{"id":596,"date":"2012-12-05T22:48:14","date_gmt":"2012-12-05T22:48:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.armyrugbyunion.org.uk\/?page_id=596"},"modified":"2022-05-23T12:54:04","modified_gmt":"2022-05-23T12:54:04","slug":"history","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.armyrugbyunion.org.uk\/aru-info\/history\/","title":{"rendered":"History"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t\t
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Origins of Rugby and its Army connection (1823)<\/h2>
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There is a connection between the origins of rugby and the Army by virtue of the fact that William Webb Ellis (1806-1872), who is credited with inventing the game at Rugby School in 1823 when he showed a “fine disregard for the rules of football [soccer] … took the ball in his arms and ran with it, thus originating the distinctive feature of the Rugby game<\/em><\/p>\n

James Ellis began his military career as an ensign in the 1st dragoon guards and served in Ireland in 1807. A year later he was posted to the regimental depot in Manchester, before proceeding to the Peninsular War in 1809. On 14 September 1809 he bought a commission in the 3rd dragoon guards for \u00a3735. He died in Albuera on 1 July 1812. His death left his family penniless, so William’s mother, Ann Webb, applied for a pension and was granted \u00a310 for each child. William received free education at Rugby School and went on to win a place at Brasenose College, Oxford. After leaving Oxford, he entered the church. Between 1836-55 he was rector of St Clement Danes Church in the Strand, London (now the Central Church of the RAF), where the Royal Air Force Rugby Union (RAFRU) later erected a tablet to his memory. He never married and died at Menton, Alpes Maritimes, France, on 24 January 1872, unaware of his legacy to the game.<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div> \n\n\t

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\nRev William Webb Ellis (1806-1872), Inventor of rugby and son of James Ellis, a 3rd Dragoon Guards officer (London Illustrated News)\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div> \n<\/div><\/div>

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The game was gradually institutionalised through it being played at other British Public schools and universities. it was during the second quarter of the nineteenth century that rugby acquired its distinctive features such as an oval ball, H-shaped goals, scoring above the cross bar, and points for ‘tries’ as well as ‘goals’.<\/p>\n

Initially, like other sports within the Army, rugby was as officers’ game, because until the Second World War (1939-45) the Army generally recruited its officer corps from public schools and those recruits brought the game with them. It was only after they had taught their soldiers how to play that the game became truly inclusive.<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div> \n<\/div><\/div>

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Birth of Army Rugby (1855)<\/h2>
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The earliest recorded game of rugby played in the Army was between a Cavalry XI and an Infantry XI at Balaclava, Crimea on 27 March 1855. The game was conducted under the Eton rules with each team fielding eleven players. Unfortunately there is no record of the final score or who won the match.<\/p>\n

Our school history lessons covering the duration of the Crimean War (1854-56) generally focused on the political background, the death or glory, the suffering of the diseased and wounded, the early beginnings of professional nursing, but they certainly didn\u2019t mention that the conflict saw the birth of rugby within the British Army. It is hard to imagine that the match was played exactly one year after Great Britain and France went to war with Russia and less than six months after the Charge of the Light Brigade.<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div> \n\n\t

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\nThe Charge of the Light Brigade\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div> \n<\/div><\/div>

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In March 1859 the 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the Grenadier Regiment of Foot Guards played twenty-five-a-side game at Lords Cricket Ground, London; the game ended in a draw.<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n

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Early developments of Army Rugby (1862-79)<\/h2>
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Early game rules (1862-67)<\/h3>\n

The matches were played with various team sizes under a variety of different game rules. In 1862, at Aldershot, the 53rd (Shropshire) Regiment beat the 8th (Kings) Regiment in a match at which each team fielded twenty men.<\/p>\n

The following year the School of Musketry, Fleetwood, Lancashire played a thirteen a-side rugby team against Rossall School (a local public school founded in 1844) in a match that was played under the Harrow rules.<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div> \n\n\t

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\n8th and 53rd Foot Cap badges\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div> \n<\/div><\/div>

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During the 1866\/7 season the 8th Depot Battalion at Colchester, Essex was said to have a good side which played under a combination of Eton and Rugby school rules.<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n

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Early matches (1864-79)<\/h2>
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During the 1860s and 70s Army establishment and regimental teams began to organise matches against local civilian teams. The Royal Military Academy, Woolwich team, consisting of Gentlemen Cadets training for a commission in either the Royal Artillery or Royal Engineers, played against Richmond RFC in the 1864\/5 season and went on to secure a first-rate fixture list with many of the best clubs in London and the suburbs.<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div> \n\n\t

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\n93rd and 94th Foot Cap badges\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div> \n<\/div><\/div>

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Likewise the 94th Regiment and 93rd (Sutherland Highlanders) Regiment, stationed in Ireland, arranged matches against such clubs as Landsdowne, Dublin Wanderers and Dublin University. The 21st Lancaster Rifle Volunteers played a match against Oldham Club during the 1878\/79 season.<\/p>\n

Within the Army matches between Royal Military Academy, Woolwich and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst began in 1876 and continued until the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich was closed in 1939.<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div> \n<\/div><\/div>

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Army Players and International Representation (1871 onwards)<\/h2>
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Standard codes of playing were developed in the 1870’s during which time governing unions were formed: The English Rugby Football Union (RFU) in 1871, the Scotland Rugby Union in 1873, Irish Rugby Football Union in 1874 (the two Irish Unions were merged in 1879) and the Welsh Rugby Union in 1880. These unions organised the game and arranged international matches in which many officers, and later soldiers, who played for first-class local teams, were selected to represent their respective nations.<\/p>\n

England<\/strong> – Two Royal Engineers (Sappers); Lieutenant CW Sherrard RE (2 England caps) and Lieutenant CA Crompton RE (1 England cap), both members of Blackheath RFC, became the first soldiers to gain the distinction of playing for their country (England) in the first ever international game. The Scotland v England match played at Raeburn Place in Edinburgh, 27 March 1871, in front of a crowd of 4,000 (Scotland won by one goal and one try to one goal, the teams were 20-a-side and Halves were 50 minutes each).<\/p>\n

Those chosen to captain the England team were:<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Year<\/th>Name<\/th>No of Caps<\/th>Regiment<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
1928<\/td>AL Novis<\/td>7<\/td>Leicestershire Regiment<\/td><\/tr>
1930<\/td>DA Kendrew<\/td>10<\/td>Leicestershire Regiment<\/td><\/tr>
1947<\/td>NM Hall<\/td>17<\/td>Royal Signals<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><\/div>\n
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Scotland <\/strong>– The following year (1872) they were followed by Lieutenant FT Maxwell RE and Lieutenant HW Renny Tailyour RE, also Sappers, who were capped for Scotland. (Renny Tailyour also played cricket and soccer and was a member of the Sapper Football team that won the FA Cup in 1875.<\/p>\n

In 1912 Lieutenant CM Usher, Gordon Highlanders was the first soldier to Captain his national team (Scotland). In his international career he gained 16 caps for Scotland. Others were:<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Year<\/th>Name<\/th>No of Caps<\/th>Regiment<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
1912<\/td>CM Usher<\/td>16<\/td>Gordon Highlanders<\/td><\/tr>
1948<\/td>A Cameron<\/td>17<\/td>Royal Artillery<\/td><\/tr>
1957<\/td>KJF Scotland<\/td>27<\/td>Royal Signals<\/td><\/tr>
1961<\/td>MJ Campbell \ufffd Lamerton<\/td>23<\/td>Duke of Wellington's Regiment<\/td><\/tr>
1963<\/td>JP Fisher<\/td>17<\/td>Royal Army Dental Corps<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><\/div>\n
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Wales<\/strong> – In 1881 Lieutenant RD Garnons-Williams, Royal Fusiliers gained a cap for Wales. Sadly at the age of fifty-nine Garnon-Williams was killed in action, whilst commanding his battalion, at Loos on 27 September 1915.<\/p>\n

In 1947 Captain J Matthews, Royal Army Medical Corps was chosen to captain the Wales team. He was awarded 17 Welsh caps.<\/p>\n

Ireland<\/strong> – Lieutenant AP Cronyn, Royal West Kent Regiment was the first Army officer to be selected to play for Ireland in 1875 and was awarded 3 Irish caps. He was followed in 1877 by HW Murray, Indian Medical services.<\/p>\n

Full details of Army personnel who have been awarded caps can be seen on International Caps<\/a> page.<\/p>\n

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Army v Navy Matches and Inter-Service competitions (1878 onwards)<\/h2>
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On 13th February 1878 the Officers of the Army played, for the first time, the Officers of the Royal Navy at Kennington Oval. The Royal Navy won the match by a goal and a try to a goal. Although the popularity of rugby increased in the Services, no further recorded matches took place between the Army and Royal Navy until 1907, after which an annual Inter-Service Championship was inaugurated.<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div> \n\n\t

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\nArmy vs Navy 1907\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div> \n<\/div><\/div>

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The Championship was suspended during the First (1914-1918) and Second World War (1939-45) but resumed in 1920 and 1946 respectively. An account of the match can be found on the Army Navy Match (1878-1914)<\/a> page.<\/p>\n

The Royal Air Force (RAF), formed in 1918, became competition participants in 1920. In the early years of the Championship the Royal Navy dominated the game, but since the Second World Wars the fortunes of Army has been in the ascendancy (see the Inter-Services Championship <\/a>statistics).<\/p>\n

Separate Inter-Service competitions were created for women and veteran (over 35 years) service teams in 2003. Since the inauguration of the women\u2019s competition the Army Women have dominated the championship.<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div> \n<\/div><\/div>

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The Army and the Global spread of Rugby (1870's onwards)<\/h2>\n
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The Army did much to spread an enthusiasm for rugby worldwide as indeed it did for our other great national games; cricket and football. Interest in the game was generated by the regiments stationed throughout the British Empire who had regimental rugby teams that played locally.<\/p>\n

Australia <\/strong>– The Australia RU claim that there “are reports of early games of rugby between the army and the crews of visiting ships being played at Barrack Square in the city [Sydney] in the 1820s” – but given the early date it is unlikely that they were playing rugby as we understand it.<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div> \n\n\t

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\nThul Chotiali Force in 1878\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div> \n<\/div><\/div>

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Canada<\/strong> – The first game of rugby recorded in Canada took place in Montreal among artillery men in 1864. On the West coast the first game in British Columbia was played on Vancouver Island in 1876, between members of the Royal Navy and the Army. In 1919, a Canadian Services Team played overseas against representatives from England, New Zealand, South Africa and Australia.<\/p>\n

India<\/strong> – The game was played by British Army regiments stationed throughout India from 1870’s onwards and there is even a report that a game was played in the Bhulan Pass, Afghanistan by regiments of Major General Biddulph’s Thul Chotiali Force in 1878.<\/p>\n

The 29th Bombay Native Infantry (Duke of Connaught’s Own Belooch Regt) Field Firing (Marching Order) by Richard Simkin – Part of Major General Biddulph’s Thul Chotiali Force in 1878<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div> \n<\/div><\/div>

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The Army and the Calcutta Cup (1878-9)<\/h2>\n
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\nCalcutta Cup\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div> \n\n\t

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The Army had a hand in the conception of the Calcutta Cup, the oldest trophy in the history of international rugby. It began with the 3rd (East Kent) Regiment (The Buffs) and the 62nd (Wiltshire) Regiment (Duke of Edinburgh\u2019s) who were both great supporters of the Calcutta Club,(in Calcutta India) and were very active in establishing rugby in India. However, the posting the The Buffs out of India in 1876 occasioned a wane in the enthusiasm for rugby and two years later reductions in membership forced the Calcutta Club to reluctantly disband.<\/p>\n

But after finding 270 silver Indian rupees in the kitty its committee decided that they would make a cup with them \u2013 thus the Calcutta cup was born with its distinctive Indian favour that consisted of patterned bowl, three sculptured cobras as handles and an elephant adoring the lid.<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div> \n<\/div><\/div>

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The committee was keen to perpetuated the name of the club and decided in 1879 to present their Calcutta cup, to the English Rugby Football Union on the proviso that it should be competed for annually by representative rugby teams from England and Scotland. The Cup was first competed for on 10th March 1879 \u2013 the match, at Raeburn Place, Edinburgh ended in a 3 all draw.<\/p>\n

The following year on 28 February 1880 England become the first winners of the Calcutta Cup when they beat Scotland at Manchester by 2 goals & 3 tries to 1 goal.<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div> \n<\/div><\/div>

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Formation of Army Rugby Union (1906-8)<\/h2>
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The evolution of the administration of the game in the Army was \u2018slow and steady\u2019. The idea for an administrative body to govern the Army game came to three young officers: Lieutenant JEC \u2018Birdie\u2019 Partridge, Welch Regiment, Lieutenant WSD Craven, Royal Field Artillery, Lieutenant (later General Sir Clive) CG Liddell (1883-1956), Leicestershire Regiment while on tour as part of a Blackheath RFC team in Scotland during the 1905\/06 season. But it wasn\u2019t until 31 December 1906 that the Army Council approved the formation of the Army Rugby Union (ARU). Almost eight months later, on 10 August 1907, Field Marshal the Duke of Connaught consented to be the Union\u2019s first President.<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div> \n\n\t

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\nJEC \u2018Birdie\u2019 Partridge\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div> \n<\/div><\/div>

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On 16 June 1908 the Army Rugby Union Committee convened for the first time; it concluded that:<\/p>\n