Rugby-Pioneers

Yes, this is Football Association !

I confess that I sometimes look over nice Football Association memorabilia... this is a poster print by French artist MICH (a cartoonist and illustrator who liked sports topics) c.1910-1920

If you are interested to know more about MICH, follow these links to ArtPrice (Art database) and to a website dedicated to his artwork.

Actually, I have purchased this print together with a similar rugby print. Both of them come from Chartres (80km west of Paris) and show the A.O.C. colours.

Technorati Tags: rugby, football, print, mich, chartres

Rugby and politics, French satirical postcard, 1913

French presidential elections are only three days ahead now... !

Perfect timing - I believe - to present this fine satirical postcard of newly elected president Raymond Poincaré (bio in French, bio in English) escaping from other candidates to "score a goal" as caption reads... back in 1913...

Could my English-speaking readers help me enrich my rugby vocabulary... ? Please check Poincaré's outfit and boots : how do you call this "system" that early ruggers used to install under their rugby boots before studs were adopted ("barette" in French) ? Here is another one, much more accurate (actually, the cover of a French sports magazine dated 1904)

Full size pictures of these two pictures are - as usual - available at Flickr here or there

Next post.... after the vote... who will be ahead of the pack... ?

edited 29/4 : A few words send by our Australian friend Sean Fagan - "The horizontal pieces - made of leather - on the sole of the boot are cleated "cleats" or "bars". A lot of pre-WW1 footballers simply attached them to their walking boots/shoes. I'm no expert in modern 21st century football boot design, but I think the cleats are starting to be used again instead of studs (particularly in RL XIII where the scrummaging is largely irrelevant - and therefore any need to maintain firm footing to push forward or stop being pushed back)."

BTW, Sean wrote an article last year about Vintage Playing Kits (1880-1915) that you will find here on his great website www.rl1908.com

             

Technorati Tags: rugby, poincaré, postcard, boot

Let's talk technique : the side step

Here are a two prints from W.W.Wakefield's book "Rugger" published in 1930 (at least, mine..) explaining the side step ("cadrage débordement" for my French readers...)

   

Actually, this was also the opportunity to present this 3'30 video explaining the beauty of the "Welsh side stepping"... Shane Williams, Jonathan Davis, Gerald Davies, Ieuan Evans, Phil Benett to discuss the point... "It is the small man's act of retribution in a game of big men ; it is one moment of revenge..." or "Side stepping is a natural gift... you can learn how to do it... but you can never been tought when to do it..." or " There is a way, a Welsh way, a special way, to play rugby football"...

I am afraid that I don't know who to credit for this video... thanks anyway...

Technorati Tags: rugby

"The Big Book for Boys" 1924

Regular readers know that I am found of rugby illustrations... wherever they come from.

Actually there are quite a few possibilities to find pictures : prints, engravings, postcards, calendars, trade cards, cigarette cards, newspapers... and books.

Youth litterature provides a vast array of sporting stories, where rugby is often promoted, such as on the fine colourful cover of this "Big Book for Boys" edited in 1924.

Technorati Tags: rugby

Maurice Chevalier "Rugby Marche"

Maurice Chevalier singing rugby ! how could this be possible ?!

Here is the music score of a song created in 1924 and dedicated to Jaureguy &Co for the Olympic Games in Paris... As a matter of coincidence, a reader of this blog sent me a copy of this picture a couple of months ago (thank you Frederic D.) ... days before I found it at a postcard fair in Paris...

Chevalier dressed as a rugger and cartooned by Abel Petit makes it a nice print on its own...

But believe me, his words are terrific ! "Champion du sport et de l'amour"... if you can read French, just follow the link to get a full size picture of the words...

If you can read music, here is a link to the melody !

Even better, here is a 30s extract of the original song here (click on the black arrow to start the reader) ! Enjoy !

 

Technorati Tags: rugby, maurice chevalier

English team for Australia, March 1888

This etching, published by Illustrated London News in March 1888, shows a group of English sportsmen about to sail to Australia in what I believe the first international tour ever organised in Rugby Football.

Actually, I have to do some research to give you the full story... in the meantime, here is the newspaper article that comes with the print...

Larger pictures  can be downloaded at Flickr : team / text

Edit 25/4 : please follow this link to "Lendas do Rugby" ("Rugby Legends") to get the full story and stats about this first Lions tour (thanks Rui Vasco)

Technorati Tags: rugby, print, australia

Rugby postcard "A nice quiet Game"

Early XXth century comic rugby postcard, titled "A nice quiet game"

Regular readers of this website know how much I like these illustrated cards...

(Hi-res picture is available here at Flickr)

Technorati Tags: rugby, postcard

Wales 1905, here are all the guys...

Caption reads : "Cymru am Byth" The Welsh team which defeated New Zealand De.18th, 1905 by 3 points to Nil.

And here are the portrays of captain Gwyn Nicolls, superstar Percie Bush, center R.T.Gabe... and I can't identify (for the moment...) the fourth gentleman... please help me...

Edited April 2 : the fourth guy is Dickie Owen of Swansea capped 35 times between 1902 and 1910. He played as N°9 (thanks to Michael Emmet)  

All his res pictures can be downloaded here on my Flickr account.

 

Technorati Tags: rugby, postcard, wales, 1905, gwen nicolls, percy bush