years of competition, Stade Français managed 13 times to reach the final, and won 6 titles in total...

More than that, his founders and fist players (E.St Chaffray, Louis Dedet, H.Amand, M.Communeau, Emile Lesieur and many others ) played a key role in establishing the Game in France, structuring clubs and championships, and eventually founding a French national team able to compete with England, Wales, New Zealand etc...

I’ve learnt to know these gentlemen thanks to this fantastic book (a present from my wife… but, sorry, it’s out of stock now… don’t miss it on eBay…) depicting the early days of Stade Français rugby team...

I like this print very much, but I must admit it is a modern copy ! In fact, I dont know where is the original and I dont know who I should credit for it...

The place of this match is also unknown to me.  It could be Bagatelle (in the Bois de Boulogne, where I played many times on Saturdays with my folks...) in 1892 for the very first final lost 3-4 to the RCF (in that case, you'll be happy to know that the referee with the nice hat must be Pierre de Coubertin, who cared about Rugby before caring about Olympic Games)... or it could be the 1893 championship final in Asnieres (near Paris) this time won 7-3 by Stade Français... First of a series of 3 titles in a row : 1893, 1894, 1895...

Technorati Tags: rugby, stade français, rcf

"The Un-licked cub", 1905

Rugby print published in Punch magazine, october 1905, by cartoonist Bernard Partridge.

Caption reads "the New Zealanders have met several of our rugby teams, and easily defeated them".

When the English media were getting to know better Gallagher's squad... the "Colonials" from New Zealand who were becoming the famous "All Blacks" ... (NB check the right column of this site for a link to a very nice illustrated book about the All Blacks 1905 tour)

Strange to see that before being nicknamed "Kiwis", the Blacks were first considered as "Pumas".... (well, at least, I believe it's a puma, do you agree ?)


Technorati Tags: rugby, bernard partridge, all blacks, print

Test match call-up letter, 1904

Another great contribution coming from Greg Lim, a Chinese living in Auckland, New Zealand...
Here are Greg's comments about this letter :

Please find attached my submission to your site – a Test match call-up letter from George Rowland-Hill to someone unknown in 1904 to join the England reserves. For me, I imagine a moment in time over a century ago, when a young man (maybe even a virgin) got the thrill of his life in achieving a dream. However the reality may well be that he was aging, over the hill, and distraught at not making the starting lineup. I’d love to know. So if anyone can assist in identifying who was the “Reserve Three-quarter” for England (v. Ireland, at Blackheath in 1904) I’d be grateful.

Of the billion or so Chinese on the planet, I believe I’m the only one collecting rugby stuff. Probably has something to do with me living in New Zealand. I have tried to stop collecting a number of times over the past 25 years, but to no avail

Let's also mention this fine coincidence... I pinged Gred last night because I spotted this great piece of memorabilia that he is currently selling on eBay... exactly the same jersey as Liddell's picture sent 10 days ago by a fellow collector... China, New Zealand, Scotland, Persia, USA and France in just two seconds.... Rugby collectors of the World, Unite !

edited 18/7 : John "Ovalballs" also has a call-up postcard to share (Wales, 1936) here...

Technorati Tags: rugby, print, rowland-hill

French rugby print, by Paul Ordner

Some comment later...

What colour are Marcel's socks.... ??

Here is Marcel Communeau from Stade Français, proud captain of the first Equipe de France to win an international match, against Scotland in 1911 ...

Question : What colour are Marcel's socks.... ??

A serious question... no kidding !

Let me explain.... I am discussing with a craftman who will make for me some lead figurines representing my favorite rugby players from the 1900s... I am gathering some documents for him to show him the colours and details... and I have an issue with all these B&W pictures...

So, the socks ... red (my bet...) ? blue ? black ? violet ?



Technorati Tags: rugby, communeau

Do you recognize him ?

An other kind contribution from a visitor : Ebe, the Persian rugger brought up in Scotland living in the United States who likes rugby caps.... ;-)  ,  has sent me this picture of one the most prominent sportsmen of Scotland...

Another hint : he is one of main characters portrayed in the blockbuster "Chariots of Fire"...

So thank you for this photography of Eric Liddell !

The man is famous to have won both gold (400m) and bronze (200m) medals at the 1924 Olympics in Paris, but also enjoyed 7 caps for Scotland XV in 1922 and 1923.

Liddell's full bio is here, and his rugby stats are there...

Bonus : "Chariots of Fire"  trailer





Technorati Tags: rugby, eric liddell, chariots of fire

Collector stuff.. : J.Baines cards

New additions to my (small) collection of J.Baines cards...

If you like these cards, please pay a visit to this website; the owner has started to create a catalog of these wonderfull trade cards and is displaying almost 600 of them...

BTW, I you have some of them to sell... just drop a mail... ;-)

Technorati Tags: rugby, Baines