Rugby-Pioneers

Historic jerseys stolen from Swansea R.F.C.

This is not an usual "rugby-pioneers" post !

I'm helping Dave Dow, archivist at Swansea R.F.C. in Wales, to spread the word in the rugby memorabilia community that they had these four jerseys stolen from their clubhouse at the start of May, i.e.:

• England and Wales jersey v Scotland and Ireland. Centenary Anniversary of game. Played at Rugby School 1923. worn and Presented by Rowe Harding.
• Irish International jersey worn by George V Stevenson (wing three quarter) Ireland v Wales at Cardiff 1924
• Japanese International rugby jersey, presented by Japanese rugby Union 1973.
• Walker's XV jersey presented by Air Commodore Ranji Walker 1963

As Dave puts it:

Of the four jerseys, two are particularly special to us, Rowe Harding’s 1923 E/W v S/I at rugby School centenary jersey, and the 1924 Ireland jersey. The Japanese one and the Walker’s XV one are probably more valuable to the club that the general rugby collecting world. But where one turns up, others may follow.  

It’s a long shot, but if you do happen to come across any talk of any of these jerseys being put up for sale, or any talk of the jerseys being in a location, would you be good enough to contact us through myself, direct to the club or to Swansea Police. I realise it’s very unlikely, but we’re determined to do all we can.

Thanks very much for your time.

All contact details (address, mail, telephone) are here at the club's webpage.

North v South, c.1890

He's a great find submitted to us by fellow rugby historian and collector Stuart Quinn in Hull. It's a lovely and colourful illustrated card (larger pic here) depicting a "North v South" game in the late 1880s or early 1890s... It shows no print on the back nor info about publisher or origin... Any input welcome!

Funnily, this nice illustration of dramatic rugby action doesn't show an actual "North v South" game... as it is copied from this other reknowned artwork by Messrs Overend and Smythe (below), i.e. England v Scotland played in Edinburgh in 1886. A mural reproduction of the original hangs in the Library of the Scottish Rugby Union at Murrayfield... (and I don't remember who I should credit for my modern repro...)  

Rev.F.Marshall's reference book "Football - the Rugby Union Game" indicates that this yearly game started as early as 1874 (played in Rugby on Januay 20th - drawn, nothing scored !).

Stuart and I would be very happy to know more about these "North v South" games. History, background, anecdots... any document around to be shared here?

Quickly browsing my pictures, I can only share a few press clippings (illustrations or photos) relating the "North v South" game in 1900, 1903 or 1893 below (larger pic here), i.e. a fine engraving by S.T.Dadd captioned "North v South at Manchester" and published in The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News Dec.23,1893. For the records, North won by 2 goals 2 tries (16 points) to 3 tries (9 points) that day...

Incidentally, one of the etchings shows England and North player Dickie - The World's Wonders - Lockwood (full bio)... another opportunity to enjoy these fine Victorian rugby cards!

PS: New Zealand has been also playing "North v South" games since 1897, but that's another story !

The Ten World Oldest Rugby Stamps...

All of a sudden, I came out with a useless "collector" question... what are the oldest rugby stamps?

And it's pretty easy to answer because my fellow collector Derry W. has already gathered all possible information available about stamps on his website "rugby on stamps". And to be honest, all pictures - except the stamp above - belong to Derry... Thanks a lot (and I hope you won't mind my borrowing...)

The World oldest rugby stamp, a pretty unexpected "winner"..., was issued in Romania in 1944 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Romanian Rugby Union (FRR - formerly CFR as detailed here - in Romanian, so ask google for translation...)

Here's the "Top 10":

1. Romania, 1944 (above)

2. Fiji, 1951

3. Japan, 1953

4. France, 1956

5. Romania (again), 1959

6. Czechoslovakia, 1961

7. Samoa, 1962

8. Korea, 1963

9. South Africa, 1964 

10. South Africa, 1964

Interstingly, no stamps before ww2 and no stamps from Home Unions, nor New Zealand nor Australia...

 

Searching for the World Oldest Scoreboard!

Kind of a quiz...  I was wondering where and when a scoreboard was used for the very first time? 

So far, my best proposal is that French board above, first used during Olympic games in Paris in 1900. The board celebrates French gold medal (ok, only three teams... Moseley for "England" + Frankfurt F.C. for "Germany"... cf more at rugbyfootballhistory.com ) after a 27-17 win over the German team.

The newspaper caption reads (in French) "The Scoreboard - A successful innovation"... can't find more accurate wording!

Please also check this great view of Wellington stadium on this famous Test Match New Zealand vs Britain in August 1904... 9-3 for the Colonials (details here)... I love the massive crowd packing on the hill!

Caption reads (cf larger pic here) "Note the up-to-date method of recording the score" suggesting a very recent use... yet extensively covered by advertising...

I'll be very happy to receive other suggestions and evidences of earlier boards in other countries of our rugby planet!

Edit Jan 30th: First scoreboard in Sydney SCC reported in 1896-1897 - thank you Michel !

The present Ladies Stand was completed. The Ned Gregory Scoreboard was built.
Rugby matches were played at the SCG in this period..New Zealand played Combined suburbs XVII in 1884 at the ground. This was the first overseas tour. New Zealand played 3 matches at SCG in 1897 (year after the scoreboard was built) ...so we can assume the new scoreboard was used. Will search for images
Michael Fahey

Lions tour to Australia, 1888... and 2013

"The British & Irish Lions" are in the news today as Warren Gatland has been appointed today to coach the team that will travel to Australia next June 2013 (cf list of fixtures incl. 3 Test Matches v Australia) in a much awaited tour... just 125 years after these twenty-one pioneers from England, Scotland and Wales proudly posing on board of a steamer leaving England in March 1888... (in "Illustrated London News" -  March 1888 - better scan here).

Let's gather a few facts and pictures from that inaugural tour!

The team was captained by England international Robert Seddon while the other capped players in the team were England and Salford Tom Kent, England and Blackheath Andrew E.Stoddart, Cambridge and Wales W.H. "Willie" Thomas (1)

Though a private venture, this first "football" tour down under is seen as the first "Lions" team in History, and the opening of a long and rich history of international tours between the two hemispheres 

As Wikipedia puts it:

"The 1888 tour was organised by two professional English cricketers, Alfred Shaw and Arthur Shrewsbury, but they could not obtain patronage from the Rugby Football Union who refused to patronise by the tour, though the RFU was happy for the tour to go ahead, provided there was no infingement of the rules of amateurism."

Rev. Frank Marshall's "Football the Rugby Union Game", published in 1892 (avail.online in full at archive.org - great!), shows several nice pictures of the "pioneers". The tourists played in red, white and blue hooped jerseys and white shorts. Click here for a larger photograph + the names of all players...

"Shaw and Shrewbury's Australian team - June 25, 1888"  

This team photograph was shot on June 25,1888...i.e. according to the 1888 fixture list somewhere between Adelaide and Melbourne (ok, just 800 km!!). Coincidentally, the 2013 Lions are expected to play in Melbourne on the same June 25. vs Melbourne Rebels next year...

Edit Sept.18: The team photo above, labelled June 25, 1888 - was taken at the East Melbourne Cricket Ground - then the home ground of the Essendon Australian Rules Football Club. Please read John Williamson's comment below for more details.

The players - and the promoters! - were "flexible" enough to play under different football codes to ensure public interest... and financial return! Lions Rugby website details:

"The oddessy began in New Zealand seven weeks after the team sailed from England on March 8, and the tourists went through the islands unbeaten until falling to Auckland in the last of their nine games there.

Their first four games in Australia were also won and it took a change of code to trip the visitors up. Their next 17 games – and a further one later in the tour – were played under Australian or Victorian Rules.

These matches were staged purely for the benefit of the organisers’ profits as they were guaranteed to draw far bigger crowds than union contests. Remarkably, the British team actually won six of these, before reverting to the 15-man code and concluding the tour with an unbeaten return to New Zealand for the final 10 matches."

BTW 2013 Lions Tour has a Facebook page where some fine memorabilia is displayed, such as this wonderful ticket ("Lions" v NSW in Sydney - August 4th 1888)

A few days after this game in Sydney, things went tragically when team captain Bob Seddon drowned in an accident while sculling on the Hunter River in NSW. He had ventured up river alone, and his team mates Anderton and Stoddart found him dead some time later.

The captaincy was then passed to Andrew Stoddart, a future England rugby captain and Wisden Cricketer of the Year. I will not elaborate much about this remarkable sportsman who captained both England Rugby team (1890-93) and England Cricket team (1894 and 1896/7) but just share some pictures...!

These three cigarette cards (Will's and Ogden's) belong to my friend Richard S. as part of his collection of "double capped" sportsmen... while the etching below - captionned "Mr Stoddart passing the ball" - was published in 1895 in the "Portraits of Famous Footballers" portfolio. It reads "An international of many seasons. Very fast and collared determinedly. A good drop kick, but in his latest apparences scarcely came up to expectations. Played last for South v. North, and against Wales and Scotland in 1892-93"

Andrew Stoddart, no mystery, also had its own "Baines Card"... as well as other protagonists of the tour such as Tom Kent and Jack Anderton (2). These ones come from my own collection but I have little doubt that many other players (esp. from Northern Counties) also have their own.. 

This last Baines card is displayed at the RFU World Rugby Museum in Twickenham among other memorabilia treasures from the 1888 tour... "In Memoriam Bob Seddon"  (poor picture with my phone,  I'm afraid... )

(1) nota : this list of four international players is suggested by Wikipedia... in plain contradiction with the ILN article which mentions Harry Eagles (Swinton) instead of Tom Kent... This said, there's no H.Eagles on ESPN stats database and Lions website indicates no England cap for Harry Eagles... Another case where you shouldn't believe what's printed in the newspaper !! Historical researches are a maze... and XIXth "journalists" were sometimes lazy...

(2) I'm not 100% sure that the Anderton featured on my Baines card is "Lion" Jack Anderton. Any hint ?

Edit Sept.10: My friend Richard S. from RFU World Rugby Museum has identified my Anderton Baines card to be Charles Anderton... 

"I am almost certain that the Baines card you have posted for Anderton is for the English international – Charles Anderton (1868-1959) - and not Jack Anderton from Salford who toured with the 1888 British team to Australia but did not play for England. The proof lies in a comparison between two photographs – (i) C Anderton in the Lancashire side photographed in Marshall’s book (1895) on page 379; (ii) J Anderton in the team photo of the 1888 tourists printed in any book that refers to the tour.

There is a good photo of Jack Anderton on page 78 in the book “Football’s Forgotten Tour” by John Williamson."

 

Edit Sept.14: RL collector and historian Stuart Quinn has kindly sent me these two Baines cards to complement this story with two more "tourists". Thanks a lot!

Sam Williams: 170 games for salford between 1881-1890. only managed 50 of the 52 games on the 1888 tour! 4 caps for Lancashire 1886-1887. First Salford player to be selected for the Norths v Souths representative match.

Harry Eagles: Salford pack leader at under 5 feet 7 inches (1m70)! Played 265 times for Salford between 1881-1893. Appeared in all 52 matches of the 1888 tour! Played 18 times for Lancashire 1886-1890. Played in all 3 north v south clashes between 1887-1890.

"La Manière Bayonnaise" 1913

Possibly the most important rugby book in pre-ww1 France... rare, scare and precious ! (to me, at least...)

"La Manière Bayonnaise" ("The Bayonne Method" so to say...) is a milestone in French rugby, laying the grounds for an open passing game... and "French Flair"... written in 1913 by Fernand Forgues, captain of Aviron Bayonnais, French Champion 1913, and his two brothers and teammates Jules and Charles.

This book has been largely influenced by Gwyn Nicholls' "The Modern Rugby Game" and Bayonne key player Harry Owen Roe... even if last chapter highlights differences between "Welsh" and "Bayonnaise" methods... (can't tell you now !! haven't read it yet...)

The original cover picture shows the arrival of Aviron Bayonnais in Colombes, before their (winning) final vs SCUF on April 6th, 1913... "Les Gallois de France" (the Welshmen from France - read that former post for more!) as a fine synthesis!

Also realizing that I haven't draft a full article about Harry Owen Roe... unforgivable ! One of the nice background stories behind this blog is that it helped Roe's family and heirs (from Wales, England and Australia) to get to know eachother and meet IRL four years ago...

This said, you could check Roe's photographies (and signature) on my Flickr, or read this old story (2007) introducing this gentleman from Penarth who had settled in Pays Basque... Much more to come !

A last one - but a great one! - before leaving, courtesy of Gallica / French National Library, showing Roe (wearing a hat) and Jack Bancroft in Paris, in March 1922, before France v Wales. 

Sleeping Beauty

Let me narrate a cool story that let us uncover this rare and beautiful French international cap yesterday!

I was invited yesterday with four other blokes at the Stade de France to support my long-time favorite Stade Français in a "live twitt" contest vs the other Parisian rugby team Racing Metro, the modern successor Racing Club de France which was celebrating its 130 years on this occasion. 

As you can see, its was a perfect day (just forgetting the disapointing result of the match...): wonderful hospitality, champagne and nice folks...  (thank you Ludo for the VIP organization)

And here starts my story...

Discussing rugby history at half-time with fellow Stade Français fan Fred Ramel, we went into something like:

- You know, my wife's great uncle used to be a member of Stade Français in the 20s (*). When my wife's auntie passed away a few ago ago, I've found his member card. His name was Lucien Besset, member of French Parliement in the 30s...

- Great ! do you know about his rugby career, or has he left some memorabilia ?

- Actually no. But I have an old honour cap. I saved it before the family got rid of it, because for them it was worth nothing...

- Great move, do you know what kind of cap it is ?

- Well no, it's white, with a blue + a red ring. And a golden tassle as well. Any idea ?

- aaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrgggghhhh (kind of orgasmic cry that memorabilia collectors will understand), you're just describing an early French international cap, possibly the #1 item on my wish list (with a pre-ww1 French jersey, and a pre-ww1 rugby kit of Stade Français...)

A few seconds later (yes, Ludo has dedicated wifi for his guests in #StadedeFrance...), I was showing Fred photographs of his Great-Uncle who earned two caps for France in 1914. Below are the guys who played vs Poulton's England in Colombes on April 13th 1914 (13-39). Besset is standing in the middle, left to team captain and ball holder Maurice Leuvielle. That day Besset, playing inside center, converted two tries for France... without knowing that five of his teammates will soon die in the turmoil of WW1 and that his rugby career, like many of other promising players, has ceased that very day :-(

(*) The funny thing is that Besset had never been a member of Stade Français, except some kind of honorary membership after his sporting career like the document Fred showed me. Besset was a player, and then an official - President after ww2, of SCUF (Sporting Club Universitaire de France). Please read his full bio here on SCUF website, and check this team picture of the finalists of 1913 French Championship lost to Aviron Bayonnais. Fly half Besset sits on the ground, just below his captain and scrum-half André Theuriet. 

Cool story, isn't it ?

Preview: "The Roses Match" (1893) by W.B.Wollen

Just a quick snapshot... a quality reproduction of one of the most famous English (*) rugby artwork: the "Roses Match" by William Barnes Wollen, showing action from a match Yorkshire (in white jerseys) vs Lancashire (in red and white hoops) played at Park Avenue in Bradford in November 1893.

It has yet to be framed!

Sean Fagan (rugbeia.com) has written a well researched article to bring this artwork into context... and to help you find the hidden "Ghost Player" in the painting... ! Please, don't wait to read "The Ghost in the Rugby Painting"...

"The Roses Match" now hangs on the wall of the Presidents Suite in the West Stand of Twickenham Stadium... limited access I'm afraid...

(*) possibly less famous than Robert Delaunay's "Equipe de Cardiff" or André Lhote's "Joueurs de Rugby"... Hey! I'm French ;-)

Edit : the World Rugby Museum at Twickenham also brings a very detailed story (yet unsigned... ) about the painting, its history and the controversy about the "Ghost Player"... another must-read! 

Football Punch

I just received this afternoon a copy of this wonderful poster print that will rank pretty high in the "Most Beautiful Advertising Rugby Print World Contest" (new concept, I agree...)

This print is refered to us by historian and rugby writer Ron Palenski in Otago who owns the original adversitising print.

Thanks a lot, Ron!

As Ron puts it "The football punch was produced by an immigrant Frenchman, Henri Pain, at Westport in the South Island of New Zealand" (nota: "Pain" in French translates into "Bread"...)

This Franco-Kiwi story doesn't seem to have any connection with this Manchester-based Duckworth & Co, another beverage company (alcohol ? soft drink ?) also producing "Football Punch"... but far less classy label, I admit... yet wearing old Manchester FC (rugby) and Lancashire colours! (no date, possibly 30s? 40s? 50s? any hint ?)

"Refreshing, Delicious and Restorative" for the first drink... a "splendid winter drink" for the other bottle... Make up your choice!

(private messages : Hi to Lorenzo in Manchester and to JC Pain in Tarbes, if they read me...)

Jerome J. Rahilly "Rugby Football" 1904

I love old rugby books !

This one is an early coaching and training book written by Jerome J.Rahilly, captain of London Irish Rugby F. C., published in 1904.

Fifteen chapters... but only one illustration except this fine cover... I- History of the Game. II- The Style of Play. III- The Player. IV- Full Back. V- Threequarters. VI- Half Backs. VII- Forwards. VIII- The Captain. IX- Kicking. X- Passing. XI- Training for Football. XII- The Referee. XIII- Rules. XIV- List of Winners. XV- The Game in Other Countries.

Lot of technical stuff but also interesting dietary recommendations for rugby players..."Tea : consists of eggs, fish or poultry, toast or crust of bread. The crumb should always be toasted and the crust eaten stale, not new. Watercress is allowed, but very little if any butter" or "Spirit drinking I do not believe in, but beer does no harm, if taken at regular times, and with meals. It is indiscriminate or excessive drinking at odd times that does the mischief with the footballer".

NZ Rugby History revisited - Auction in Auckland

 

Some four weeks ago, I teased about a wonderful rugby memorabilia auction organised in Auckland next Oct.13th.

For those, like me, who are not lucky enough to be in NZ these days, here is a video of the exhibition... it covers almost every aspects of the history of New Zealand rugby. You'll see superb items and rare memorabilia... I just need a spare zillion $$$ to purchase this Museum for myself (and friends...)

Below is the auction catalogue... say, the same items in full details ! the catalogue is also available for download here (pdf, 12 Mo ).

Enjoy!

Edit Oct.14th Some of the auction highlights (in NZ$):

Lot 81: 1971 Lions signed ball $1210

Lot 82: Miniature souvenir ball 1924 - 1925 $6665

Lot 100: Signed Stan Meads' All Black Jersey $1815

Lot 105: Colin Meads' Boots $2665

Lot 107: Sean Fitzpatrick 1987 Jersey $3150

Lot 111: 1884 NZ representative cap $20 905 

(nota: approx EUR 12,000 or GBP 10,600 surely a record for a cap ! I assume that only a Scottish or English cap from 1891 inaugural rugby match could top this ! in the meantime, you'll have to visit Twickenham World Rugby Museum to see it for real !)

Lot 112: 1896 NZ representative cap $9330

Lot 121: Invincibles Team photo $4848

Lot 124: Originals Team photo $7878

Lot 124.1: 1905 and 1924 signed tour schedules $8000

Lot 137: Ans Westra Athletic Park photo, 1971 $5575

Arms Park Grand Stand, Cardiff, 1885

Disclaimer : this post isn't related to RWC2011... it's just to say "Hello" to my Welsh friends !

I was happy to find last week a good copy of this fantastic book about the early days of Cardiff RFC, one of the most prominent rugby club in Wales.

"The Cardiff Rugby Football Club - History and Statistics 1876 -1906" compiled by club secretary C.S.Arthur in 1907 goes into every possible details about the first 30 years of the club, from its creation to that famous 17-0 victory against Paul Roos' Springboks on January 1st, 1907 (Percy Bush, Gwynn Nicholls, Rhys Gabe...cf below)

Among tons of teams or action photographies contained in this book, I've been particularly pleased by this picture I'm posting today... it shows the inauguration of the Arms Park Grand Stand, on Dec.26th 1885... Officials, and both Cardiff and Liverpool teams are lining up... 

Large picture here.

As C.S.Arthur puts it "I was this season that the grand stand on the six penny side was taken away and the centre portion of the present Grand Stand erected. It cost £362 and was first use on Boxing Day, the match being Cardiff v Liverpool. It was considered of such importance that a photograph, here produced, was taken.

A steel rope was also put round the ground, in place of the hempen rope used in previous years, and footboards were also put down, so that the spectators should no longer be obliged to stand ankle deep in mud as they frequently to do in former years.
[...]
In consequence of the phenomenal success of the First and Second XV., there was a great influx of spectators, and the gate receipt amounted to the sum of £720 3s. 9d., and the members' subscriptions to £153 8s. 6d., and ground tickets to £36 15s.
The stand was paid for out of the season's income ; the expenditures in other directions naturally increased, with the result that there was a deficiency of £43 13s. to carry forward to the next account."

Note (a) to myself : let's work on the economics and business matters of early rugby clubs...

Note (b) to myself : let's also work on the architecture of these stadium, "cathedrals" of modern times...

 

 

 

Otherwise, I also have some Baines cards of these clubs (a Cardiff Baines card in colour, anyone ?)

Post-Scriptum: some "extras" about Cardiff b Springboks 17 - 0, Jan.1st 1907, at Cardiff Arm's Park... 

First, here is the official programme from that day in Cardiff... This wonderful piece of memorabilia belongs to Richard S. who kindly let me scan and share it... thanks a lot, Richard ! 

Second, I recommend these online resources brought together (by Dai Richards of Rugby Relics fame) for their digital "World Rugby Museum" about the 1906-07 Springboks tour...

I hope they won't mind me copying some of their text and pictures to illustrate... thanks in advance !

A combination of a boggy field and a Cardiff team on top of their form saw the Springboks thrashed at Cardiff Arms Park. Ankle deep in mud the Springbok forwards were unable to match their Welsh opponents in the tussle up front. Cardiff had given the All Blacks a fright a year earlier when they were the only team to score two tries against them. Their 10 - 8 loss to the men of New Zealand was their only defeat in a wonderful season. Led by the genius of Percy Bush the home team included one of the greatest centre partnerships of all time in Gwyn Nicholls and Rhys Gabe, the latter having lined up for Llanelly against the Springboks only 3 days previous. Nicholls it was who opened up the scoring with a marvellous try converted by his brother-in-law Bert Winfield. Gibbs then scored a try for the home team, Winfield missed the conversion but landed a penalty goal late in the half. An early incident saw both Biggs (Cardiff) and Millar (Springboks) leave the field, both returned but Biggs retired from the game at half time. Despite playing the second period with only 14 men against the wind the Cardiff men were able to hold the tourists and prevent them from scoring. They added two further tries through Williams and Gabe to win by an astonishing 17 point margin.  

 Pretty long post, isn't it... ;-)

"not so All Blacks" 1884

Here it is... at last... 2011 Rugby World Cup started again yesterday (NZ time...) in Auckland, and the whole rugby planet is thrilled about this long time expected competition... Let's honour RWC 2011 host by celebrating the very first New Zealand team in history.

Here are the 18 first "All Blacks"... 18 gentlemen who toured New South Wales in 1884 (quite successusfully indeed... won: 8 lost: nil... details here)... Full size picture here (source : A.C.Swan's "History of New Zealand Rugby Football" 1945) and there (NZ NatLib - lovely original photography!)

And now a couple of facts...

First, not to forget that this legendary "All Blacks" name was forged in 1905 only (so to say...) by newspapers during their famous tour in Great Britain, France and the USA (btw check these cool pictures of that tour gathered by the Rugby Memorabilia Society in 2005... )

Second, the 1884 NZ rugby kit was not black with a silver fern... but dark blue with a golden fern...

Left is H.Robert's grand son showing this very first fern... a treasure now kept by New Zealand Rugby Museum in Palmerston North... and a full story to be read on the Museum website here...

Below are two pictures of another wonderful piece of rugby memorabilia: an honour cap from the 1884 NZ squad that shows this dark blue colour... a unique kit as all following teams then elected to wear black jersey with a silver fern... official colours since 1893 thanks to the efforts of prominent Maori player Thomas Ellison.  

Historian Ron Palenski (Hello, Ron !) gives more details about it in this recent interview .

This cap will be auctioned in Auckland on next October 13th together with some other great pieces of international rugby memorabilia. A warm thank you to Hamish at "Art+Object" auction house for providing these pictures in advance... I'll give more details about the sale when the catalogue is ready... in the meantime, there's a teaser here...

Memorabilia fans will also love the signed photography of the 1905 All Blacks...

And now some rugby trivia to challenge your friends...

I've zoomed on the picture of the 1884 NZ team to introduce Thomas "Darby" Ryan (left) and Jack Taiaroa (right)...

    

Thomas "Darby" Ryan - All Black n°12 - was a fairly verstile gentlemen (his bio here). After his sporting career, he spent some time in Paris to study art... where he was picked to referee the final of French Club Championship in 1893 (first title of my faves Stade Français...)... HIs bio mentions that "he was also an accomplished pianist, an excellent trout fisherman and an expert yachtsman."

John "Jack" Taiaroa - All Black n°13 - is to be recorded as the first Maori international player in NZ (his bio here), and also the best try scorer of that 1884 tour. Sean Fagan (www.rugbeia.com and @rugbeia) has written a detailed story about Taiaora and of how Australian players were impressed by his skills and speed. 

Stay tuned, I'll be back... 

Art & Rugby at Sotheby's

Here are "Les joueurs de Rugby" (Rugby players), oil on canevas by André Lhote (1885-1962).

I'am afraid (no doubt... !!) that this great picture is not hanging at home... it was auctionned last May at Sotheby's New York : 2,546,500$... way, way above the auctioneer's estimates. And possibly the highest price ever for a rugby item ?

This wonderful artwork (large pic here) was painted in 1920 and first exhibited at "16eme salon d'automne" in Paris, 1923.

Interstingly, it comes out of a series of paintings dedicated to rugby... I've spotted two other versions : André Lhote painted this other rugby game in 1917... wartime opus... darker, and a bit more "cubist" in style... (exhibited in Musée de St Quentin, near Paris)

Lhote also donated this other cubist artwork - less interesting in my opinion - to French Musée d'Art Moderne - Centre Georges Pompidou (large pic here).

If you're interested about these classy connections between rugby and modern art, you could also catch up with these older stories discussing Robert Delaunay's and Angel Zarraga's great sporting artwork. 

 

PS : Tomorrow, France (Go! France, Go!) and USA will play the semi-final of FIFA Women's World Cup... here is a small tribute, displaying Angel Zarraga's "Las Futbolistas" (1922) and the cover of French newspaper "Le Petit Journal Illustré" by André Galland (1923)

 

 

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...

2011: Year of the All Blacks

My (rugby) predictions for 2011 are easy and simple: 2011 will be the year of the All Blacks!

The All Blacks have "rendez-vous" with the History of Rugby World Cup on Sunday October 23 in Auckland... and to tell you everything, I've just placed a bet on England as runner-up...

Well, we'll just have to wait for nine months ! In the meantime, let me share this "Rugby Almanack of New Zealand". Here is the 1935 issue, the very first of a long series... as this New Zealand rugby's book of records is now in its 76th edition. This first Almanack was edited by A.H.Carman, NZ rugby historian and prolific writer (and former referee) Arthur.C.Swan (cf that former post) and former 1924-25 All Black Read Masters (photo).

Inside pages show all possible records and stats about NZ rugby in 1934, along with fine illustrations such as this map of New Zealand with the portrays of the five players of the year, namely W.E.Hadley (Auckland), R.L.Clarke (Taranaki), H.T.Lilburne (Wellington), G.F.Hart (Canterbury) and J.Hore (Otago).



This Almanack had been regularly published with the same cover and different colours until 1965... when someone decided to change for a modern photographic cover of little interest... I've "borrowed" the following "patchwork" from rugbyrelics.com fame where you can also purchase some copies of this fine book (I'm quite sure that Dai won't mind this free advertising...)

(NB: I've got some memorabilia about 1935 All Blacks tour in Great Britain to share... another time...)

Father & Son (and some French cinema)

Rugby Trivia : could you name a family where father and son both were rugby internationals before WW2 ?

I knew about George Travers (25 caps for Wales 1903-1911) and his son William "Bunner" Travers (12 caps for Wales 1937-1949 and 2 caps for British Lions 1938), two outstanding Welsh hookers portrayed above (in J.B.G.Thomas' "Great Rugger Players 1900-1954" published in 1955). 

George Travers (left) was in this famous Welsh squad who defeated the All Blacks in Cardiff in 1905. He is seen to be one of the first specialist hookers, transitioning from a time when forward positions were not very much differentiated (cf these old c1900 "Mitchell & Kenyon" videos: forwards gather pretty instantly after a scrum is called, on a "first ready - first in" basis... )

Sean (now at rugbeia.com) also reminds us of George (1 cap, 1905) and Walter (4 caps 1938-39) Vickery. Interestingly, father and son both played in the same Welsh club (Aberavon) but were respectively capped for England (George) and Wales (Walter)...

Do you know of other such rugby families ?

And now for something completely (not that) different...

Actually this "Father & Son" trivia was meant to digress... and to draw a parallel with "Le Fils à Jo", a French movie released earlier this week in France... lot of rugby inside ! "Le Fils à Jo" written and directed by Philippe "La Guille" Guillard after his own novel brings us the story of Jo, widower and father of a boy aged 13 in beautiful south-west France (Gaillac). Jo was a local rugby hero, son and grand-son of famous local ruggers... and Jo doesn't understand why his son has little interest in rugby and doesn't want to follow the same route. This comedy will not compete for Golden Palm at Cannes (understatement...) but is funny, sympathetic and will please all fans of grassroot rugby... And it's not so often (if not ever...) that you'll find a movie directed by a rugger ("La Guille" French champion 1990 with Racing Club de France - do you remember these "Show-Bizz" guys with the pink bow ties ??) starring another rugger (hooker Vincent Moscato, French Champion 1991 et 1998 with Bègles and Paris, 4 caps...) now showing solid acting talents. Congrats !

Here is the teaser (in French only).

PS : it's not my first note titled "father and son"... the previous was here showing one of my favorite postcards (also teasing...)

edit Jan.17th : John G. is sending us this impressive list of 19 new names. Thanks a lot ! I believe that all "Northern Hemisphere" families are here...

ENGLAND

R H Birkett (1871 - 1877) and son J G G (1906 - 1912)

W H Milton (1874 - 1875) and sons C H (1906) and J G (1904 - 1907)

H J Wilkinson (1889) and son H (1929 - 1930)

G C Hubbard (1892) and son J C (1930)

W E Tucker (1894 - 1895) and son W E (1926 - 1930)

R F A Hobbs (1899 - 1903) and son R G S (1932)

H T F Weston (1903) and son W H (1933 - 1938)

 

SCOTLAND

H T S Gedge (1894 - 1899) and son P M S (1933)

J B Waters (1904) and son F H (1930 - 1932)

J H Bruce Lockhart (1913 - 1920) and son R B (1937 - 1939)

R A Gallie (1920 - 1921) and son G H (1939)

 

IRELAND

F Schute (1878 - 1879) and son F G (1912 - 1913)

W S Collis (1884) and son W R F (1924 - 1926)

"R O N Hall" (1884) and son C F G T Hallaran (1921 - 1926)

G Collopy (1891 - 1892) and sons W P (1914 - 1924) and R (1923 - 1925)

A D Clinch (1892 - 1897) and son J D (1923 - 1931)

S T Irwin (1900 - 1903) and son J W S (1938 - 1939)

 

"R O N Hall" was the nom-de-guerre of the Leinster player William Hallaran, father of C F G T. Hallaran senior played under pseudonym so that his family did not know that he was "wasting his time while studying medicine at Trinity playing rugby."

 

WALES

T Baker Jones (1882 - 1885) and son P E R "Baker" (1921)

Howell Jones (1904) and son E H (1930)

 

High Tackle (and much more)

Here is a great 10 pages article by Fernand Bidault (the man on the roof in this previous post...) about rugby published in 1908 in "Je Sais Tout", a popular French encyclopaedia... candid text - obviously in French... - to explain rugby to an audience not familiar with sports, and many illustrations... like this powerful "Pacific style" tackle which is failrly surprising in early French rugby...

This article was spotted by Pascalou on French National Library website (some wonderful pre-WW1 photographies up there... definitely something I need to talk about soon... sample!) a couple of weeks ago... and now at home, scanned and ready to be shared... Here is a "player" to comfortably read the full text (enable "fullscreen" for a better experience)... and let's thank Pascalou for his scouting talents!

In my opinion, these sketches explaining basic tactics skill are most tastful...

This "Je Sais Tout" magazine was published by Pierre Laffite, also owner of French sports weekly "La Vie Au Grand Air"... hence common illustrations: "serious" collectors will recognize some of the photographies below that show various and anonymous action from French rugby championship... except the very last one which show Springboks power-players Paul Roos and Dougie Morkel !



 The latter picture, where Roos holds the ball for Morkel to kick, actually was the cover of "La Vie Au Grand Air" in January 1907. 

The Springboks ended their tour in Great Britain by playing in Paris, Parc des Princes, a poor French side... final score 54-6 game vs a Paris team (9 players from Stade Français incl. Combe, Lesieur, Jérome, Galichon...) NB : the "true" Equipe de France was playing in England two days after... cf previous posts here and there...

Must Read! Must Watch!

 

Breaking news!

Sean Fagan, who's been online for almost 10 years @rl1908.com and @colonial-rugby.com.au, is now developping a new website dedicated to the history and roots of our favorite sport.

Ladies and Gentlemen, please rush to @jottingsonrugby.com ! Sean brings exhaustive and fact-based historical researches, together with undisputed knowledge of the history of early rugby football (whatever code -RU, RL or other... in the 1800s and early 1900s) to deliver fantastic rugby stories that you'll never read anywhere else!

A "Must Read"!

Let me also introduce this new documentary film aired by Maori Television in New Zealand. "Beneath the Maori Moon" was a great book by Malcom Mulholland (here on sale @Huia Publishers) covering the rich history of Maori rugby (from Joe Warbrick and George Nepia to the likes of Zinzan Brooke...) and it's now a 15 episodes series every Thursday on Maori Television (thank you Sandy for the trailer!). 

Visit @maoritelevision.com for details and watch recent episodes online ("catch-up tv"). You'll be amazed by the quality and quantity of documents collected - photos, videos, testimonials (including Sean's... shot at Sydney SCG)...

A "Must Watch"!

Bonnie Lassies, Devilled Sardines, 1888

Feargal O'Rourke, a fellow rugby memorabilia collector in Dublin, is sharing with us this fine 120+ years old menu of a complementary dinner to the Irish rugby team hosted by Scottish Rugby Union, a rare souvenir of an early international game (the 56th in the History of international fixtures which started in 1871...) between Scotland and Ireland in March 1888... For your records, please note that Scotland won the game in Raeburn Place by one goal to nil... 

I don't have pictures of these 1888 teams, but some of the players here sound (a wee bit...) familiar such as C.Reid (later portrayed on a Baines card) and W.E.MacLagan (future captain of the first "Lions" squad to tour South Africa in 1891 - full story here) 

It seems that these gentlemen had enjoyed quite a good feast ! some nine toasts (from "to the Queen" to "to the Bonnie Lassies"... just to account for "official" toasts...) and even more courses : oysters, salmon, chicken, haggis, sirloin of beef, turkey, ox tongues, boiled ham... not to forget these very intrigating "devilled sardines" served between the rum baba and the dessert... !

Thanks a lot, Feargal, and "Bon Appetit" !

And now, my 2 cents of rugby history... this menu (say, this match...) could very well be a milestone in the evolution of the game "as we know it"... 

As indicated on the menu, both Irish and Scotch team were playing with 1 fullback + 3 backs + 2 halves + 9 forwards. A few months later, in December 1888 vs New Zealand Natives, Wales will introdruce a "revolutionary" organisation consisting in playing with 4 backs, i.e. 2 centers and 2 wingers.

This new organisation, under the ruling of Welsh legend Arthur "Monkey" Gould (here and there), let rugby game evolve from a dribbling and running game to a passing game...

It took several years for other Home Countries to adopt such "Welsh method" as England, Scotland and Ireland kept on playing with three backs untill the end of 1893 Tournament... Since then, the "Welsh Method" has been prevailing all other the Rugby World...