A decade of red shirt rugby history draws to a close this Thursday evening, when the Army Senior Men play Bedford Blues in the final Mobbs Memorial Match of its current incarnation.
The red shirts have headed to Thursday’s venue, Goldington Road, and Franklin’s Gardens, home of Northampton Saints, every other year following the Match’s relaunch in 2012, which saw the Army, Bedford and Northampton join forces to continue a legacy which had begun in 1921.
Edgar Mobbs achieved legendary status for his achievements on the rugby field for Northampton, England, the Barbarians and East Midlands, with the latter two teams taking part in the Memorial Match until 2011.
But his place in the Saints’ and World Rugby Halls of Fame was also cemented by his bravery, dedication and gallantry on the battlefields of World War I, where as a Lt Col in 7 Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment, he lost his life in at Passchendaele in 1917.
This made the Army’s involvement in the Mobbs Memorial Match a natural step in 2012, but the realities of the modern professional game have meant that a mid-season fixture for both the Saints and Blues has become increasingly difficult. This in turn has resulted in the Mobbs Memorial Match now becoming a pre-season fixture between those two clubs.
Over the years the Army has had the chance to face both established operators alongside future internationals such as Lewis Ludlam, Alex Mitchell and Rory Hutchinson.
With Thursday also representing the red shirts’ last opportunity to impress before the Inter Service Championship campaign kicks off against the Royal Air Force on April 15th, Head Coach, Lt Col Tim Osman, says that the entire staff and squad is keen to make the most of the occasion.
“We’re really looking forward to the Mobbs Memorial fixture on Thursday, this year against Bedford at Goldington Road,” he says. “It has been an important and special fixture within our calendar and with this year being the final iteration involving the ARU before a change in format, makes it just a touch more poignant. It obviously also represents our final opportunity to run out before our Inter Service campaign starts against the RAF at Kingsholm.
“For a season which has demonstrated considerable transition, it is now getting really exciting as we head towards the business-end of the fixture list.
“With eight new caps awarded against the French and having seen the RAF draw with the Royal Navy two weeks ago, we will have a real opportunity to test ourselves and see where we are as a squad.
“There is still significant competition for places, with many players posing problems for the coaches, so we will take plenty of energy and enthusiasm into the next six weeks and give our best shot.”
The red shirts shrugged off the losses to Oxford and Cambridge Universities with a comprehensive and confident win over the French Army in Aldershot last month, and on Thursday they will face a Bedford outfit which has won three of its last five Championship matches and sits comfortably in fourth place in the league table.
The interim period between the French game and this week’s clash saw the Army squad gather for a further training camp, which Lt Col Osman says was very worthwhile.
“The Army Senior squad has had a busy few weeks following a good win against the French Army with a challenging training camp in Wales,” he added. “We were fantastically supported by Cardiff Met University at their world-class facilities, and the players were put through their paces with a tough conditioning programme conducted alongside continued analysis and performance development of their rugby playbook.”
Tickets remain available for Thursday’s game via www.bedfordrugby.co.uk
Tickets for the 2023 Inter-Services Championship are now on sale.
CLICK HERE for information about the Army v RAF at Kingsholm, Gloucester, on Saturday, April 15th.
CLICK HERE for information about Army Navy at Twickenham on Saturday, May 13th.
Words © New Dogs, Old Tricks
Header and featured image – Alligin Photography © Cat Goryn
