Rugby-Pioneers

Lost "Brennus" in Clermont

Modern pictures... but a true piece of French rugby history...

Last Friday, 2010 French champion ASM Clermont lost 2011 semi final of French championship to Stade Toulousain (full report here on @espnscrum )... and said "farewell" to this splendid "Bouclier de Brennus" - Brennus' Shield - named after its creator Charles Brennus. This trophy will be challenged next Saturday by Stade Toulousain and Montpellier.

This is a perfect timing to share this fine picture - the Brennus Shield in Clermont stadium - kindly sent by rock photographer Richard Bellia. Actually, this hi res picture shows wonderful details of Brennus' artwork...

 

The original design consists of a brass shield, engraved with apple leafs and fruits, which includes the arms of USFSA (first sports governing organisation in France created and headed by Pierre de Coubertin) as well as the moto "Ludus Pro Patria" (Games for the Nation), a plaque which would receive the names of the clubs winning the trophy and finally a wooden support made from ash. The trophy was created by Charles Brennus, himself member of USFSA, president of Parisian club SCUF and professional engraver.

Some tenacious myths allege (cf Wikipedia) that this trophy was designed by Pierre de Coubertin, head of USFSA , who wanted to have a trophy made for the first final in french rugby history in 1892.

This story is more than doubtful as rugby historian Georges Pastre (in "Les Boucliers de Printemps") indicates that he had never found any newspaper article mentionning the "Shield" before 1912 final... and neither had I !... . my oldest original picture (left) is dated 1914...  One of these days (soon...), I'll search thoroughly all my newspapers and books for details and make my own contribution to this point : it would surely be interesting to ascertain the starting point of the story...

Charles Brennus' uncommon (at least for an athlete...!!) silhouette could be seen in almost every committee of French USFSA (rugby, cycling, tracks & field, swimming) in the 1890s... a leading sporting personnality, indeed! After a short sporting career (captaining newly created SCUF in 1896), he proved to be one the most active herald of rugby in France : Secretary, Treasurer and President of USFSA rugby commitee in the 1900s, then Honorary President of French Rugby Union in 1920... Here he is in 1922, 63 years old, attending a sporting event in Stade Bergeyre, Paris (picture credit to Bibliothèque Nationale de France / gallica.fr )

Year after year, the original "Brennus Shield" has suffered from numerous damages - often because of too "festive" celebrations from the winning players... Since 2003, winning teams are granted with a replica... like this one in Clermont... 

Again, let me thank Richard Bellia... he possibly is the best rock photographer around... Richard has been on the road shooting the most prominent artists (say, all my faves...) for more than 30 years while being published in all major European magazines. He regularly exhibits his artwork (recently at University of York) and has published two great books...  

I urge you to check his blog (in French) and his portfolio...

Siouxsie Sioux, Shane McGowan and Joe Strummer also agree...

Harlequins: a postcard to Paris...

Amusing provocation from my Parisian postman: he just handed me, minutes ago..., this postcard that looks like another reminder of this Challenge Cup final dramatically lost by Stade Français Paris to London Harlequins last Friday...

Say, a fine team picture from the Quins (no date, but not much before WW1... captain A.D.Stoop holding the ball...)... Ironically, a postcard sent to Paris...

Here is king size picture if some Harlequins fans would like to check all the names.

I recognize (and it's written in the bottom right corner...) behind the players the stands of Richmond Athletic Ground where Geoff N. kindly brought me last summer... a monument of English rugby history : "home" of many England international games before Twickenham was built, "home" of both Richmond (obviously...) and London Scottish...

But that's another story !

And many thanks again to Geoff if you read these lines...

Magee, Reichel, two rugby legends in Paris, 1899

No blogging since three months... shame ! shame ! shame ! too many projects... not enough time... but back to work now, there's a World Cup to prepare ! 

The European rugby season about to end... H Cup final (Leinster v Northampton) will start in a few minutes, and it's only a few hours since London Harlequins (luckily...) defeated my fav' Stade Français in Challenge Cup final yesterday night. Bad news, but it gives me a "connection" with this other game between teams from London and Paris... a few years ago...

Here is one of my favorite French rugby postcards... I like the quality of the photography (neat action pictures are rare... it was such a technical challenge at the time...) and the "modern" attitude of the player holding the ball...

The elegant handwriting "Paris, 29 Aug. 1901" (nota : before 1903, writing on postcards was only allowed on the front of picture side) was a precious hint to identify the place as the famous Parc des Princes, and the defending team as Racing Club de France. 

This said : no caption, no place, no date... and no possibility to know more about it until I was lucky enough to uncover the very same photography in this 2 pages article (signed D.Ropgoal... ha ha!) published in French sports magazine "Sports Illustrés" dated Dec.1899 (to read, in French here page 1 and 2 ). Bingo ! Happy to read that the visiting team was London Irish F.C.

  

Reading the article, I was surprised to discover that both teams were captained by some of the most prominent players from the XIXth century : Louis Magee (Ireland, Bective Rangers of Dublin and London Irish) and Frantz Reichel (France, Racing Club de France, SCUF)... Here are the teams posing....

Pharamond - Goudard, Rutherford, Collas, F.Reichel (cap) - Tauzin, Chastiané - Lefèvre-Hubert, Lefèvre, Aïtoff, Lesage, Bernstein, Sarrade, Ertzbeshoff, Muret

Mac Inerney - MacJoy, M.Dodd, Dinnismore, Forde - R.Dyas, L.Maggee (with two "g"...) (cap) - J.Boottman, J.Thunder, J.W.Walsh, J.Otway, Ruttven, Donovan, J.Murray, Hayes, J.Morson

Here are our "superstars" Louis Magee (Ogden's Cigarette card 1902) and young Frantz Reichel wearing first French colours (USFSA), captain of the first French side touring in England, 1893

 

I'm not going to give a full biography of these gentlemen... please read these former stories (Reichel or Magee) or read these good reports on Wikipedia (Reichel or Magee - you'll recognize the picture!)

Not to forget: In modern times, Louis Magee would play for Leinster...

 

Trivia : my upper picture is captioned "[...] L'arrière Français Pharamond arrêtant la charge de l'Irlandais Ruttven" (i.e. "French fullback Pharamond stopping the race of Irishman Ruttven"). Alexandre Pharamond (Rugby Gold medal @ 1900 Olympics in Paris, three times French Champion with RCF and Stade Français) was the owner of famous restaurant "Pharamond" named after his grand father in 1832... and basically unchanged in 2011...

Trivia again : the history section of London Irish website mentions that "1911 saw the club's first foray into Europe, to France for a game against Le Havre"... well, maybe not...