The first Army Navy Match was played in 1878, but it was not until 1907 that a match between the two then existing armed services became an annual event. The 1907 match was played at the Queen’s Club and was won by the Royal Navy (15-14). The First World War (1914-18) brought an end to the fixture, but the Inter-Service Championship resumed after the war and included the newly formed Royal Air Force (RAF), formed in 1918. The Army Navy match was played at Twickenham, the home of the English Rugby Union, in 1920.
However, the clash between the senior teams of the British Army and the Royal Navy remains the highlight of the Championship. The Championship ceased for the duration of the Second World War (1935-45), but recommenced in 1946.
In the 1970’s the Championship was opened to sponsorship to defray the costs of the Championship. In recognition of this change a trophy was created for presentation to the Championship winners.
In 2003 the championship was extended to include competitions between women and veteran (over 35 years) teams from the three armed services.
In recent years the numbers of spectators attending the Army Navy Match at Twickenham has grown: 2007 – 41,000, 2008 – 50,000, 2009 – 55,803 and 2010 – 56,185.
The Army v RAF fixture for 2010 was cancelled. The Army XV were stuck in South Africa, where they were attending their training camp, because volcanic ash from Iceland prevented aircraft from flying over Europe.
Inter-Services Champions Table – 1920 onwards
Year | Champions | Army v RN | Army v RAF | RN v RAF |
---|---|---|---|---|
1920 | Royal Navy | Royal Navy 23-11 | Army 21-9 | Royal Navy 12-3 |
1921 | Royal Navy | Royal Navy 11-10 | Royal Air Force 26-3 | Royal Navy 33-3 |
1922 | Royal Navy | Royal Navy 7-3 | Army 23-8 | Royal Navy 9-6 |
1923 | Royal Air Force | Royal Navy 16-11 | Royal Air Force 13-5 | Royal Air Force 3-0 |
1924 | Triple Tie | Army 19-5 | Royal Air Force 8-3 | Royal Navy 16-9 |
1925 | Army & Royal Air Force | Army 11-8 | Drawn 6-6 | Royal Air Force 3-0 |
1926 | Army | Army 24-10 | Army 11-0 | Royal Navy 8-3 |
1927 | Royal Navy | Royal Navy 6-3 | Army 22-0 | Royal Navy 8-3 |
1928 | Army | Army 11-5 | Army 18-6 | Royal Navy 5-0 |
1929 | Army | Army 17-11 | Army 27-0 | Royal Navy 8-3 |
1930 | Army | Army 16-10 | Army 14-8 | Royal Navy 8-3 |
1931 | Royal Navy | Royal Navy 6-0 | Royal Air Force 16-5 | Royal Navy 16-0 |
1932 | Army | Army 11-0 | Army 21-4 | Royal Navy 22-5 |
1933 | Army | Army 19-0 | Army 12-3 | Royal Navy 14-3 |
1934 | Army | Army 16-8 | Army 14-3 | Royal Navy 36-0 |
1935 | Triple Tie | Army 11-8 | Royal Air Force 6-3 | Royal Navy 13-8 |
1936 | Army | Army 12-3 | Army 16-3 | Royal Air Force 3-0 |
1937 | Army | Army 14-3 | Army 29-9 | Drawn 3-3 |
1938 | Royal Navy | Royal Navy 10-9 | Army 15-7 | Royal Navy 10-6 |
1939 | Royal Navy | Drawn 6-6 | Royal Air Force 18-3 | Royal Navy 8-3 |
1940-1945 No games played due to Second World War | ||||
1946 | Army | Army 11-6 | Army 11-6 | Royal Air Force 9-6 |
1947 | Royal Air Force | Army 19-11 | Royal Air Force 8-0 | Drawn 5-5 |
1948 | Triple Tie | Royal Navy 9-8 | Army 15-8 | Royal Air Force 16-11 |
1949 | Army & Royal Air Force | Army 23-3 | Drawn 3-3 | Royal Air Force 11-0 |
Year | Champions | Army v RN | Army v RAF | RN v RAF |
1950 | Army | Army 16-6 | Army 11-3 | Drawn 6-6 |
1951 | Royal Navy | Royal Navy 11-0 | Army 14-0 | Royal Navy 6-5 |
1952 | Army | Army 11-3 | Army 9-6 | Royal Navy 6-0 |
1953 | Army | Army 3-0 | Army 11-3 | Drawn 3-3 |
1954 | Triple Tie | Royal Navy 8-6 | Army 16-3 | Royal Air Force 12-6 |
1955 | Royal Air Force | Royal Navy 8-3 | Drawn 6-6 | Royal Air Force 6-3 |
1956 | Triple Tie | Army 6-3 | Royal Air Force 26-9 | Royal Navy 11-9 |
1957 | Army | Army 6-3 | Army 14-9 | Royal Navy 8-6 |
1958 | Royal Air Force | Royal Navy 14-0 | Drawn 3-3 | Royal Air Force 14-3 |
1959 | Royal Air Force | Royal Navy 6-0 | Royal Air Force 11-3 | Royal Air Force 12-9 |
1960 | Army | Army 12-3 | Army 6-3 | Royal Navy 8-0 |
1961 | Royal Navy | Royal Navy 6-3 | Royal Air Force 19-11 | Royal Navy 9-3 |
1962 | Royal Air Force | Army 9-6 | Royal Air Force 19-14 | Royal Air Force 12-6 |
1963 | Army | Army 11-3 | Army 8-6 | Royal Air Force 3-0 |
1964 | Army | Army 8-0 | Army 19-6 | Royal Navy 5-3 |
1965 | Army | Army 5-3 | Drawn 11-11 | Royal Navy 15-6 |
1966 | Royal Navy | Royal Navy 10-9 | Royal Air Force 12-3 | Royal Navy 11-3 |
1967 | Army | Army 6-3 | Army 17-6 | Royal Navy 5-3 |
1968 | Army | Army 9-6 | Drawn 3-3 | Royal Navy 17-15 |
1969 | Army | Drawn 3-3 | Army 26-21 | Royal Air Force 9-5 |
Year | Champions | Army v RN | Army v RAF | RN v RAF |
1970 | Royal Navy | Royal Navy 15-9 | Royal Air Force 15-12 | Royal Navy13-6 |
1971 | Royal Air Force | Royal Navy 11-9 | Drawn 6-6 | Royal Air Force 17-6 |
1972 | Army | Army 13-3 | Army 14-6 | Royal Navy 18-4 |
1973 | Royal Navy | Royal Navy 10-7 | Army 19-9 | Royal Navy 15-0 |
1974 | Royal Navy | Royal Navy 25-3 | Royal Air Force 9-4 | Royal Navy 23-13 |
1975 | Triple Tie | Royal Navy 19-0 | Army 41-13 | Royal Air Force 20-7 |
1976 | Army | Army 15-6 | Army 6-3 | Royal Navy 21-13 |
1977 | Royal Navy | Royal Navy 16-0 | Army 19-13 | Royal Navy 15-9 |
1978 | Triple Tie | Royal Navy 17-16 | Army 16-6 | Royal Air Force 15-8 |
1979 | Royal Air Force | Army 10-3 | Royal Air Force 10-3 | Royal Air Force 23-6 |
1980 | Army | Drawn 0-0 | Army 26-7 | Royal Air Force 16-7 |
1981 | Royal Navy | Royal Navy 7-3 | Army 6-4 | Royal Navy 15-12 |
1982 | Royal Air Force | Army 11-7 | Royal Air Force 10-6 | Royal Air Force 16-14 |
1983 | Army | Army 10-9 | Army 16-7 | Royal Air Force 8-4 |
1984 | Triple Tie | Army 13-6 | Royal Air Force 15-9 | Royal Navy 10-9 |
1985 | Royal Air Force | Army 11-6 | Royal Air Force 15-12 | Royal Air Force 29-23 |
1986 | Royal Air Force | Royal Navy 13-3 | Royal Air Force 16-13 | Royal Air Force |
1987 | Royal Navy | Royal Navy 21-10 | Drawn 12-12 | Navy 13-6 |
1988 | Army | Army 35-3 | Army 26-3 | |
1989 | Army | Army 21-9 | Army 42-10 | |
Year | Champions | Army v RN | Army v RAF | RN v RAF |
1990 | Army | Army 16-7 | Army 32-14 | |
1991 | Royal Air Force | Army 10-0 | Royal Air Force 30-12 | Royal Air Force |
1992 | Triple Tie | Army 16-9 | Royal Air Force 18-6 | Royal Navy |
1993 | Royal Air Force | Army 37-15 | Royal Air Force 20-17 | Royal Air Force 23-7 |
1994 | Royal Air Force | Army 18-6 | Royal Air Force 28-22 | Royal Air Force |
1995 | Royal Navy | Royal Navy 34-17 | Army 28-26 | Royal Navy |
1996 | Triple Tie | Royal Navy 9-6 | Army 31-23 | Royal Air Force |
1997 | Army | Army 18-16 | Drawn 35-35 | |
1998 | Army | Army 36-22 | Army 23-7 | |
1999 | Army | Army 24-13 | Army 43-8 | |
2000 | Army | Army 32-14 | Army 13-11 | |
2001 | Royal Navy | Royal Navy 31-20 | Army 13-8 | Royal Navy |
2002 | Army | Army 18-13 | Army 74-3 | |
2003 | Army | Army 53-16 | Army 52-13 | |
2004 | Army | Army 32-16 | Army 46-6 | |
2005 | Army | Army 41-15 | Army 55-12 | Royal Air Force 24-16 |
2006 | Army | Army 9-3 | Army 82-10 | Royal Navy 34-6 |
2007 | Army | Army 39-25 | Army 54-10 | Royal Navy 57-3 |
2008 | Army | Army 22-11 | Army 42-6 | Royal Navy 67-12 |
2009 | Army | Army 50-7 | Army 67-11 | Royal Navy 34-20 |
Year | Champions | Army v RN | Army v RAF | RN v RAF |
2010 | Royal Navy | Royal Navy 24-22 | No match played | Royal Navy 73-3 |
2011 | Army | Army 44-10 | Army 50-3 | RN 52-3 |
2012 | Army | Army 48-9 | Army 59-0 | RN 13-6 |
2013 | Army | Army 43-26 | Army 33-18 | RN 55-26 |
2014 | Army | Army 30 -17 | Army 35 – 26 | RN 10 – 0 |
2015 | Royal Air Force | Army 36 – 18 | Royal Air Force 33 – 29 | Draw 32 – 32 |
2016 | Royal Navy | Draw 29 – 29 | RAF 13 – 12 | Royal Navy 9 – 8 |
2017 | Army | Army 29 – 20 | Army 35 – 14 | Royal Air Force 16 – 14 |
2018 | Royal Air Force | Army 22 – 14 | Royal Air Force 19 – 20 | Royal Air Force 31 – 21 |
Source
McLaren Lt Col J: The History of Army Rugby (Aldershot, The Army RFU, 1986)
A brief history of the Army Navy match can be seen at: www.wikipedia.org
Check out the new Army Navy Match web site at: www.armynavymatch.org.uk