1.
Wales national rugby union team
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The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy, Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 26 times outright. Wales most recent championship win came in 2013, the governing body, the Welsh Rugby Union, was established in 1881, the same year that Wales played their first international against England. Wales performances in the Home Nations Championship continued to improve, experiencing their first golden age between 1900 and 1911 and they first played New Zealand, known as the All Blacks, in 1905, when they defeated them 3–0 in a famous match at Cardiff Arms Park. Welsh rugby struggled between the two World Wars, but experienced a golden age between 1969 and 1980 when they won eight Five Nations Championships. Wales played in the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987 where they achieved their best ever result of third, following the sport allowing professionalism in 1995, Wales hosted the 1999 World Cup and, in 2005, won their first Six Nations Grand Slam. That was the first Grand Slam won by a team playing most of the matches away from home, Wales won two more Grand Slams in 2008 and in 2012, and in 2011 came fourth in the Rugby World Cup. Their home ground is the Millennium Stadium, currently known for reasons as Principality Stadium. Eight former Welsh players have been inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame, Rugby union took root in Wales in 1850, when Reverend Rowland Williams became Vice-Principal at St Davids College, Lampeter, where he introduced the sport. Wales played their first international on 19 February 1881, organised by Newports Richard Mullock, Wales played against England, losing by seven goals, one drop goal, on 12 March 1881, the Welsh Rugby Union was formed at The Castle Hotel, Neath. Two years later, the Home Nation Championship – now the Six Nations Championship – was first played, however, rugby in Wales developed and, by the 1890s, the Welsh had developed the four three-quarters formation. This formation – with seven backs and eight forwards, instead of six backs and nine forwards – revolutionised the sport and was adopted almost universally at international. With the four three-quarter formation Wales became Home International Champions for the first time in 1893, Wales next won the Championship in 1900, heralding the first golden age of Welsh rugby which was to last until 1911. They won two more Triple Crowns in 1902 and 1905, and were runners up in 1901,1903 and 1904, when Wales faced New Zealands All Blacks at Cardiff Arms Park in late 1905 they had not lost at home since 1899. The referee ruled a scrum to Wales and the score did not change, the loss was the All Blacks only loss on their 35-match tour. In 1906, Wales again won the Home Championship, and later that played the South African national side. Wales were favourites to win the match, but instead South Africa dominated in the forwards, two years later, on 12 December 1908, Wales played the touring Australians, the Wallabies, who they defeated 9–6. In 1909, Wales won the Home Championship and then, in 1910 – with the inclusion of France – the first Five Nations and it would be nearly forty years before they achieved a Grand Slam again
2.
England national rugby union team
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The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy and they are ranked second in the world by the International Rugby Board as of 20 June 2016. England were the first, and to date, the team from the northern hemisphere to win the Rugby World Cup. They were also runners-up in 1991 and 2007, the history of the team extends back to 1871 when the English rugby team played their first official Test match, losing to Scotland by one goal. England dominated the early Home Nations Championship which started in 1883, following the schism of rugby football in 1895, England did not win the Championship again until 1910. England first played against New Zealand in 1905, South Africa in 1906, England was one of the teams invited to take part in the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987 and went on to appear in the final in the second tournament in 1991, losing 12–6 to Australia. Following their 2003 Six Nations Championship Grand Slam, they went on to win the 2003 Rugby World Cup – defeating Australia 20–17 in extra time and they again contested the final in 2007, losing 15–6 to South Africa. England players traditionally wear a shirt with a Rose embroidered on the chest, white shorts. Their home ground is Twickenham Stadium where they first played in 1910, the team is administered by the Rugby Football Union. Four former players have been inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame, Englands first international match was against Scotland on Monday 27 March 1871. Not only was this match Englands first, but it proved to be the first ever rugby union international. Scotland won the match by a goal and a try to a try, in front of a crowd of 4,000 people at Raeburn Place, Edinburgh. A subsequent international took place at the Oval in London on 5 February 1872 which saw England defeat Scotland by a goal, in those early days there was no points system, it was only after 1890 that a format allowing the introduction of a points system was provided. Up until 1875 international rugby matches were decided by the number of goals scored, in 1875, England played their first game against the Irish at the Oval, winning by one goal, one drop goal and one try to nil, the match was Irelands first ever Test. England defeated Scotland in 1880 to become the first winners of the Calcutta Cup and their first match against Wales was played on 19 February 1881 at Richardsons Field in Blackheath. England recorded their largest victory, defeating the Welsh by seven goals, six tries, in 1889, England played their first match against a non-home nations team when they defeated the New Zealand Natives by one goal and four tries to nil at Rectory Field in Blackheath. In 1890 England shared the Home Nations trophy with Scotland, England first played New Zealand in 1905. The All Blacks scored five tries, worth three points at this time, to win 15–0, England first played France in 1905, and Australia in 1909 when they were defeated 9–3
3.
Rugby union
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Rugby union, known in some parts of the world simply as rugby, is a contact team sport which originated in England in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its most common form, a game is between two teams of 15 players using a ball on a rectangular field with H-shaped goalposts on each try line. Historically an amateur sport, in 1995 restrictions on payments to players were removed, World Rugby, originally the International Rugby Football Board and from 1998 to 2014 the International Rugby Board, has been the governing body for rugby union since 1886. Rugby union spread from the Home Nations of Great Britain and Ireland, early exponents of the sport included Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and France. Countries that have adopted rugby union as their de facto national sport include Fiji, Georgia, Madagascar, New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga, Rugby union is played in over 100 countries across six continents, there are 101 full members and 18 associate members of World Rugby. The Rugby World Cup, first held in 1987, takes place four years with the winner of the tournament receiving the Webb Ellis Cup. The Six Nations Championship in Europe and The Rugby Championship in the Southern Hemisphere are major annual competitions. The origin of football is reputed to be an incident during a game of English school football at Rugby School in 1823. Although the evidence for the story is doubtful, it was immortalised at the school with a plaque unveiled in 1895, despite the doubtful evidence, the Rugby World Cup trophy is named after Webb Ellis. Rugby football stems from the form of game played at Rugby School, Old Rugbeian Albert Pell, a student at Cambridge, is credited with having formed the first football team. During this early period different schools used different rules, with pupils from Rugby. Other important events include the Blackheath Clubs decision to leave the Football Association in 1863, despite the sports full name of rugby union, it is known simply as rugby throughout most of the world. The first rugby football international was played on 27 March 1871 between Scotland and England, by 1881 both Ireland and Wales had representative teams, and in 1883 the first international competition, the Home Nations Championship had begun. 1883 is also the year of the first rugby tournament, the Melrose Sevens. During the early history of union, a time before commercial air travel. The first two notable tours both took place in 1888—the British Isles team touring New Zealand and Australia, followed by the New Zealand team touring Europe, All three teams brought new styles of play, fitness levels and tactics, and were far more successful than critics had expected. After Morgan began singing, the crowd joined in, the first time a national anthem was sung at the start of a sporting event, in 1905 France played England in its first international match
4.
Australia national rugby union team
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The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. Australia have competed in all eight Rugby World Cups, and have won the World Cup on two occasions, in 1991 beating England in the final, and in 1999 when their opponents in the final were France. Australia also lost in the final after extra time to England in the 2003 competition, Australia are governed by the Australian Rugby Union. Eleven former Australian players have been inducted into either the International Rugby Hall of Fame or the IRB Hall of Fame, three are members of the International Hall only, four are members of the IRB Hall only, and four are members of both Halls of Fame. In 1882 the Southern Rugby Football Union toured New Zealand, the New Zealand national team toured New South Wales in 1884 – defeating New South Wales in all three matches, and winning all nine matches on tour. The first tour by a British team took place in 1888, a British Isles team toured Australia and New Zealand, though no Test matches were played. Although they had representatives from all four nations, the players were drawn mainly from England. The tour was not sanctioned by the Rugby Football Union as it was organised by entrepreneurs, in 1899 the first officially sanctioned British Isles team toured Australia. Four Tests were played between Australia and the British Isles, the Australian team for the first Test match consisted of six players from Queensland and nine from New South Wales. The first Test was played at the Sydney Cricket Ground and won 13–3 by Australia, the first Test between Australia and New Zealand was played on 15 August 1903 at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Despite Australia losing 22–3, this tour improved rugbys popularity in Australia and helped to increase attendances at matches in Sydney. In 1907 the New South Wales Rugby League was formed and star player Dally Messenger left the Rugby union for the rival code, the next year the first Australian team to tour the British Isles left Sydney. Newspapers in England initially gave the team the name Rabbits, the Australian players thought this nickname derogatory and replaced it with Wallabies. Australias last Test before First World War was against New Zealand in July 1914, the war had a very negative effect on rugby union in Australia. This resulted in all but closed down in New South Wales. In Queensland regular competitions did not commence again until 1928 and this caused many players to switch to rugby league – which did not cease playing during the war. War hero Sir Edward Weary Dunlop also played for Australia before World War II and he played on the side that was the first to win the Bledisloe Cup. The first Test to following World War Two was played at Carisbrook, Australia did not win on the three match tour, beaten 20–0 by New Zealand Maori, and then losing 14–10 to the All Blacks the following week
5.
New Zealand national rugby union team
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The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly called the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in mens rugby union, which is regarded as the countrys national sport. The side has won the last two Rugby World Cups, in 2011 and 2015, as well as the tournament in 1987. They have a 77% winning record in test match rugby, and are the international side with a winning record against every opponent. Since their international debut in 1903, they have lost to only six of the 19 nations they have played in test matches, since the introduction of the World Rugby Rankings in 2003, New Zealand has held the number one ranking longer than all other teams combined. The All Blacks are statistically the best side to have played the game, New Zealand competes with Argentina, Australia and South Africa in The Rugby Championship. The All Blacks have won the fourteen times in the competitions twenty-one-year history. As of the end of 2016 competition, they hold the Bledisloe Cup, which is contested annually with Australia, New Zealand have achieved a Grand Slam four times –1978,2005,2008 and 2010. Fifteen former All Blacks have been inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame, All Black coaches have won World Rugby Coach of the Year nine times since the awards 2001 launch. The teams first match was in 1884, and their first international test match was in 1903 against Australia in Sydney, the following year they hosted their first ever home test, a match against a British Isles side in Wellington. This was followed by a 34-game tour of Europe and North America in 1905, New Zealands early uniforms consisted of a black jersey with a silver fern and white knickerbockers. By the 1905 tour, they were wearing all black, except for the silver fern, the team perform a haka – a Māori challenge or posture dance – before each match. The haka performed has traditionally been Te Rauparahas Ka Mate, although since 2005 Kapa o Pango is often performed, the first recorded game in New Zealand took place in May 1870 in Nelson between the Nelson club and Nelson College. The first provincial union, the Canterbury Rugby Football Union, was formed in 1879, NSW did not face a New Zealand representative team but played seven provincial sides – the tourists won four games and lost three. Two years later the first New Zealand team to travel overseas toured New South Wales, a privately organised British team, which later became the British and Irish Lions, toured New Zealand in 1888. No test matches were played, and the only played provincial sides. The British players were mainly from Northern England, but there were representatives from Wales. The first officially sanctioned New Zealand side toured New South Wales in 1893, the following year New Zealand played its first home international game, losing 8–6 to New South Wales. The teams first true test match occurred against Australia on 15 August 1903 at the Sydney Cricket Ground in front of over 30,000 spectators, a representative New Zealand team first toured the British Isles in 1905
6.
South Africa national rugby union team
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The South Africa national rugby union team, commonly known as the Springboks, is governed by the South African Rugby Union. The Springboks play in green and gold jerseys with white shorts, and their emblems are the Springbok, the team has been representing South Africa in international rugby union since 30 July 1891, when they played their first test match against a British Isles touring team. The team made its World Cup debut in 1995, when the newly democratic South Africa hosted the tournament, South Africa regained their title as champions 12 years later, when they defeated England 15–6 in the 2007 final. They were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the Laureus World Sports Awards, the Springboks also compete in the annual Rugby Championship, along with southern-hemisphere counterparts Argentina, Australia and New Zealand. They have won this championship on three occasions in sixteen years and they also play Test matches against the various rugby-playing nations. Their position in the World Rugby Rankings has varied between the No.1 and No.7 positions, the first British Isles tour took place in 1891, at Diocesan College. These were the first representative games played by South African sides, the tourists won all twenty matches they played, conceding only one point. The British Isles success continued on their tour of 1896, winning three out of four tests against South Africa, South Africas play improved markedly from 1891, and their first test win in the final game was a pointer to the future. In 1903 the British Isles lost a series for the first time in South Africa, Rugby was given a huge boost by the early Lions tours, which created great interest in the South African press. South Africa would not lose another series—home or away—until 1956, the first South African team to tour the British Isles and France occurred during 1906–07. The team played tests against all four Home Nations, England managed a draw, but Scotland was the only one of the Home unions to gain a victory. The trip instilled a sense of pride among South Africans. The South Africans played a match against a France team while the official French team were in England. It was during this tour that the nickname Springboks was first used, the 1910 British Isles tour of South Africa was the first to include representatives from all four Home unions. The tourists won just one of their three tests, the Boks second European tour took place in 1912–13. They beat the four Home nations to earn their first Grand Slam, by the first World War, New Zealand and South Africa had established themselves as rugbys two greatest powers. A Springbok tour to New Zealand and Australia in 1921 was billed as The World Championship of Rugby, the All Blacks won the first Test 13–5, The Springboks recovered to win the second Test 9–5, and the final Test was drawn 0–0, resulting in a series draw. The 1924 British and Irish Lions team to South Africa lost all four Tests to the Springboks and this was the first side to pick up the name Lions, apparently picked up from the Lions embroidered on their ties
7.
Irish Rugby Football Union
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The Irish Rugby Football Union is the body managing rugby union in the island of Ireland. The IRFU has its office at 10/12 Lansdowne Road and home ground at Aviva Stadium. In addition, the Union also owns Ravenhill in Belfast, Thomond Park in Limerick, the IRFU was formed in 1879 as an amalgamation of these two organisations and branches of the new IRFU were formed in Leinster, Munster and Ulster. The Connacht Branch was formed in 1900, the IRFU was a founding member of the International Rugby Football Board, now known as World Rugby, in 1886 with Scotland and Wales. To maintain the unity of Irish rugby union and the linkages between North and South, the IRFU purchased a new ground in 1923 in the Ravenhill district of Belfast at a cost of £2,300. The last full International at Ravenhill involving Ireland for more than a half-century took place in 1953–54 against Scotland who were victorious by 2 tries to nil, Australia played Romania in the 1999 World Cup at the ground. The next full International played at Ravenhill was the Rugby World Cup warm-up match against Italy in August 2007 due to the closure of Lansdowne Road for reconstruction. The four provincial branches of the IRFU first ran cup competitions during the 1880s, although these tournaments still take place every year, their significance has been diminished by the advent of an All-Ireland league of 48 Senior Clubs in 1990. The four provincial teams have played an Interprovincial Championship since the 1920s and these are Munster, Leinster, Ulster and Connacht. All four provinces play at the level as members of the Guinness Pro12. The Irish Rugby Football Union represents the island of Ireland and the emblems, some elements have changed since 1874, but what has remained consistent throughout the history of the union is the use of the shamrock in its emblems. In 1927 a new crest was introduced, with the design altered to a sprig of 3 shamrocks of a similar size within a smaller white shield. This was the official crest until 1974 when the logo was used. Although the use of the shamrock has been a constant, albeit with modifications to design, in the early twenties, when the Irish Free State was established, the union was left in the position of governing a game for one island containing two separate political entities. A controversy ensued as to what flag should be flown at international matches, for a side that played both in Dublin and Belfast this posed a significant issue. In 1925 the union designed their own flag, incorporating the arms of the four provinces, although it had the same elements as the Flag of the Four Provinces, it was not identical, instead having them separated on a green background with the IRFU logo in the centre. Even so, the call to fly the Irish tricolour at Lansdowne Road continued, the result was that on 5 February 1932, the IRFU unanimously voted to fly both the flag of the union and the national flag at Lansdowne Road at all international matches in Dublin. The IRFU flag, as designed in 1925, is that which is used by the Ireland rugby union side
8.
Scottish Rugby Union
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The Scottish Rugby Union, or Aonadh Rugbaidh na h-Alba in Scottish Gaelic, is the governing body of rugby union in Scotland. It is the second oldest Rugby Union, having founded in 1873. The SRU oversees the league system, known as the Scottish League Championship. The SRU is headed by the President and Chairman, with Mark Dodson acting as the Chief Executive Officer, the Scottish Football Union was founded on Monday 3 March 1873 at a meeting held at Glasgow Academy, Elmbank Street, Glasgow. Eight clubs were represented at the foundation, Glasgow Academicals, Edinburgh Academical Football Club, University of St Andrews Rugby Football Club, Royal High School FP, Merchistonians, Edinburgh University RFC, and Glasgow University. Five of these clubs were, at the time of founding the Scottish Football Union, although the RFU now represents exclusively English clubs, in its first few years it had members from outside England, there being no other national union. West of Scotland, Glasgow Academicals and Edinburgh University had joined the RFU in 1871 and Edinburgh Academicals and these five renounced membership of the RFU to join the SFU. The SFU was a member of the International Rugby Football Board, now known as World Rugby, in 1886 with Ireland. In 1924 the SFU changed its name to become the Scottish Rugby Union, International games were played at Inverleith from 1899 to 1925 when Murrayfield was opened. The four traditional districts—the South, Edinburgh, Glasgow and the North & Midlands —were given the go-ahead to take part in Europe, for the first two seasons, players were still released to play for their clubs in domestic competition, but eventually the districts became full-time operations. Then financial difficulties—the SRUs high debt, partly as a result of the redevelopment of Murrayfield—called for retrenchment, after two seasons, financial difficulties forced the SRU to merge the four teams into two. Edinburgh merged with the Border Reivers to form a team to be known as Edinburgh Reivers, Glasgow merged with Caledonian to form a team to be known as Glasgow Caledonian. The Borders was resurrected in 2002 and joined the season of the Celtic League. As a consequence Edinburgh Reivers became simply Edinburgh Rugby and Glasgow became Glasgow Rugby, in 2005, all three teams adopted new names. The Borders readopted the name Border Reivers, Edinburgh became Edinburgh Gunners, but would revert to Edinburgh in 2006, furthermore, the SRU planned to have a world class rugby side for each city or large town in Scotland, when financial circumstances permitted. In 2007, The Borders team was disbanded yet again as a result of continuing financial difficulties, in the same year, the SRU began organising the Scotland Sevens, first held in Edinburgh and later in Glasgow. For several years, it was the event in the annual Sevens World Series. On 21 November 2009 Scotland beat Australia 9–8 after 17 attempts in 27 years, in the Season 2010–11 the SRU had a contractual dispute with the Season Ticket Holders of Edinburgh Rugby
9.
World Rugby
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World Rugby, previously known as the International Rugby Board until 2014, is the world governing body for the sport of rugby union. World Rugby organises the Rugby World Cup every four years, the sports most recognised and it also organises a number of other international rugby competitions, such as the World Rugby Sevens Series, the World Under 20 Championship, and the Pacific Nations Cup. World Rugbys headquarters are in Dublin, Ireland and its membership now comprises 119 national unions. Member countries must each also be members of one of the six regional unions into which the world is divided, Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and the Caribbean, South America, and Oceania. World Rugby was founded as the International Rugby Football Board in 1886 by Scotland, Wales and Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa became full members in 1949. France became a member in 1978 and a further eighty members joined from 1987 to 1999, the body was renamed the International Rugby Board in 1998, and took up its current name in November 2014. In 2009, the International Olympic Committee voted to include rugby sevens in the 2016 Summer Olympics, World Rugby gained membership of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations in 2010. Until 1885 the laws of football were made by England as the founder nation. However, following a try in an international between Scotland and England in 1884, letters were exchanged in which England claimed that they made the laws. Scotland refused to play England in the 1885 Home Nations Championship, following the dispute, the home unions of Scotland, Ireland and Wales decided to form an international union whose membership would agree on the standard rules of rugby football. The three nations met in Dublin in 1886, though no formal regulations were agreed upon, England refused to take part in the founding of the IRFB, stating that they should have greater representation, as they had more clubs. The England Union also refused to accept the IRFB as the recognised lawmaker of the game and this led to the IRFB taking the stance of member countries not playing England until they joined, and no games were played against England in 1888 and 1889. In 1890 England joined the IRFB, gaining six seats while the unions had two each. The same year, the IRFB wrote the first international laws of rugby union, in 1893, the IRFB was faced with the divide between amateurism and professionalism, which was nicknamed the Great Schism. Following the introduction of working men to the game in Northern England, clubs began paying broken time payments to players. Cumberland County Union also complained of another club using monetary incentives to lure players, the IRFB was warned by all the chief clubs in Lancashire and Yorkshire that any punishment would lead to the clubs seceding from the union. The debate over broken time payments ultimately caused the 22 leading clubs in Yorkshire and Lancashire to form the Northern Rugby Football Union, the competing unions laws of the game diverged almost immediately, the northern bodys code eventually became known as rugby league football. Englands seats on the IRFB were reduced from six to four in 1911, the three Southern Hemisphere unions were given a second seat each in 1958
10.
Herbert Moran
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Herbert Michael Paddy Moran was an Australian rugby union player, a state and national representative flanker who captained the Wallabies on their first overseas tour in 1908-09. Moran was born to Irish Catholic parents though his mother died in childbirth when he was five and his father had emigrated to Sydney in 1876 and laboured until he had sufficient savings to buy a bakery business in inner-city Chippendale. He struggled after his partner disappeared leaving Moran senior well in debt, young Paddy was first schooled in inner-Sydney at Darlington Superior School, then briefly at St Josephs College, Hunters Hill before St Aloysius Surry Hills. In his book Viewless Winds, Moran wrote that he played no more than two games of football for his college in his time there. He commenced his studies at Sydney University still aged 15 in 1901. He first turned out for the Sydney University Football Club in 1904 as a prop in second grade and from 1905 to 1907 he earned University Blues in the senior grade and he made state representative appearances for New South Wales in 1906 and 1907. After completing his studies he had a year in residence at Newcastle Hospital where he captained a Newcastle club side who toured to Sydney. This again brought him to the attention of selectors and he represented again that year for the state, perhaps surprisingly given his overall lack of captaincy experience Moran was selected as tour captain for Australias first Wallabies on the 1908-09 tour of the British Isles and North America. Howell suggests that the selectors may have favoured Moran with his medical degree, on the long voyage Moran introduced the practice of team meetings that were part lecture and part brain-storming with players encouraged to voice their ideas on improving team performance. Moran captained Australia in the first eight games of the only one of which - against Llanelli RFC - was lost. Howell writes that Moran applied himself diligently and displayed courage and leadership and he dislocated his shoulder late in the first half of the eighth tour game against London but played out the match gamely. He played against Somerset and then made his Test début against Wales at Cardiff Arms Park on 12 December 1908 at number eight - a match lost by Australia 6-9. He figured in the Welsh tour matches against Newport, Abertillery, Swansea and Cardiff but then struck on New Years Eve 1909 when he slipped on ice while walking. He withdrew from the team on the morning of the Test against England, after the last Test but with two further tour matches to be played, Moran left the tour to further his medical studies at Edinburgh University. Unfathomable by later and current standards, the tour captain therefore did not accompany the team on the leg of the tour to the USA. All told Moran captained Australia on sixteen occasions, all on this tour - one of these was a Test appearance, in 1911 and 1912 Moran was President of Sydneys Balmain Rugby Club. Moran writes in Viewless Winds that when the touring squad first arrived at Plymouth a pack of journalists were there who were anxious to give the team some distinctive name and these days the national side are the Wallabies whether playing at home or anywhere abroad. Moran also describes as an affliction the war-cry which the parent Union in Australia had suggested the team should use for its box-office value, Moran wrote The memory of that war cry provokes anger in me even after all these years
11.
Stan Wickham
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Stan Wickham was a pioneer Australian rugby union player, a state and national representative centre who captained the Australian national side on a number of occasions in the early 1900s. He was tour captain for the inaugural Wallaby overseas tour, that to New Zealand in 1905, born in Parramatta, New South Wales Wickham was schooled at Parramatta Marist Brothers followed by Sydney Boys High School, graduating in 1889 where he learned his rugby. After school he played for the Parramatta Two Blues in 1893 &1894 then the Wallaroo club side in Sydney in 1895 and 1896. He lived in Lucknow near Orange, New South Wales from 1896 to 1899 and played rugby there, in 1900 he returned to Sydney and commenced with the Western Suburbs DRUFC in its inaugural year of competition. He would play 87 first-grade games for the club, Wickham was first selected in a New South Wales representative side in 1895 aged 19 and would go on to make 37 Waratah appearances in a state representative career than lasted till 1906. He made 24 state appearances in matches against Queensland, Howell cites his finest Waratahs game as an 1897 tour match against the visiting All Blacks when he scored two tries and booted a conversion for a rare 22-8 New South Wales win over New Zealand. He first represented at the level against New Zealand, in Sydney. He was one of fourteen New South Welshman, who with nine Queenslanders made up a strong squad. It was a tour for the Wallabies who played seven games. Wickham played every match on tour and was top-scorer with eighteen points from two penalty goals and three goals from marks, in total he claimed five international rugby caps for Australia, four of them as captain. Wickham had been two years retired by the date of the 1908–09 Australia rugby union tour of Britain, New South Wales state selector James McMahon was tour manager and in those days the idea that anyone other than the captain would coach the side was frowned upon. McMahon was initially the only accompanying official but Howell writes that a campaign resulted in Wickham also being included on the tour as Assistant Manager acting unofficially as coach
12.
Chris McKivat
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Christopher Hobart McKivat was an Australian rugby union and rugby league player – a dual-code rugby international. He represented the Wallabies in over 20 Tests and tour matches from 1907 to 1909 and he is unique in Australian rugby history as the only man to captain both the national rugby union and rugby league teams. Following his playing career he became the most successful coach of the North Sydney Bears in the clubs history. He captained the 1908 Summer Olympics gold medal winning Wallaby side and was the captain of the Australian national rugby league team leading them in all 3 Tests of the 1911–12 tour. Thus he captained his country to victory on tour in two different rugby codes and he was born in Cumnock, New South Wales and educated by the Patrician Brothers in Orange. He played country rugby union with the Our Boys club in Wellington and was selected in country representative teams until he was 26. He was a tactically brilliant half-back and a great leader of both forwards and backs. McKivat was selected for New South Wales in 1905 to represent against the visiting All Blacks and he crossed over to the professional code joining the Glebe Rugby League Club as a 30-year-old veteran in 1910. He made his rugby league debut that same year in the first Test in Sydney on 18 June 1910 against Great Britain. Four of his former Wallaby team mates also debuted that day John Barnett, Bob Craig, Jack Hickey and he played in 31 matches on Tour and scored 10 tries. The Heads/Middleton reference describes him a being revered on that tour – a magnificent general, tough, durable and an inspiration to the men around him. It quotes Johnny Quinlan the tour co-manager He always set an example in conduct. His representative career ended at age 32 with that Ashes success and he coached Glebe, Wests and Norths in the following years, including North Sydneys premiership winning sides of 1921 and 1922. Christopher McKivat died on 4 May 1941 after a short illness and he died at Gloucester House, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown. He was survived by his wife and one son, a large funeral was held at St. James Church, Forest Lodge, New South Wales, and he was buried at Botany Cemetery. The Sydney Morning Herald said of him He was described by Rugby and Rugby League authorities as the best halfback of all time, No one possessed better all round ability. His service from the scrum was the speediest of any halfback since the coming of district football, in 2005 McKivat was admitted into the Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame. In August 2006 he was named as coach of the North Sydney Bears Team of the Century, in February 2008, McKivat was named in the list of Australias 100 Greatest Players which was commissioned by the NRL and ARL to celebrate the codes centenary year in Australia
13.
Fred Wood (rugby union)
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Frederick Wood was an Australian rugby union player, a state and national representative half-back. He was vice-captain of the Wallabies on their first overseas tour in 1908-09 and his representative career lasted from 1905 to 1914. Wood played for the Glebe club in Sydney and first attracted attention when he represented in a 1905 Metropolitan side against the touring New Zealand side and he was then selected in the second match for New South Wales against those same All Blacks. A full Australian team was selected the next day - the first national side to tour overseas, Wood played in four tour matches of the seven contested by the side, but did not figure in the sole Test. Both McKivat and Wood were selected in the Australian test side captained by Peter Burge to meet those same All Blacks, Woods held his spot for the 2nd Test and the 3rd. In 1908 an Anglo-Welsh side toured Australia and Wood was honoured with the captaincy for New South Wales in the first of the two encounters he played against them. Wood was selected as vice-captain on the first Wallaby 1908-09 Australia rugby union tour of the British Isles and France, the squad captained by Herbert Moran. Moran later in Viewless Winds referred to the friction that arose since Wood as vice-captain was also a selector The vice-captain was great little player who never found his form in England. It used to be unpleasant for us when, in the face of this, Wood played against the touring All Blacks of 1910 twice for New South Wales and in all three Test matches. That second test marked Australias first ever victory over New Zealand in the seven encounters till then, Wood played against the New Zealand Māori rugby union team when they toured against New South Wales in 1910 and in 1913. That same year the Wallabies undertook a nine match tour of New Zealand with Wood playing in eight of those games, Wood played in all three Tests and Howell quotes the Chester McMillan reference that in both the second and third Tests Wood was the outstanding back on the field. In 1914 aged 30 Wood was still representing for Australia when the All Blacks toured against and he was honoured with the captaincy of the team in the first. World War I marked the end of rugby for a while as it also marked the end of Woods long representative career having played 39 times for Australia including 12 Tests. Fred Wood died aged 40 in 1924
14.
Waratah
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Waratah is an Australian-endemic genus of five species of large shrubs or small trees, native to the southeastern parts of Australia. The most well-known species in genus is Telopea speciosissima, which has bright red flowers and is the NSW state emblem. The waratah is a member of the plant family Proteaceae, a family of flowering plants distributed in the Southern Hemisphere. The key diagnostic feature of Proteaceae is the inflorescence, which is very large, brightly coloured and showy. Species of waratah boast such inflorescences ranging from 6–15 cm in diameter with a ring of coloured bracts. The leaves are arranged, 10–20 cm long and 2–3 cm broad with entire or serrated margins. The name waratah comes from the Eora Aboriginal people, the inhabitants of the Sydney area. The genus Telopea is belongs to the plant family Proteaceae, together they make up the subtribe Embothriinae. The genus was first described by Robert Brown in 1810 from the type species Telopea speciosissima, there are five species of plant within the genus, all of which readily hybridize in cultivation. There are two branches, with one being the species pair of T. speciosissima and T. aspera, with the other lineage giving rise to T. truncata first, then T. oreades. The speciosissima-aspera lineage has two synapomorphies—distinguishing common characteristics presumed not present in ancestors—leaves with toothed margins, and large red involucral bracts, the genus Waratah contains five species, Species grow as either large shrubs or small trees with spirally arranged leaves with either entire or serrated margins. The natural distributions of the five species of Telopea are all confined to east coast regions from northern New South Wales to Tasmania, each of the species has its own distinctive natural distribution with minimal or no overlap. Climatic changes may have restricted the expansion of species distribution or led to its isolation in a particular region, however, waratahs can also grow outside of these natural distribution areas. Cultivation mostly occurs north of Sydney and in the Dandenong Ranges, T. speciosissima has also been grown successfully in areas not on the map. In Australia these areas include south-west Western Australia, the Queensland coast, overseas, New Zealand, the USA, South Africa and Israel are all also able to grow waratah with varying degrees of success. It was introduced to England in 1789 but cannot survive English winters out of doors except in the south-west coastal regions, for some time the waratah has had a reputation as difficult plant. It has a culture and for many years there have been cases of people trying to establish the plant only to have the attempt fail. Failures can usually be attributed to the effects of soil conditions
15.
Corroboree
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A corroboree is an event where Australian Aborigines interact with the Dreamtime through dance, music and costume. Their bodies painted in different ways, and they wore various adornments, the word corroboree was coined by the European settlers of Australia in imitation of an east coast local Aboriginal Australian word caribberie. In the northwest of Australia, corroboree is a word to define theatrical practices as different from ceremony. Whether it be public or private, ceremony is for invited guests, there are other generic words to describe traditional public performances, juju and kobbakobba for example. In the Pilbara, corroborees are yanda or jalarra, across the Kimberley the word junba is often used to refer to a range of traditional performances and ceremonies. Corroboree and ceremony are strongly connected but different, corroborees are open performances in which everyone may participate taking into consideration that the songs and dances are highly structured requiring a great deal of knowledge and skill to perform. Corroboree is a word to explain different genres of performance which in the northwest of Australia include balga, wangga, lirrga, junba, Bardi Ilma. Throughout Australia the word corroboree embraces songs, dances, rallies, in the past a corroboree has been inclusive of sporting events and other forms of skill display. It is an appropriated English word that has been reappropriated to explain a practice that is different from ceremony and more widely inclusive than theatre or opera
16.
Cardiff Arms Park
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Cardiff Arms Park, also known as The Arms Park and the BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park for sponsorship reasons from September 2014, is situated in the centre of Cardiff, Wales. It is primarily known as a union stadium, but it also has a bowling green. The Arms Park was host to the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1958, the Arms Park also hosted the inaugural Heineken Cup Final of 1995–96 and the following year in 1996–97. The history of the ground begins with the first stands appearing for spectators in the ground in 1881–1882. Originally the Arms Park had a ground to the north. By 1969, the ground had been demolished to make way for the present day rugby ground to the north. The site also has a green to the north of the rugby ground, which is used by Cardiff Athletic Bowls Club. The National Stadium also hosted music concerts including Michael Jackson, David Bowie, Bon Jovi, The Rolling Stones. The Cardiff Arms Park site was called the Great Park. The hotel was built by Sir Thomas Morgan, during the reign of Charles I, Cardiff Arms Park was named after this hotel. From 1803, the Cardiff Arms Hotel and the Park had become the property of the Bute family, the Arms Park soon became a popular place for sporting events, and by 1848, Cardiff Cricket Club was using the site for its cricket matches. However, by 1878, Cardiff Arms Hotel had been demolished, the 3rd Marquess of Bute stipulated that the ground could only be used for recreational purposes. At that time Cardiff Arms Park had a ground to the north. 1881–2 saw the first stands for spectators, they held 300 spectators, the architect was Archibald Leitch, famous for designing Ibrox Stadium and Old Trafford, amongst others. In 1890, new standing areas were constructed along the length of the ground. By 1912, the Cardiff Football Ground, as it was known, had a new south stand and temporary stands on the north. The south stand was covered, while the terrace was initially without a roof. The improvements were funded by the Welsh Rugby Union
17.
Percy Bush
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Percy Frank Bush was a Welsh rugby union player who played international rugby for Wales on eight occasions. Playing at fly-half, Bush is regarded as one of the most talented Welsh players of the pre-First World War era, Bush played most of his career for Cardiff RFC making 171 appearances and scoring 66 tries between 1899 and 1913. He captained the club for three seasons and he won eight caps for Wales, including for the famous 1905 victory over New Zealand. He also played in four tests for the 1904 British Isles on their tour to Australia and this was before he had been capped by Wales. He was the star of the tour, being dubbed Will o the Wisp by the Australian press for his devastating play. Bush also played county cricket for Glamorgan County Cricket Club and Marylebone Cricket Club and he played in three Minor Counties Cricket Championship matches between 1900 and 1903, all for Glamorgan. His first Minor Counties match was at St Helens against Wiltshire in 1900, Bush scored just 5 runs in his first innings, but his Glamorgan team won the match before he was required in the second innings. Bush failed to improve in his match, played against Berkshire at the Cardiff Arms Park in 1902. Despite this Glamorgan won by an innings and ten runs and his final encounter for Glamorgan, was against a Surrey Second XI in 1903. Glamorgan lost the match by 61 runs, and Bush failed to enhance his record with 6 runs over two innings, percy Bush, from Cardiff to Nantes. 7th All Black Test, 83rd All Black Game
18.
Melbourne
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Melbourne is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in Australia and Oceania. The name Melbourne refers to an urban agglomeration spanning 9,900 km2, the metropolis is located on the large natural bay of Port Phillip and expands into the hinterlands towards the Dandenong and Macedon mountain ranges, Mornington Peninsula and Yarra Valley. It has a population of 4,641,636 as of 2016, and its inhabitants are called Melburnians. Founded by free settlers from the British Crown colony of Van Diemens Land on 30 August 1835, in what was then the colony of New South Wales, it was incorporated as a Crown settlement in 1837. It was named Melbourne by the Governor of New South Wales, Sir Richard Bourke, in honour of the British Prime Minister of the day, William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne. It was officially declared a city by Queen Victoria, to whom Lord Melbourne was close, in 1847, during the Victorian gold rush of the 1850s, it was transformed into one of the worlds largest and wealthiest cities. After the federation of Australia in 1901, it served as the interim seat of government until 1927. It is a financial centre in the Asia-Pacific region. It is recognised as a UNESCO City of Literature and a centre for street art, music. It was the host city of the 1956 Summer Olympics and the 2006 Commonwealth Games, the main passenger airport serving the metropolis and the state is Melbourne Airport, the second busiest in Australia. The Port of Melbourne is Australias busiest seaport for containerised and general cargo, Melbourne has an extensive transport network. The main metropolitan train terminus is Flinders Street Station, and the regional train. Melbourne is also home to Australias most extensive network and has the worlds largest urban tram network. Before the arrival of settlers, humans had occupied the area for an estimated 31,000 to 40,000 years. At the time of European settlement, it was inhabited by under 2000 hunter-gatherers from three indigenous tribes, the Wurundjeri, Boonwurrung and Wathaurong. The area was an important meeting place for the clans of the Kulin nation alliance and it would be 30 years before another settlement was attempted. Batman selected a site on the bank of the Yarra River. Batman then returned to Launceston in Tasmania, in early August 1835 a different group of settlers, including John Pascoe Fawkner, left Launceston on the ship Enterprize
19.
Melbourne Cricket Ground
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The Melbourne Cricket Ground, also known simply as The G, is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne, Victoria. The MCG is within walking distance of the city centre and is served by the Richmond railway station, Richmond, and it is part of the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Precinct. Since it was built in 1853, the MCG has been in a state of almost constant renewal and it served as the centrepiece stadium of the 1956 Summer Olympics, the 2006 Commonwealth Games and two Cricket World Cups,1992 and 2015. The annual Boxing Day Test is one of the MCGs most popular events, the stadium fills to capacity for the AFL Grand Final. Concerts and other events are also held at the venue. The MCG is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register and was included on the Australian National Heritage List in 2005, journalist Greg Baum called it a shrine, a citadel, a landmark, a totem that symbolises Melbourne to the world. Founded in November 1838 the Melbourne Cricket Club selected the current MCG site in 1853 after previously playing at several grounds around Melbourne, the club’s first game was against a military team at the Old Mint site, at the corner of William and Latrobe Streets. The area was subject to flooding, forcing the club to move again and it was not long before the club was forced out again, this time because of the expansion of the railway. The South Melbourne ground was in the path of Victoria’s first steam railway line from Melbourne to Sandridge and this last option, which is now Yarra Park, had been used by Aborigines until 1835. Between 1835 and 1853 it was an agistment area for colonial troopers’ horses, in 1850 it was part of a 200-acre stretch set aside for public recreation extending from Governor La Trobe’s Jolimont Estate to the Yarra River. By 1853 it had become a busy promenade for Melbourne residents, an MCC sub-committee chose the Richmond Park option because it was level enough for cricket but sloped enough to prevent inundation. That ground was located where the Richmond, or outer, end of the current MCG is now, at the same time the Richmond Cricket Club was given occupancy rights to six acres for another cricket ground on the eastern side of the Government Paddock. At the time of the grant the Government stipulated that the ground was to be used for cricket and cricket only. This condition remained until 1933 when the State Government allowed the MCG’s uses to be broadened to other purposes when not being used for cricket. In 1863 a corridor of land running diagonally across Yarra Park was granted to the Hobson’s Bay Railway, the area closest to the river was also developed for sporting purposes in later years including Olympic venues in 1956. The first grandstand at the MCG was the original wooden stand built in 1854. It was during this tour that the MCG hosted the worlds first Test match, in 1881 the original members stand was sold to the Richmond Cricket Club for £55. A new brick stand, considered at the time to be the world’s finest cricket facility, was built in its place, the foundation stone was laid by Prince George of Wales and Prince Albert Victor on 4 July and the stand opened in December that year
20.
Peter Burge (rugby)
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Peter Harold Boyne Burge was an Australian rugby footballer and coach. He represented his country in rugby league and rugby union. The eldest of the four Burge brothers, Peter was one of the first Australian dual-code rugby internationals, playing rugby union with South Sydney in 1904 the twenty-year-old Burge was selected for the Metropolis representative side against the Great Britain tourists. When the All Blacks toured in 1905 Burge played against them firstly for Metropolis, Burge, a lock claimed a total of three international rugby caps for Australia. In two of these matches, he served as captain and his debut game was against New Zealand, at Sydney, on 20 July 1907. On both trips he only played one game due to injury, on the Wallaby tour of 1908 he broke his tibia in his first match against Devon. He took no part in the tour and one of the replacements sent over to fill the touring squad was his brother Albert Burge. In Burges case he joined his brother Alby in the 1909 Wallabies v Kangaroos promotional match which then disqualified him from the amateur code and he joined the South Sydney Rabbitohs in 1910 but then the following year linked with Alby and Frank at Glebe. He toured Great Britain on the 1911–12 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain, captained by his former Wallaby and then Glebe captain and he made four tour matches appearances for Australia. Along with McMurtie and Bob Stuart, Peter Burge made his league debut in a tour match on that 1911 tour. Collectively they were therefore Australias 17th to 19th dual-code rugby internationals, like Frank Burge had done in 1927, Peter in 1937 coached the St. George Dragons. Peter Burge died suddenly at his brother Franks house in Hurstville, New South Wales on 15 July 1956 and he was buried at Waverley Cemetery with his parents, Peter and Emily Burge. Howell, Max Born to Lead, Wallaby Test Captains, Celebrity Books, Auckland, NZ
21.
Bob Craig (rugby)
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Robert Robertson Bob Craig was a pioneer Australian rugby union and rugby league footballer who represented his country at both sports. He was one of Australias early dual-code rugby internationals and he was a member of the Australian rugby union team, which won the gold medal at the 1908 Summer Olympics. Prior to his rugby careers Craig was one of Australias greatest all-round sportsmen, Craig toured Britain and North America with the 1908-09 Wallabies and at the end of that tour won Olympic Gold medal in London in the team captained by Chris McKivat. On his return to Australia he joined the code of rugby league along with 13 of his Olympic teammates. His club football was played with the Balmain Tigers whom he helped to win four premierships between 1915 and 1919, Craig made his international league debut in the First Test in Sydney on 18 June 1910. Four of his former Wallaby team mates also debuted that day John Barnett, Jack Hickey, Charles Russell and he played in both rugby league Tests against Great Britain in Australia in 1910 and was selected on the 1911–12 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain. He played 31 tour matches and scored 7 tries and he played at second row in all three victorious Tests of the tour. He is listed on the Australian Players Register as Kangaroo No.64 and he returned to representative honors in 1914 playing two Tests when Australia hosted the Great Britain tourists. All up Craig played in seven rugby league Tests and thirty-five times for Australia and he was secretary of the Balmain Tigers between 1919-1922 and was also a delegate to the NSWRFL in 1923-1924. For a period he served as a state selector and he spent some years in Inverell, New South Wales as a publican at the Royal Hotel. In the financial crises of the 1930s he suffered losses and saw a future ahead. He committed suicide, hanging himself at a hospital in Leichhardt after being ill for some time. Bob Craig was privately cremated at Rookwood and he was survived by his wife Eleanor, and three children
22.
Pontypridd
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Pontypridd is both a community and the county town of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, and is situated 12 miles/19 km north of the Welsh capital city of Cardiff. Pontypridd is often abbreviated to Ponty by local residents, the town sits at the junction of the Rhondda and Taff/Cynon valleys, where the River Rhondda flows into the Taff immediately south of the town at Ynysangharad War Memorial Park. Pontypridd community had a population of approximately 32,700 according to figures gathered in 2011. While Pontypridd Town Ward itself was recorded as having a population of 2,919 also as of 2001, the town lies alongside the dual carriageway north-south A470, between Cardiff and Merthyr Tydfil. The A4054, running north and south of the town, was the main road. South of the town is the A473, for Llantrisant and Pencoed, to the west is the A4058, which follows the River Rhondda to Porth and the Rhondda Valley beyond. The name Pontypridd is from Pont-y-tŷ-pridd the Welsh for bridge by the earthen house, Pontypridd is noted for its Old Bridge, a stone construction across the River Taff built in 1756 by William Edwards. This was Edwards third attempt, and, at the time of construction, was the longest single-span stone arch bridge in the world. Rising 35 feet above the level of the river, the forms a perfect segment of a circle. Notable features are the three holes of differing diameters through each end of the bridge, the purpose of which is to reduce weight. On completion, questions were raised as to the utility of the bridge, with the steepness of the design making it difficult to get horses. As a result, a new bridge, the Victoria Bridge, Pontypridd was known as Newbridge from shortly after the construction of the Old Bridge until the 1860s. Because of its role in transporting cargo, its railway platform is thought to have once been the longest in the world during its heyday. Pontypridd was, in the half of the 19th century, a hive of industry. The Albion Colliery in the village of Cilfynydd in 1894 was the site of one of the worst explosions within the South Wales coalfield, the town is also home to a large hospital, Dewi Sant Hospital. Pontypridd Urban District Council was established in 1894, and operated until 1974, in turn, that authority was incorporated into the unitary Rhondda Cynon Taf Council in 1995. Pontypridd Town Council continues to function as a community council, labour is the dominant political force, and has been since the First World War. Pontypridd came into being because of transport, as it was on the route from the south Wales coast and the Bristol Channel, to Merthyr
23.
Charles Russell (rugby)
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Charles Boxer Joseph Russell was a pioneer Australian rugby union and rugby league footballer and coach. He represented his country in sports and was one Australias early dual-code rugby internationals. He was a gold medallist at the 1908 Summer Olympics, Russell was a centre/winger whose club rugby was played with the Newtown RUFC in Sydney. He played three Tests for the Wallabies in 1907 against the All Blacks before being selected for the first Wallaby tour of Britain in 1908 and he played in both Tests of the tour scoring tries in each. His 24 tries in all games of that still stands as Wallaby record. He was a member of the Australian Olympic team who won Gold in London in 1908 in the team captained by Chris McKivat, on his return to Australia he joined the fledgling code of rugby league along with 13 of his Olympic teammates. He played at full-back in the first Test against Great Britain in 1910 when Australia hosted the tourists and he was selected in 1911 for the 2nd Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and played in 24 tour matches scoring 9 tries. He played on the wing in the victorious 1st and 2nd Tests of 1911, during the 1910 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand, the first ever, Russell made his international league debut in the first Test in Sydney on 18 June. Four of his former Wallaby team mates also debuted that day John Barnett, Bob Craig, Jack Hickey and his club football was with Newtown, where he played for 7 seasons. He was captain-coach of the Newtown premiership-winning side of 1910, landing two goals to tie the final against South Sydney 4-4, thus enabling Newtown to win the premiership, Russell was also selected for the 1911–12 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain. Russell coached Newtown for a number of years including the winning team of 1933. He was a referee and served as an Australian rugby league selector for a number of years. Charles Russell was awarded Life Membership of the New South Wales Rugby League in 1944, in 2008, the centenary year of rugby league in Australia, Russell was named in the Newtown Jets 18-man team of the century
24.
Llanelli RFC
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Llanelli Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club founded in 1875 Since the regionalisation of Welsh rugby Llanelli are now a feeder club to the Scarlets regional team. The club began the 2008–09 season at their home ground of Stradey Park in Llanelli. Sosban Fach is a nickname of Llanelli RFC, Sosban Fach is the name of a Welsh song, the team colours are scarlet and white. Llanelli RFC was founded on 11 November 1875 when a group of local gentlemen met at the Athenaeum in Llanelli to form a football club. The first recorded match was played on 1 January 1876, against Cambria, the result was a draw, but Llanelli were declared winners as they had grounded the ball defensively fewer times than their opponents. Their second match was against Swansea on 5 February 1876, another draw, during this early period the team played in blue shirts and blue caps at Peoples Park. Llanelli RFC moved to Stradey Park in 1879, switching their colours to blue, the team switched their colours three more times before 1884, adopting black, then rose before switching to red and chocolate quarters. In 1884 Llanelli played an Irish XV who stopped off in the town and their first major trophies came in 1884 and 1886 with the South Wales Challenge Cup, the forerunner of the modern Welsh Cup. December 1888 saw the team beat a touring New Zealand Natives team by 3–0 with a goal from Harry Bowen. The team claimed their first full international scalp in 1908 when they beat Australia 8–3 and this would be the first of many famous victories over touring international sides. Players that wore the Scarlet jersey in this era included Albert Jenkins. After the war Lewis Jones was one of the stars of the game and he was capped by Wales aged just 18 in 1950, and was instrumental in their Grand Slam win that year. However just two later, he switched codes from the then amateur rugby union to the professional rugby league. Success was however not away from Stradey for long, a victory over Australia came in 1967 and the club was about to enter what many would argue was its strongest era. 9 –3 is a poem by Welsh comedian and singer Max Boyce, Llanelli took a 6–0 lead through a converted try but New Zealand struck back to make it 6–3. A long distance Andy Hill penalty ensured Llanelli emerged victors by 9–3, the poem is best known for the line The day the pubs ran dry, as huge celebrations followed and many pubs in the town sold out of all alcoholic drinks. The next notable period for Llanelli RFC was during the late 1980s, with players such as Ieuan Evans amongst the squad, Llanelli won the Welsh Cup five times in eight years between 1985 and 1993 including in consecutive seasons in 1991,1992 and 1993. They achieved their most recent success against international opponents when they beat Australia, the late 1990s and early years of the 21st century also produced many Welsh internationals including Rupert Moon, Ricky Evans, Wayne Proctor, Scott Quinnell and Stephen Jones
25.
Australasia at the 1908 Summer Olympics
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Australasia was the name of a combined team from Australia and New Zealand that competed at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom. It was the appearance of Australia, which had not missed any edition of the Summer Olympic Games. The two would compete again as Australasia at the 1912 Summer Olympics before competing separately at every edition of the Summer Games since. In 1908 there were three New Zealanders, Harry Kerr, Henry St Aubyn Murray and Albert Rowland, all competitors were Australian. Australasias best athletics result, and only medal, was Harry Kerrs bronze medal in the 3500 metre walk, Australasia had one boxer in 1908, the middleweight Snowy Baker. He took the medal, and was the only non-British boxer to win a bout. Baker, the silver medal-winning middleweight boxer, also dove in the springboard event, Australasia won the only rugby union match played in 1908 against Great Britain, earning the gold medal. The Australasian representative was the Australia national team, les Poidevin and Anthony Wilding were nominated for the Australasian team by the Australasian Lawn Tennis Association, but their nominations failed to reach the organisers. So the pair watched the small, impoverished and out of place Australasian contingent alongside the tailored splendour of some European teams, cover of 1908 programme Cook, Theodore Andrea. The Fourth Olympiad, Being the Official Report, archived from the original on 12 July 2006
26.
Rugby union in Cornwall
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Rugby union in Cornwall is one of the countys most popular sports and has a large following in Cornwall. The followers of the county side are dubbed Trelawnys Army, in 1991 and 1999 Cornwall made the County Championships finals, played at Twickenham Stadium, with Cornwall beating first Yorkshire and in 1999 Gloucestershire to win the cup. Also, the Cornish rugby team can boast an Olympic silver medal, in 1908, they won the County Championship for the first time, and the prize was to represent Great Britain at rugby in the 1908 Olympic Games. They lost to Australia 32-3 in the final, and remain the county side to represent Great Britain at rugby in the Olympics. The Cornwall Rugby Football Union was formed in 1883 and it is a union of 39 rugby union clubs which includes most rugby union clubs in Cornwall, the open-age Cornwall representative side and representative teams at various age groups. The CRFU are members of the Rugby Football Union, the body for rugby union in England. The CRFU organizes three annual knockout cup competitions - the Cornwall Super Cup, Cornwall Cup and Cornwall Clubs Cup, all cups are currently sponsored by Tribute Ales. The Cornish rugby tradition has deep roots, stretching back before the game was even codified, a form of folk football, known as Cornish hurling was highly popular there, and is still played in two towns in Cornwall. It is possible that the popularity of this game paved the way for the rugby code. Their rugby jerseys with gold and black hoops were introduced in 1885, One of the most important times of the year in a Cornish rugby fans calendar is the County Championship. Like the 1900 games, three teams entered, Australasia, France, and Great Britain, France pulled themselves from the event prior to the commencement of the tournament, being unable to field a representative team. Cornwall won the championship for the first time in 1908, when played in front of 17,000 fans at Redruth. The game was against Durham, also known for its mining, Cornwall won the game 17-3, scoring 5 tries. The added incentive for the winner was the chance to represent Great Britain at the 1908 Summer Olympics, Two other countries entered the 1908 Summer Olympics, France and Australasia, the name of a combined team from Australia and New Zealand. France withdrew before the tournament which left Great Britain playing Australasia, the final score was 32-3 to Australasia with Bert Solomon managing to score a try for Great Britain. Australasias team, the Wallabies, was already on tour in Britain, Great Britain was therefore represented by the Cornwall county team, who were chosen by the RFU as an appropriate side after they defeated Durham in the 1907 English county championship. As expected, Australasia defeated Great Britain, claiming the gold medal, the match at the White City Stadium was played under poor conditions, in fog and with a slippery field. Cornwall reached the Championship final again in 1909,1928,1958,1969 and 1989 but had to wait until 1991 before re-claiming the trophy
27.
Olympic Games
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The Olympic Games are considered the worlds foremost sports competition with more than 200 nations participating. The Olympic Games are held four years, with the Summer and Winter Games alternating by occurring every four years. Their creation was inspired by the ancient Olympic Games, which were held in Olympia, Greece, Baron Pierre de Coubertin founded the International Olympic Committee in 1894, leading to the first modern Games in Athens in 1896. The IOC is the body of the Olympic Movement, with the Olympic Charter defining its structure. The evolution of the Olympic Movement during the 20th and 21st centuries has resulted in changes to the Olympic Games. The IOC has had to adapt to a variety of economic, political, as a result, the Olympics has shifted away from pure amateurism, as envisioned by Coubertin, to allowing participation of professional athletes. The growing importance of mass media created the issue of corporate sponsorship, World wars led to the cancellation of the 1916,1940, and 1944 Games. Large boycotts during the Cold War limited participation in the 1980 and 1984 Games, the Olympic Movement consists of international sports federations, National Olympic Committees, and organising committees for each specific Olympic Games. As the decision-making body, the IOC is responsible for choosing the host city for each Games, the IOC also determines the Olympic programme, consisting of the sports to be contested at the Games. There are several Olympic rituals and symbols, such as the Olympic flag and torch, over 13,000 athletes compete at the Summer and Winter Olympic Games in 33 different sports and nearly 400 events. The first, second, and third-place finishers in each event receive Olympic medals, gold, silver, the Games have grown so much that nearly every nation is now represented. This growth has created numerous challenges and controversies, including boycotts, doping, bribery, every two years the Olympics and its media exposure provide unknown athletes with the chance to attain national and sometimes international fame. The Games also constitute an opportunity for the host city and country to themselves to the world. The Ancient Olympic Games were religious and athletic festivals held every four years at the sanctuary of Zeus in Olympia, competition was among representatives of several city-states and kingdoms of Ancient Greece. These Games featured mainly athletic but also combat such as wrestling. It has been written that during the Games, all conflicts among the participating city-states were postponed until the Games were finished. This cessation of hostilities was known as the Olympic peace or truce and this idea is a modern myth because the Greeks never suspended their wars. The truce did allow those religious pilgrims who were travelling to Olympia to pass through warring territories unmolested because they were protected by Zeus
28.
1908 Summer Olympics
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The 1908 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the IV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in 1908 in London, England from 27 April to 31 October 1908. These games were scheduled to be held in Rome, but were re-located on financial grounds following a disastrous eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 1906. They were the fourth chronological modern Olympic Games in keeping with the now-accepted four-year cycle as opposed to the proposed Intercalated Games alternate four-year cycle, the IOC president for these Games was Baron Pierre de Coubertin. Lasting a total of 187 days, or 6 months and 4 days, the selection process for the 1908 Summer Olympics consisted of four bids, and saw Rome selected ahead of London, Berlin and Milan. The selection was made at the 6th IOC Session in London in 1904, italian authorities were preparing to hold the games when Mount Vesuvius erupted on 7 April 1906, devastating the city of Naples. Funds were diverted to the reconstruction of Naples, so a new venue was required, London was selected for the first time to hold the Games which were held at White City alongside the Franco-British Exhibition, at the time the more noteworthy event. The White City Stadium, built in time for the games. The stadium track was three laps to the mile, not the current standard of 400 metres, with a pool for swimming and diving and platforms for wrestling and gymnastics in the middle. The distance from the start of the Marathon to the finish at the stadium was established at these games. ”As a result of changes, the marathon covered a distance of 26 miles 385 yards. The games were surrounded by controversy, on the opening day, following the practice introduced at the Intercalated Games of 1906, teams paraded behind national flags. The Swedish flag had not been displayed above the stadium, so the members of the Swedish team decided not to part in the ceremony. The flag of the United States had also not been displayed above the stadium before the opening, the United States flag bearer, Ralph Rose, refused to dip the flag to King-Emperor Edward VII in the royal box. However, the flag was dipped in the collective greeting of the royal family. Martin Sheridan, Irish American Athletic Club member and American team captain, is believed to have supported Rose by explaining This flag dips to no earthly king. It is claimed that his statement exemplified both American and Irish defiance of the British monarchy, however, research has shown that this quotation by Sheridan was first reported in 1952, some 24 years after his death. The 1908 Olympics also prompted establishment of rules for sports. One reason was the 400 meter race, in which a US runner was accused of interfering with a British runner, part of the problem was the different definition of interference under British and US rules. The race was re-run, but the Americans refused to participate, the British runner, Wyndham Halswelle, won by running around the track on his own, because three of the four original runners had been American, the only walkover in Olympic history
29.
Rugby union at the 1908 Summer Olympics
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Rugby union at the 1908 Summer Olympics. The event was summarised under the Football heading along with association football, the host Great Britain was represented by Cornwall, the 1908 county champion. Defending Olympic champions France withdrew, leaving Australasia, represented by the Australia national rugby team as the only other remaining entrant. The visiting team competed in the London Olympics in conjunction with the inaugural Wallaby tour of the United Kingdom of 1908-09, the Australian team entered the rugby tournament and were the only other team alongside Cornwall, who were representing Great Britain. Australia had already beaten Cornwall, the British county champions early in the tour - an 18-5 defeat of Cornwall in their tour match at Camborne RFC on 3 October 1908. Scotland and Ireland had turned down the Rugby Football Unions invitation to participate in the Olympic bouts, France were expected to contest the medal, but had withdrawn, leaving just the Australia and Cornwall for England team to play for gold and silver medals. The interest in the Olympic rugby final was only lukewarm with the final being held in the last week of Games that had taken place over six months, in 1908 Twickenham Stadium was still being built. Large mattresses were spread along the rim of the pool to prevent injuries to falling players, one day was allocated to what was called the Olympic rugby tournament. The game was rather a damp squib and took place in a mid week London fog at a virtually deserted White City. Often a kick for touch saw the end up in the pool. Penzance RFC and England international winger Barrie Bennetts had to withdraw with an injury in the morning and was replaced by Barney Solomon - the elder brother of the more famous Bert. The pack which scrummaged on a first up/first down principle in those days included another England man A. J. Wilson who was a student at Camborne School of Mines, Australia outscored Great Britain six tries to one to win the gold medal with a 32-3 victory. Silver was awarded to Cornwall and no bronze was awarded, the Cornish silver olympic medal was drawn for by the players and won by Thomas Chicky Wedge and it has been on display at the St Ives RFC clubhouse ever since. After the match the Cornish players were entertained to dinner by the Cornish Members of Parliament, yesterday the champion England county was practically at full strength, but from start to finish they were outplayed. The ground was slippery and very heavy and as a result of several hours of continuous rain the ball was very greasy. The excellence of the play of the Australian backs therefore surprised the spectators and they gave a display of football which would have done credit to a Welsh international side, at its best. They scored eight tries and so good was the leading up to each of them that it would be hard to say which was the best. The Barbarian players, who wear their club socks, all wore yellow socks to represent Cornwall
30.
Rugby Football Union
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The Rugby Football Union is the governing body for rugby union in England. It was founded in 1871, and was the international governing body prior to the formation of what is now known as World Rugby in 1886. It promotes and runs the sport, organises international matches for the England national team and it is based at Twickenham Stadium, London. In September 2010 the equivalent womens rugby body, the Rugby Football Union for Women, was able to nominate a member to the RFU Council to represent women, the RFUW was integrated into the RFU in July 2012. On 26 January 1871 a meeting attended by representatives from 21 clubs was held in London at the Pall Mall Restaurant on Regent Street. C, kings College Hospital, St Pauls, Queen’s House, Lausanne, Addison, Mohicans, and Belsize Park. The one notable omission was the Wasps, as a result of this meeting the Rugby Football Union was founded. Algernon Rutter was elected as the first president of the RFU, three lawyers who were Rugby School alumni drew up the first laws of the game, which were approved in June 1871. The RFU took strong action against the involved in the formation of the NRFU, all of whom were deemed to have forfeited their amateur status. A similar interpretation was applied to all players who played either for or against such clubs and these players were barred indefinitely from any involvement in organised rugby union. The RFU long resisted competitions and leagues fearing that they would encourage foul play, the first club competition, then known as the R. F. U. Club Competition, took place in 1972, following a sponsorship agreement it became known as the John Player Cup in 1976. The RFU agreed to the formation of a pyramid in 1987. In 2005 the RFU began talks about a merger with the body for womens rugby union the RFUW. In September 2010 the RFUW was able to nominate a member to the RFU Council to represent women, the RFUW was integrated into the RFU in July 2012. Andrew also had the task of building bridges with the premiership clubs, on 6 January 2011 his role of Director of Elite Rugby was scrapped in an overhaul of the organisations structure. Official website Official RFU Clubs Website Army Rugby Union
31.
France national rugby union team
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The France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and they have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams. Eight former French players have been inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame, Rugby was introduced to France in 1872 by the British, and on New Years Day 1906 the national side played its first Test match – against New Zealand in Paris. France played sporadically against the Home Nations until they joined them to form a Five Nations tournament in 1910, France also competed in the rugby competitions at early Summer Olympics, winning the gold medal in 1900 and two silver medals in the 1920s. The national team came of age during the 1950s and 1960s and they won their first Grand Slam in 1968. Since the inaugural World Cup in 1987, France have qualified for the stage of every tournament. They have reached the three times, losing to the All Blacks in 1987 and 2011 and to Australia in 1999. France hosted the 2007 Rugby World Cup, where, as in 2003, France traditionally play in blue shirts with white shorts and red socks, and are commonly referred to as les tricolores or les bleus. The French emblem is a golden rooster imposed upon a red shield and their alternative strip is composed of a white shirt and navy blue shorts and socks. Rugby was introduced to France in 1872 by English merchants and students, on 26 February 1890, a French rugby team recruited from the Janson Desailly Lyceum defeated an international team at the Bois de Boulogne. Although France were represented at the 1900 Summer Olympics, their first official test match did not take place till New Years Day,1906 against the New Zealand All Blacks in Paris. France then played intermittently against the Home Nations until they joined them to form the Five Nations tournament in 1910, in 1913 France faced South Africas Springboks for the first time, losing 38–5. France also competed at the 1920 and 1924 Summer Olympics, France were ejected from the Five Nations in 1932 after being accused of professionalism in the French leagues at a time when rugby union was strictly amateur. Forced to play against weaker opposition, France went on a winning streak, France was invited to rejoin the Five Nations in 1939 but did not compete until 1947 as international rugby was suspended during World War II. French rugby came of age during the 1950s and 1960s, they won their first Five Nations championship and their first championship was won in 1954 when they shared the title with England and Wales. France won their first outright Five Nations championship in 1959, they won with two wins, a draw and a defeat, France first toured South Africa winning the test series in 1958. The Springboks also visited Paris in 1961, the test was not completed due to fighting amongst the players. France also toured New Zealand and Australia in 1961 losing both tests against the All Blacks but defeating Australias Wallabies and they won their first Five Nations Grand Slam in 1968 by beating all four other competing teams, and won numerous titles in the following years
32.
The Daily Telegraph
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It was founded by Arthur B. Sleigh in 1855 as The Daily Telegraph and Courier, the papers motto, Was, is, and will be, appears in the editorial pages and has featured in every edition of the newspaper since April 19,1858. The paper had a circulation of 460,054 in December 2016 and its sister paper, The Sunday Telegraph, which started in 1961, had a circulation of 359,287 as of December 2016. The Daily Telegraph has the largest circulation for a newspaper in the UK. The two sister newspapers are run separately, with different editorial staff, but there is cross-usage of stories, articles published in either may be published on the Telegraph Media Groups www. telegraph. co. uk website, under the title of The Telegraph. However, critics, including an editor, accuse it of being unduly influenced by advertisers. The Daily Telegraph and Courier was founded by Colonel Arthur B, Sleigh in June 1855 to air a personal grievance against the future commander-in-chief of the British Army, Prince George, Duke of Cambridge. Joseph Moses Levy, the owner of The Sunday Times, agreed to print the newspaper, the paper cost 2d and was four pages long. Nevertheless, the first edition stressed the quality and independence of its articles and journalists, however, the paper was not a success, and Sleigh was unable to pay Levy the printing bill. Levy took over the newspaper, his aim being to produce a newspaper than his main competitors in London. The same principle should apply to all other events—to fashion, to new inventions, in 1876, Jules Verne published his novel Michael Strogoff, whose plot takes place during a fictional uprising and war in Siberia. In 1937, the newspaper absorbed The Morning Post, which espoused a conservative position. Originally William Ewart Berry, 1st Viscount Camrose, bought The Morning Post with the intention of publishing it alongside The Daily Telegraph, for some years the paper was retitled The Daily Telegraph and Morning Post before it reverted to just The Daily Telegraph. As an result, Gordon Lennox was monitored by MI5, in 1939, The Telegraph published Clare Hollingworths scoop that Germany was to invade Poland. In November 1940, with Fleet Street subjected to almost daily bombing raids by the Luftwaffe, The Telegraph started printing in Manchester at Kemsley House, Manchester quite often printed the entire run of The Telegraph when its Fleet Street offices were under threat. The name Kemsley House was changed to Thomson House in 1959, in 1986 printing of Northern editions of the Daily and Sunday Telegraph moved to Trafford Park and in 2008 to Newsprinters at Knowsley, Liverpool. During the Second World War, The Daily Telegraph covertly helped in the recruitment of code-breakers for Bletchley Park, the ability to solve The Telegraphs crossword in under 12 minutes was considered to be a recruitment test. The competition itself was won by F. H. W. Hawes of Dagenham who finished the crossword in less than eight minutes, both the Camrose and Burnham families remained involved in management until Conrad Black took control in 1986
33.
Tom Richards (rugby union)
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Thomas James Rusty Richards MC was an Australian military officer and national representative rugby union player, who was born at Vegetable Creek, Emmaville in New South Wales. Richards was the player to ever play for both Australia and the British Lions, thus, the Tom Richards Trophy is named in his honor. He is an inductee to the Australian Rugby Union Hall of Fame, Richards Cornish father emigrated to Australia during the Gold Rush from Cornwall in the United Kingdom. Nicknamed Rusty, he grew up in the mining town of Charters Towers in Northern Queensland. His interest in the game developed when a New South Wales touring side visited his town. He started training and playing rugby, and went on to represent Queensland and his family moved to South Africa in 1905. He continued playing rugby in South Africa, playing a number of games for the Transvaal in the domestic Currie Cup competition. That year the South Africa national rugby team was preparing for its first overseas tour to Great Britain. Richards was initially considered as a member but a complicated qualifying rule prevented his inclusion. He subsequently travelled to England where he continued playing rugby in the county championships spending a season representing Bristol, Richards also played at county level whilst in Britain and was chosen to play for Gloucester in their encounter with the South Africa team he was excluded from touring with. He soon returned to Australia and became the lynch-pin of the Queensland pack and he played in both Test matches of the tour and was Australias first try-scorer in the Test against Wales. The touring party took part in the 1908 Summer Olympics that were being held in London, the team won gold with Richards again scoring a try, over a Cornish side representing Great Britain. Richards thus became an Olympic Gold medallist and he returned to South Africa after his touring duties. In 1910 the British Isles team were touring South Africa and in July of that year played Transvaal, the tourist had picked up a number of injuries and Richards was drafted in to face his old team as he qualified to play through his membership with Bristol. He ended up representing Britain on twelve occasions including two Tests against South Africa and he scored once for Britain, a try in the second encounter with Transvaal. He returned to Australia in 1911 and was selected to tour to the United States and he played at break-away in the sole Test of that tour - the November 1912 clash against the United States at Berkeley - and scored a try in that match. In 1913 his wanderlust returned, and he spent the year travelling around Europe, playing rugby in England, France, Italy, while in France he signed with Toulouse as a player and manager. Richards enlisted in the AIF on 26 August 1914 and in October sailed for Egypt on the Transport Euripides with the 1st Field Ambulance and he was part of the landing at Gallipoli on the morning of 25 April 1915 and served as a stretcher-bearer
34.
Phil Carmichael
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Philip Patrick Phil Carmichael was a rugby union player who represented Australia. He won a medal in rugby at the 1908 Summer Olympics. Carmichael, a centre, was born in Sandgate, Queensland and he claimed a total of 4 international rugby caps for Australia. His debut game was against Great Britain, at Brisbane, on 23 July 1904, at the time the rugby tournament for the London Olympics game may not have appeared to be of great significance
35.
Daniel Carroll (rugby union)
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Daniel Brendon Carroll DSC was an Australian national representative rugby union player. He was a dual Olympic gold medalist winning in rugby at the 1908 Summer Olympics for Australia and he later coached the gold-medal winning USA Rugby team at the 1924 Summer Olympics. He is erroneously referred to in records as the youngest ever Australian representative rugby player due to a birthdate error in the Olympic records database. He served in the American Army as a Lieutenant in World War I, Carroll was born at Flemington, Victoria. His family relocated to Sydney during his childhood and he was educated at St Aloysius College playing rugby in the schools first XV. His club rugby was played with St George in southern Sydney and he was a winger at that time and in that position made his Australian representatives appearances. Later in his career he played at fly-half and he was the youngest member of the tour squad at 20 years. Carroll played in the first Test of the tour, the 6-9 loss to Wales at Cardiff Arms Park which was the first rugby Test played by an Australian team on British soil. At the time the tournament for the London Olympics game may not have appeared to be of great significance. Carroll scored two tries in the match and they rose to the occasion for the sole Test of the tour - the November 1912 clash against the United States at Berkeley, won 12-8. Carroll played at fly-half in that match and scored a try, Carroll thus made two Test career appearances for Australia. Carroll stayed on in America after the 1912 tour and he played for All-America against the All Blacks in 1913, a Test won by NZ 51-3. He served in the American Army as a Lieutenant in World War I and he won a gold medal at Antwerp in that team playing at fly-half. He made three rugby union Test career appearances for the United States between 1913 and 1920, zavos quotes an article from a local Stanford paper of 1935 which reports that Carroll played four years of rugby at Stanford and one year of American football. He won his letter in rugby in 1913,1914 and 1915 and he played his last game of rugby in 1921 when a pick-up team visited British Columbia. After Stanford, Carroll furthered his education at Oxford and the Royal School of Mines in England, in 1921 he took up an appointment with Standard Oil and remained with the company until his retirement. Carroll married Helen Warden from Great Falls, Montana in 1927 and had one son Daniel - who is deceased, Helen died in 1941 and Carroll died in New Orleans in 1956. Guiney asserts that Carroll at 16 years and 286 days was therefore the youngest man to be capped for Australia, zavos however disputes this and refers to a birth certificate held in the Australian Rugby Union archives which gives Carrolls true birthdate as 17 November 1887 at Flemington, Victoria
36.
Jack Hickey (rugby)
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Jack Darb Hickey was a pioneer Australian rugby union and rugby league player and represented his country at both sports. He was one of the Australias early dual-code rugby internationals and he competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics. He was famous for scoring the first ever try for the Kangaroos in a Rugby League test match, Hickey toured Britain and North America with the Wallabies captained by Paddy Moran in 1908-09. He earned two Test caps against Wales and England on the tour and was a member of the Olympic gold medal winning Wallabies at the 1908 London games, on his return to Australia he joined the fledgling code of rugby league along with 13 of his Olympic teammates. Hickey made his league debut in the First Test in Sydney on 18 June 1910. Four of his former Wallaby team mates also debuted that day John Barnett, Bob Craig, Charles Russell and Chris McKivat - making them collectively Australias 11th to 15th dual code internationals. He played in rugby league Tests of the 1910 Great Britain Lions tour of Australasia, the first ever. Darb Hickey played 4 seasons with Glebe and one season at Balmain Tigers during his club career, Darb Hickey died of cancer on 15 May 1950 at the Sacred Heart Hospice, St. Vincents Hospital. He was aged 63 and was survived by his eight children, a well attended funeral was held for Darb, and he was buried at Rookwood Cemetery on 16 May 1950. Whiticker, Alan Captaining the Kangaroos, New Holland, Sydney profile
37.
Frank Smith (rugby union)
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Francis Bede Frank Smith was an Australian rugby union player who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics. Smith, a centre, was born in Wellington, New South Wales and his debut game was against New Zealand, at Dunedin, on 2 September 1905. He was a member of the Australian rugby union team, which won the gold medal, Frank Smiths profile at databaseOlympics Frank Smith. Archived from the original on 2012-11-05
38.
Edward Mandible
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Edward Francis Mandible was an Australian national representative rugby union fly-half and one of the pioneers who broke away from that code to take up rugby league in Sydney in 1910. Mandible was born in Woolloomooloo, Sydney, Mandible was selected on the first Wallaby 1908-09 Australia rugby union tour of the British Isles and France, the squad captained by Herbert Moran. He played in the first Test match of the tour against Wales on 12 December 1908 in Cardiff and he claimed a career total of three international rugby caps for Australia. His jersey from the first Wallabies Rugby Union Tour of the United Kingdom in 1908 was purchased by the National Museum of Australia, following his return from the 1908-09 Wallaby tour he took part in a series of matches between the Australian ‘Wallabies’ and ‘Kangaroos’ in 1909. Facing reprisals from rugby union for playing in this non-sanctioned series and he played just two matches for Easts, scoring one try. Edward Mandible died in Perth, Western Australia in April 1934. He was buried at Karrakatta Cemetery, in Perth, Western Australia on 4 April 1936
39.
Arthur McCabe
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Arthur John Michael Mackker McCabe was a pioneer Australian rugby union and rugby league player. He represented for Australian in rugby union at the 1908 Summer Olympics, a brilliant fly-half, Mackker McCabe was a member of the Australian rugby union team which won the gold medal with McCabe scoring two tries in the gold medal victory. While he toured the US and England with the Wallabies in the tour prior to the Olympics his gold medal match was his sole Australian representative appearance. On his return to Australia he joined the code of rugby league along with 13 of his Olympic teammates. He played for five seasons with the South Sydney Rabbitohs finishing his career with a win in 1914. Despite representing for New South Wales in rugby league in 1910 he was unsuccessful in his bid to become a rugby international. For the season 1910, he was the NSW Rugby Football Leagues top try scorer and he was so highly praised by the press, they dubbed him The Will-O-The-Wisp, a phrase that became synonymous with McCabe. Arthur McCabe died suddenly of an attack at his home in Morehead Street, Redfern on 30 July 1924. A large funeral was held for Mackker McCabe and was attended by many ex Wallaby players and he was buried at Rookwood Cemetery on 31 July 1924. Andrews, Malcolm The ABC of Rugby League, Austn Broadcasting Corpn, Sydney profile
40.
Ward Prentice
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Ward Prentice and four of his brothers played first grade rugby union in Sydney at various times and two others played in the lower grades. Ward and two of his brothers played first grade rugby league. Wards club career started with the his local Western Suburbs RUFC, in 1908 he was selected in the 31 man squad for the 1908-09 Australia rugby union tour of the British Isles and France. Chris McKivat was the standout incumbent five-eighth even though McKivat had greater success at half-back. He set up the Wallabies first try scored by Tom Richards though Australia lost the Test 6-9, Prentice had to leave the field twice for treatment after being kicked in the mouth and his injury caused him to miss the next five tour matches. In January he earned his second cap in the Test against England and he played at centre in the 9-3 win. By the end of the tour also took in Canada. In 1910 he represented for Australia in three internationals against New Zealand and his representative career highlight came in 1912 when he was selected as touring captain of the Wallabies squad for the 1912 Australia rugby union tour of Canada and the USA. They rose to the occasion for the sole Test of the tour against the United States where Prentice earned his final cap, all told Ward Prentice played for Australia on thirty-two occasions including six Tests, one as captain. His first-class cricket debut came in 1913 when he kept wicket for Victor Trumpers New South Wales side, although he fell for a duck in his only innings, he took the catches of both Queensland opening batsmen. Prentice had to wait until 1921 for his second and final appearance when he captained New South Wales against the same opponents. Again playing as a wicket-keeper, Prentice made another duck and didnt take a catch, in 1920, Prentice joined his brother Clarrie a Western Suburbs rugby league stalwart who played 115 games with the club in a war-interrupted career over nine years. Ward played five first grade games for the Magpies in the New South Wales Rugby League in season 1920 and their older brother Archie had also played for the club in 1915-16. List of New South Wales representative cricketers Howell, Max Born to Lead - Wallaby Test Captains, Celebrity Books, Auckland NZ Cricinfo, Warden Prentice
41.
West Harbour RFC
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The West Harbour Rugby Football Club is a team in the Shute Shield, the premier club rugby union football competition in New South Wales. The club is based in Concord in the Inner West of Sydney, Concord holds a place in rugby history as a venue for the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987. West Harbours major sponsor is Burwood RSL and post match functions are held at Club Burwood, western Suburbs District Rugby Union Football Club was formed in 1900 and won the premiership in its third year of competition, in 1902. The clubs first captain and Wallaby representative was Stan Wickham, he was joined by Ward, a second premiership was won in 1929, spearheaded by another international Sid King, this remains the clubs last premiership in top flight rugby. In 1951 the club was demoted from First division and it was not until 1966 that they were re-instated, the club saw success in the 1970s, with a 17 match winning streak leading to a club championship and a grand final berth in which they were defeated by Randwick. The club was relegated once more in 1980 only to be re-instated the following year, in the 1980s the clubs home ground, Concord Oval, was redeveloped with assistance from the NSWRU and State Government. The newly named Waratah Stadium became the base of the Waratahs as well as the venue for the classic semi-final in 1987 between Australia and France in the inaugural Rugby World Cup. The club changed its name to West Harbour Rugby Football Club in 1995, the club produced a number of under age Australian representatives and Super 12 players as well as internationals Steve Devine, Pierre Hola and Des Tuiavii, all of whom represented different nations. When Lote Tuqiri crossed from rugby league to union in 2003, the clubs juniors now field twelve teams alongside the five senior and four colts teams. A surplus of players meant that the now also field three sides in the Subdistrict competition. In 2006, former Scotland and Leinster coach, Matt Williams joined the club as head coach, Matt Williams has returned to Europe. The Club is now Coached by Matt Briggs, the recent League convert to Rugby Timana Tahu was contracted to West Harbour Pirates, but he has now returned to League, as has Tuqiri. Salesi Maafu, Sam Wykes, Rory Sidey, Alofa Alofa, Cameron Orr, Jack Debreczeni, Michael Alaalatoa, Allan Alaalatoa, Official club website
42.
John Barnett (rugby)
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John Thomas Towser Barnett was a pioneer Australian rugby union and rugby league player and won an Olympic gold medal winning in rugby at the 1908 Summer Olympics. He was one of Australias early dual-code rugby internationals, a hooker/prop with the Newtown Rugby Union club in Sydney, Barnett was selected a total of 5 international rugby times to play for Australia. His debut game was against New Zealand, at Sydney, on 20 July 1907, Barnett was selected to the first Wallaby 1908-09 Australia rugby union tour of the British Isles and France, the squad captained by Herbert Moran. That side competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics in London and Barnett was a member of the Australia national rugby union team captained by Chris McKivat which won the gold medal. On his return to Australia he joined the code of rugby league along with fourteen of his Olympic teammates. Barnett and five gold medal winning Wallabies joined the Newtown club in Sydney in 1910 where he played the next six seasons. He was a member of the premiership winning Newtown side in 1910 and he was selected in both Ashes Tests against Great Britain in 1910 when Australia hosted the tourists. Barnett made his league debut in the First Test in Sydney on 18 June 1910. Four of his former Wallaby team mates also debuted that day Bob Craig, Jack Hickey, Charles Russell, Barnett died on 2 October 1918, aged 38 at the Parramatta District Hospital from the effects of meningitis after a three-week battle with pneumonia. He was survived by his wife and two daughters and he was buried at Rookwood Cemetery on 4 October 1918. As a tribute to Towser Barnett, a fund was set up by the Referee newspaper to raise money for his widow and family. By the November the fund had raised over £64, many donations were made up by his first grade rugby mates, at a time when spare money was often in short supply. Whiticker, Alan Captaining the Kangaroos, New Holland, Sydney Whiticker, Alan & Hudson, Glen The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players, Gavin Allen Publishing, Sydney Profile at DatabaseOlympics. com
43.
Patrick McCue
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Patrick Aloysius Paddy McCue was an Australian representative rugby union player and pioneer rugby league player. He was a rugby international and an Olympic gold medallist. A forward with the Newtown Rugby Union club in Sydney, McCue was selected on the first Wallaby tour of England in 1908–1909, the squad captained by Herbert Moran. That side competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics in London and McCue was a member of the Australia national rugby union team captained by Chris McKivat which won the gold medal, Paddy McCue also coached the St. George Rugby Union Club in the 1930s. McCue and a number of the joined the Newtown club in Sydney in 1910. They included gold medallist Wallabies John Jumbo Barnett and Charles Boxer Russell and he helped the club win premiership honours that year, playing at second-row forward in the 1910 NSWRFL seasons final. McCue played seven seasons with Newtown and after retiring as a player was assistant coach of the University club in its inaugural first grade season of 1920. He later returned to union, coaching the University rugby union team in seasons 1926,1927,1932,1935,1942,1943 and 1944. In 2008, the year of rugby league in Australia. McCue was selected to represent New South Wales in 1911 and later led New South Wales as captain on the 1912-13 tour of New Zealand and he was selected on the 1911–12 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain which was an Australasian squad including four New Zealanders. His final international appearance was in the first test of the 1914 domestic Ashes series, whiticker, Alan & Hudson, Glen The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players, Gavin Allen Publishing, Sydney Andrews, Malcolm The ABC of Rugby League Austn Broadcasting Corpn, Sydney profile
44.
Sydney Middleton
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Sydney Albert Syd Middleton DSO, OBE was an Australian Army officer and national representative rugby union player and rower. He won a medal in rugby at the 1908 Summer Olympics. He had a career in World War I being awarded the DSO. He captained the Wallabies in a Test series in 1910, Middleton commenced his rugby career with the Glebe Rugby Club—the Sydney suburb of his birth. He was in the place at the right time and was selected in Australias inaugural national rugby team to tour the northern hemisphere - Dr Paddy Morans First Wallabies. The tour was a long one—36 matches and Middleton would prove to be a member of the party appearing in 31 of the Wallabies matches. He was the second tallest player in the squad which meant he featured in the Australian line-out, but he was also a robust defender at his physical peak and he was selected in every one of the tours first eighteen games. At the time the tournament for the London Olympics game may not have appeared to be of great significance. Syd Middleton made his Test debut on tour at Rectory Field. At the tours end McKivat would lead fourteen of the Wallabies into the ranks with the fledgling rugby league code in Sydney. He stayed loyal to the game and was rewarded in 1910 when he captained New South Wales in matches against the All Blacks. That year he captained the Australian national side in three Tests against the All Blacks, one of which was won, All told he made 33 national appearances for Australia including four Tests, three as captain. Middleton retired from rugby in 1911 and concentrated on rowing and he had been a member of the Sydney Rowing Club for some time and regularly appeared in the New South Wales state selection VIII between 1906 and 1911. He contested the 1912 Summer Olympics in the six seat of the Australian eight, the crew won its heat but lost in a quarter-final to the Leander Club from England which went on to win the gold medal in the eights competition. He enlisted in the AIF in 1915 as a 2nd-Lieutenant with B Company, 19th Battalion and he served at Gallipoli and in France. He was promoted to Major, 17th Battalion in May 1917 and he was mentioned in despatches in 1918, was awarded the Distinguished Service Order in 1919 for bravery in action and in 1920 he was awarded the Order of the British Empire. His recommendation for the DSO recorded, The battalion owes much of its success to the example set by this very fine type of officer. He was in command of the 17th Bttn, after the armistice Middleton was integrally involved in arranging sporting events for the allied troops prior to their demobilisation
Wales
England
Victoria
Western Australia
Combined Army and Navy
France
University of California
Vancouver
