Rugby-Pioneers

French rugby postcard : a goal

I have recently purchased this French postcard, dated 1913, showing the kicker from Compiègne attempting a goal... well, not exactly Wilkinson's style...

Another time, when referees used to wear jackets...

PS : I will be off for a week or so... see you soon !



Technorati Tags: rugby, postcard

Chocolat Poulain advertising trade card

A fine French rugby trade card ... from John's collection again.

Strange rugby kit indeed... It looks very much like the 1880s... I don't know any French club with such colours... or is it just the imagination of the artist...

Edited 21 Feb : John is sharing with us the back of this card... If you understand French, I encourage you to read this fancy description of rugby rules (full size pic here) that brings evidence that the people who made the card had never heard whatsoever about rugby... even as it was at the end of the XIXth century...

Technorati Tags: rugby, chocolat poulain

France - Australia : semi final RWC 1987

No memorabilia... just souvenirs !

Serge Blanco to score an unforgettable last second try that opens that leads France to the final of this first Rugby World Cup... Pierre Albaladejo and Pierre Salviac on the microphone... (in French)

Technorati Tags: rugby, France

A.J.Gould, 1897

I recently posted some story and pictures about Arthur Gould from Newport and Wales, and his contribution to the game of rugby-as-we-know-it-now...

I just came across this nice picture published in Black & White newspaper on April 24, 1897 (photo by R.Thiele).

Some time ago, I was researching some facts about amateur and professionnal rugby (no kidding, it sounds so serious... !) and found out that A.J. Gould - though an amateur- was rewarded... with a cottage ! Actually, this newspaper tells the whole story :

"Mr Arthur Gould, the famous Rugby football player, duly received his testimonial a few days since. Despite the idle opposition of the International Board, Mr Gould's thousands of admirers subscribed £700 between them, and with it purchased a comfortable little house for one of the greatest amateur footballers who ever donned a jersey."

Technorati Tags: rugby, A.J.Gould

Ireland v France, 1911

Now it's my turn to comment on Ireland - France in the Tournament... ! Let's go back to 1911...

French weekly newspaper "Le Plein Air" dated March 24, 1911 introduces the "famous Irish scrum half" H.N.Read the day before Ireland welcomes France in Cork.

It was actually the second time that France visited Ireland, two years after their first confrontation ever in Dublin in 1909 (19-8 to Ireland), but the first time in the scope of the "5 Nations Tournament". France was invited to join England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland for the first time in 1910, i.e. 4 years after France international debut against the Blacks and England.

France started the 1911 Tournament with an unexpected victory 16-15 against Scotland that raised some hopes on the French side... followed by three "normal" defeats against England (37-0), Wales (15-0) and Ireland (25-5) the following weeks.

There were a lot a famous "pioneers" on the French side : Communeau (cap.) and Lesieur from Stade Français... Lane, Faillot, Burgun from Racing Club de France... Mounic from Stade Toulousain... Cadenat from SCUF... Mauriat from FC Lyon... Forgues from Aviron Bayonnais... Here they are in "Le Plein Air" (full size pics are here and there).

 



Technorati Tags: rugby, france, ireland, 6 nations, 5 nations, communeau

Calcutta Cup, 1892 - Again !

What a coincidence ! I received this morning this fine picture of Alderson's English team !

Is that shoot in a farm ?

Full size picture (2 Mo...) is available here.



Technorati Tags: rugby, calcutta cup, england, alderson

Calcutta Cup, England versus Scotland, 1892

I just realise that I forgot to post this print last Saturday... let's go back to 1892 to enjoy this great newspaper print (double page, A3 size...) showing the guys at work at Raeburn Place, Edinburgh. It comes from "Black  & White" newspaper dated March 19, 1892.

Full caption reads "England vs Scotland - The international football match played at Raeburn Place, Edinburgh - Alderson relieves the English line". You can go here to get a full size scan of this print and read the name of the players...

(Private message to the people at www.scrum.com : guys, the new look of your website is great, clear and much more legible than before... but what have you done with the stats database ?? I can't retrieve the stats of this particuliar game... help !)

A couple of words about the trophy... this Calcutta Cup was first awarded in 1879 by the RFU... and, guess it..., it comes from India.

Actually, this trophy was originally presented by the members of the Calcutta Football Club. It is made entirely from melted-down silver rupees, and was crafted in India after the club decided to close down ! After a promising start in the early 1870, rugby didn't manage to emerge in India - no doubt that Indian climate doesn't help... - whereas cricket and tennis were getting more and more popular... Hence, the idea of a trophy to remember the late colonial rugby in India ! Certainly one of the oldest sporting trophy in the world... I need to check that later...


Technorati Tags: rugby, calcutta cup, england, scotland, india

Blacks vs Whites, Paris, 1905

Strange cover from La Vie Au Grand Air, dated February 1905, featuring French rugby godfather Frantz Reichel (in white) and Stade Français forward Georges Jérome (in black)... caption reads "Nègres contre Blancs" ("Niggers vs Whites") as it was said in these colonial times...Inside pages show both teams and explains that the Blacks ("Cham's sons"...) defeated the Whites ("Japhet's sons"...) by 6 points to 5...  I don't know what those two famous ruggers (Jérome was part of the 1906 Equipe de France squad against the Blacks and England) intended to demonstrate...or was it just for fun as the article suggests it ?


The article was written by Charles Gondouin from Racing Club de France, journalist and rugbyman (Gondouin and Reichel  were teammates at RCF)... it reads "le match a obtenu auprès d'un public nombreux un égal succès de gaieté de bon aloi et d'intérêt sportif" (something like "a large audience enjoyed an equal success of happiness and sporting interest"

Full size pics here and there.


Technorati Tags: rugby, reichel, gérome

Wanted !

Wanted !

This early XXth century rugby postcard has been ranked n°1 on my wish list since I started to collect rugby memorabilia... I discovered it in John's collection at www.ovalballs.com... It was part of a 12 cards "sports series" advertising for French liquor Marie Brizard...

I have been searching for almost three years... and nothing, nada, nitchevo...

Well, if you do have a spare one... if you spot it on a postcard fair... if it's part of your auntie's heritage... please drop me a mail...

(nota : this card is ranked n°1 on my "postcard" wish list, but only n°3 on my "global" wish list... n°1 and n°2 being Stade Français and Equipe de France representative caps....)


Technorati Tags: rugby, postcard, marie brizard