Rugby-Pioneers

The "Web Ellis Cup" is in Paris !

I was invited last night by Societe Generale (one the main sponsors of French rugby) to a party where French coach Bernard Laporte was presenting the 2007 Rugby World Cup trophy... I wish it could stay in France untill 2011 (ok.. I know.... there's a looong way to get there...)

During next World Cup, i.e. in September and November 2007 for the newbies..., Societe Generale (Agence Centrale - Boulevard Haussmann in Paris) will host a exhibition dedicated to the rugby in Paris before ww1, to which I will contribute with prints, postcards, newspapers etc...  usually displayed here at "rugby-pioneers.com". The exhibition will be open to public and I hope to meet you there - especially those of you who will travel from abroad for the World Cup ! Exiting project, indeed ! stay tuned...

I also had the opportunity of a quick chat with Bernard Laporte about rugby memorabilia, and eventually found out an answer to a long lasting question... No, Bernard Laporte and Pascal Laporte do not belong to the same family, even though both of them used to play in Bordeaux... !



Pascal Laporte (here posing for French magazine La Vie Au Grand Air in 1900) was captaining Stade Bordelais at the turn of the XXth century. Between 1899 and 1911, the Stade Bordelais stroke 7 champion titles and lost 5 finals (4 of them lost to the Stade Francais...).... fairly impressive : over this period, they reached the final every year except 1903 (when Stade Francais won to Toulouse....).


Technorati Tags: rugby, print, laporte, world cup

Olympic Games 1924, French comic print

I am desperately searching for prints, pictures or postcards covering the rugby tournament of the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris !

I have just found this comic print in a French "almanach" published end 1924... it does not really look like France, Romania or the USA, i.e. the only teams which participated to that poor tournament spoiled by the violence and the stupidity of some spectators... it does not even really look like rugby, indeed !




Technorati Tags: rugby, olympic games, print

XIXth century rugby scraps

I really like these Victorian rugby scraps, die-cuts, "découpis"... whatever you name them ! (some explanations about scraps here)

The really give a flavour of what XIXth century rugby could have been (in colleges, for instance, like the one above)... they also bring colours among all these black & white photos and prints...

Last but not least, I also like the idea that kids  had been playing with them...

Another one here showing the guys of Cardiff (in blue) vs Newport (in yellow, thank you, Paul !)  I-dont-know- please-help-me (in yellow, could this be Richmond ?)





Technorati Tags: rugby, die-cut

Dally-M rugby advert : great contribution from down-under !

Sean Fagan is a passionate writer and editor from Sydney, Australia. Please visit his websites about Rugby League History (www.rl1908.com) and Colonial Rugby History (www.colonialrugby.com.au)... you won't be disappointed ! Sean is currently preparing a book about the gentleman pictured here, aka Dally-M

Sean gives us here the full story :

Herbert Henry "Dally" Messenger was a star rugby union player (NSW & Australia) in 1907. In August 1907 he turned professional and joined the New South Wales Rugby League (now NRL). Nicknamed "Dally M", he was known equally for his spectacular play, and his prodigous drop & place kicking.

This advertisement is from 1909, and is one of many products that Dally's name was used to endorse. Unfortunately, we don't know what he derived from allowing his name to be used (if he got anything at all!).

This advertisement is interesting as it is one of the oldest I've seen that uses a footballer by name to sell a product. I am sure this is because, of course, amateur RU players could not endorse a product and/or earn money. More bizarely perhaps, is that this advertisement (using a rugby league star) was placed in a rugby union magazine - at the time the NSWRU and NSWRL were at each other's throats in a bitter fight for the support of the Sydney public.

I am currently researching and writing a book on Dally Messenger, planned for a release in Spring (down under!) 2007.



Thank you, Sean !


Technorati Tags: rugby, rl1908, Dally-M

Kiwi rugby at war, part II

John (www.ovalballs.com) just sent me this reminder : you can't refrain New Zealanders to play rugby...

Here is a newpaper print by Ernst Prater (in The Graphic, Feb. 1917) captioned "The Battle in the Football Field"

Full caption reads : "The war has proved the value of games generally, and of football in particular, as a  training for the grim business of the battlefield, and to mark their appreciation of the fact the authorities have permitted a number of New Zealanders to leave the front and play a brief series of games in this country for the benefit of the Red Cross. The tour, which concludes tomorrow (Saturday), began last Saturday with a match at the Athletics Grounds, Richmond, between the New Zealand Trench Team and the Army Service Corps, when the All Blacks were beaten by 21 points to 3"

We could certainly discuss the point of rugby being a " training for the grim business of the battlefield"... 

To a certain extent, I prefer this kind of military propaganda statement rather than the caption below the French team picture (cf previous post just below) : "Ce salut fait penser à celui du gladiateur antique. La mort guettait ces Poilus dès le lendemain ; Bechade, arrière de l'équipe, était tué huit jours à peine après le match", i.e. "This salute makes think of that of the ancient gladiator. Death watched
for these Poilus (Tommys) as of the following day; Bechade, fullback of the team,
was killed eight days hardly after the match"...



Technorati Tags: rugby, print, all blacks, ww1

France - All Blacks at war time... forgotten games...

A lot has been said about the All Blacks celebrating Armisitice Day during their test matchs in France, but who does remember this ?

France and New Zealand played two games in the turmoil of WW1... in spring 1917 and spring 1918...

Obviously not the "real" teams as there were only soldiers in the line-up... but some true hakas at least...

Those two fixtures were covered by French journalist and sportsman Geo André in La Vie Au Grand Air... I will bring you a detailed summary if I can spare 30 minutes or so in the next days (I am pretty busy, indeed !).


Technorati Tags: rugby, all blacks, france, ww1

"English Manners" : French rugby print, 1878

A French rugby print, published in 1878 in "La Mosaïque" showing a nice "old-style" game ! The good ole days when hacking ("coups de pieds au tibia" for my French readers...) and tripping ("croc-en-jambe"... ) were fully part of game... when it was not uncommon for scrums (sorry, scrummage...) to last 20 minutes...

Caption reads "Moeurs Anglaises : le Football (ballon au pied) exercice d'hiver aux environs de Londres" ("English Manners : Football winter exercise near London").

There is an anachronism here as rugby in England was already played with "modern" rules in 1878 (I mean no hacking, no tripping, etc..) but easily explained by the fact that the game that totally unknown in France at the time (not to mentioned a few expats in Le Havre). The newspaper must have copied an older print... If anybody knows about the original print, please drop a comment below !



Technorati Tags: rugby, print

The All-Blacks are wearing an embroided poppy on their jersey...

... to celebrate New Zelanders who died during WW1 and WW2.

Among them was David Gallaher, 36 caps and captain of the 1905 All-Blacks touring in England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and France. Gallaher died in Belgium in 1917 as a volunteer in NZ army. you will find his full bio here.

In 1906, the Blacks defeated France by ten tries to two (38-8) wheras yesterday the Blacks "only" scored 7 tries to nil (47 - 3)... great progresses, isn't it.. ?

This 1905 postcard is courtesy of John www.ovalballs.com

Edited Nov 13th : All Black winger Sivivatu proudly showing his poppy to the photographer... (credit AFP / Yahoo Sports)



Technorati Tags: rugby, all blacks, gallaher

Parc des Princes, 1930 or so...

I am currently preparing a lecture about rugby history... and I will discuss about the rise of violence in French rugby in the late 20s...

I have some books or newspaper articles from that time describing uncontrolled violence on the pitch, riots between supporters, assaulted referees... and complaining about the evolution of the game, but I am missing some pictures to illustrate my point. Would any of my readers been able to help me ?

In the meantime, here is a French postcard showing police officers in the rows of Parc des Princes in Paris... no date but late 20s or early 30s ... and I just don't know whether it's a rugby or a football match...


Technorati Tags: rugby, postcard, police

Captain Amand or Captain Pelous ?

French Rugby magazine "Atitude" (n°13 i.e. november issue) did a nice shooting of Fabien Pelous wearing great moustaches (and so also did Yannick Nyanga and Frederic Michalak..) to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Equipe de France. I have find it interesting to draw a parallel with Henri Amand, captain of the 1906 team (here in 1898 with Stade Français)...

Obviously, some of the 1906 guys looked very... French...

And so does Fabien Pelous on the magazine cover...

Technorati Tags: rugby, pelous, 1906, amand

Rugby at the "Parc des Princes", 1901

A fine French rugby postcard, dated August 1901, showing rugby players at the Parc de Princes (A large stadium west of Paris, for those who are landing here by mistake..., home of the PSG ... and sometimes hosting Stade Français as well in H-Cup...)

Actually, there is no indication at all on this card... I can identify the Parc des Princes from the buldings in the background, the track around the pitch and the advertising panels.. but I have some doubt about the teams... You could check a larger picture here and give me your suggestions...

I don't know anything about the history of photography, but I am quite astonished by the fact that the photograher had been able to capture the movement of this game. Great technique indeed...



Technorati Tags: rugby, parc des princes, photography