Army Master XV’s Rugby History

The Army began to field a representative Veterans team in the 1990’s, under the title of Army Veterans. The teams consisted of those players who were aged 35 and over, many of whom had represented the Army in their former playing days.

In 1996 a Veteran’s Inter-Service Competition was introduced to run alongside the Senior XV competition that had been in existence since 1920.

The Army Veterans were silver medallists in the 2005 World Masters held in Edmonton, Canada; undefeated at the 2004 European Veterans Championship and finalists at the 2003 Dubai International Veterans 10’s Tournament.

The Army Veterans were renamed the Army Masters XV in November 2009 after they had won the 2009 World Masters in Sydney, Australia.

Masters Inter-Services Tournament Champions

Year Champions Army v RN Army v RAF RN v RAF
1996
1997
1998
1999 Army Army Army
2000 Royal Air Force Royal Air Force Royal Air Force
2001 Army Army Army
2002 Army Army Army
2003 Army Army Army
2004 Army Army Army
2005 Army Army Army
2006 Triple-Tie Royal Navy 17-16 Army 21-5 Royal Air Force – 24-23
2007 Army Army 53-0 Army 30-10 Royal Air Force
2008 Royal Air Force Army 18-11 Royal Air Force – 18-17 Royal Air Force – 25-22
2009 Army Army 36-16 Army 38-3 Royal Navy 41-13
2010 Royal Air Force Army 28-19 Royal Air Force 10-6 Royal Air Force – 16-19
2011
2012 Army Army 20-11
2013
2014 Army 18-10
2015
2016 Army 35-17 Royal Air Force 24-7
2017 Army Army 68-27 Army 31-24
2018 Army Army 59-5 Army 59-8
2019 Army Army 69-23 Army 43-24
2020 Match not played due to Covid-19 pandemic
2021 Match not played due to Covid-19 pandemic
2022 Army Army 43-22 Army 26-20 Royal Air Force 26-24
2023 Army Army 38-16 Army 41-24 Royal Navy 57-8
2024 Royal Navy Royal Navy 21-17 Army 24-0 Royal Navy 32-25