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 !

Comments

[Richard Lowther]

From Morning Post - Monday 17 December 1900 (OCR - will contain spelling mistakes!)

RUGBY. North v. South The South beat the North at the Ashley Down Ground, Bristol, on Saturday by two goals and three tries to two tries It was not a bad match in its wav, but the actual football was much below the usual standard, and the form must have caused plenty of chagrin among the Ru -by STp C _S_2__!2_ 7 ho w , ere th «e to decide o°n the rights of the claimants for places in the Welsh team. It was a glorious day and the ground was in good condition. But the play may be set down as disappointing. Forward the .ilea were often at faul" fhi, W ?^ r KT apsnot a - re »* de - 1 *<> -boose between them. Stout, O'Neill, Charles Scott, Fletcher, and Lux TSZSt&Ztt* >.**' *-* h-S and used their teet wit_ plenty of discrimination in the scrummage aud SiT f Bu * at h-lf-back Patrick was a failure At Northampton Patrick has secured a great reputation, cSJA H . n - 0t Play well on Saturday, and was out- Soii'tf, J___™ « on, P«»<»a both in the North and 1° X? if an £-, The DeBfc ha!f of the Jay was un- doubtedly W alton, the Oxford and Yorkshire half ; his pace ana his resource made one not unmindful of the sreat __^_t_Li_ < -. Eotherhara - Don Wauchope, Grant Asher, and Martm Scott. There has been a great dearth of fine ___l7__i_^T____l i __ - ___^ *•»"• "deed e-ery where, j and it may be hoped that Walton may be a precursor of a | t.-l „f those great timea when the half-back play in Tta-bv football was so good. Schwarz, the old Cambridge Bine, and Oughtred, of Durham, were both pretty eood' and most good judges expected to see Oughtred with Walton chosen for the English team against Wales. The South team suffered much by the absence of J. Daniell, the old English captain, and perhaps the best Ruaby forward of tho day ; he was hurt in the 'Varsity match, or rather an old knee injury was renewed. Behind tho scrummage at three-quarter Vivyan, of Devon, played a wonderful game in kicking and passing, and next to him Frank Jones and Smith were the best. J. T. Taylor, the old international, did a lot of good work ; but the three-quarters of either side, to judge them gene- rally were not impressionable. Dv Boulay, of Blackheath and the Royal Engineers, was neglected from the start. Virtually he had little to do, and he was more of a spectator than a player, an extremely regrettable fact considering the importance of the match, for Dv Boulay is a very fine player — a second Percy Royds, in fact— and his fine running, kicking, and handing-off are the things that are the most successful for combating the Welsh game. Neither full-back was a success. Gamlin, except for a fine dropped goal, was a failure, and Hogg, of Durham, was almost as bail. It was quite easy to understand that the Rugby Union chose Sagar, the Cambridge Blue, for the interna tional against Wales. There was a spiendid crowd to see the match, and the arrangements, in the hands of the local executive, were well carried out. After the foregoing re- marks there is small necessity for any great length of detail in the description of the game. The South began well by getting a try in the first two minutes, when O'Neill got through after a forward rush, while, after some even play, F. H. Jones, who was well fed by the halves, ran over close to the posts. Vivyan failed in both the place kicks. The South forwards got the better of the game, aud the three-quarters came ou: so well that presently there was a try behind the posts by Smith after a bout of passing by Schwarz, Vivyan, and Jones. This time Vivyan placed a goal. Before the interval Elliott got over for the North. No try resulted, and the Sooth led at the interval by one goal and two tries to one try. After change ot ends there was no great variation in the character of the play. The forwards got rather scrambly, and the backs kept the form shown before. Gamiin blun- dered badly ; Walton was exceptionally good at half ; and Vivyan displayed great form at three-quarter. After a great run by Walton a try for the North was scored by Elliott near touch, but no goal resulted. Subsequently came another try by F. H. Jones for the South and a dropped goal by Gamlin, and the South finished with a win of two goals and three tries to two tries. Mr. George Harnett was referee. Sides : North— J. Hogg (Durham), back ;W. Elliott (Durham), W. Brettargh (Lancashire), J. T. Taylor (Durham), and E. T. Nicholson (Lancashire), three-ipiarters ; H. J. Walton (Yorkshire) and B. Oughtred (Durham), half-backs; H. Alexander, and J. Hague (Cheshire), H. D.Wood (Lanca- shire), R. E. Russell (Yorkshire), C. O. P. Gibson (North- umberland), A. Stephenson (Durham), J. Ritson (North- umberland), and D. Graham (Cumberland), forwards. South— H. T. Gamlin (Somerset), back ; A. H. Dv Boulay (Blackheath). E. J. Vivyan (Devon), F. H. Jones (Cambridge University), and C Smith (Gloucester), three- quarter backs; R. O. Schwarz (Richmond) and W. Patrick (Northampton), half-backs; C. T. Scott (Black- heath), A. F. C. Luxmoore (Richmond), E. W. Roberts (Devon), N. C. Fletcher (Old Merchant Taylors), C. Hall (Gloucester), A. O'Neill (Devon), A. O. Dowson (Midland Counties), and F. Stout (Gloucester), forwards.

[Richard Lowther]

JW Sagar later became the first captain of Wakefield RFC in 1901. He left soon after to 'voyage around the world.'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Warburton_Sagar

[Frederic]

Thanks Richard !