Monthly Archives: May 2016

Abercrombie, Wilson and the Battle of Jutland by Phil McGowan

Posted on May 31, 2016 by

In 1889 Great Britain passed its Naval Defence Act. The act instituted a commitment to maintaining naval supremacy by servicing a navy of equal size to both the second and third largest navies in the world. The policy served shipyards … Continue reading →

Posted in International Players, Scotland, Wartime | 2 Comments

England and Wales stars of the future line up in 1989

Posted on May 23, 2016 by

The England Wales rugby fixture is currently enjoying a golden age. The fixture is one of sport’s most historic and competitive and in recent years has decided Grand Slams, 6-Nations Championships, Triple Crowns and World Cup campaigns. In 1989 England … Continue reading →

Posted in England, Wales | 13 Comments

Lest We Forget – Jackie Morkel (South Africa) 15/05/1916

Posted on May 15, 2016 by

Jan Willem Hurter Morkel was one of those South African rugby players who in one memorable season established a reputation at international level that has never faded.  Born in Somerset West, a town situated 30 miles from Cape Town in … Continue reading →

Posted in International Players, Lest We Forget, South Africa | 1 Comment

Remembering ‘The Pack’

Posted on May 11, 2016 by

In advance of the 2015 Rugby World Cup over 20,000 applications were received, of which 6,000 talented individuals were chosen to become members of ‘The Pack’ – an elite group of Rugby World Cup 2015 volunteers. To reward and honour … Continue reading →

Posted in Rugby World Cup | Leave a comment

From the Deep Vaults…

Posted on May 8, 2016 by

James Corsan is currently working on a Harlequins Heritage project in connection with the forthcoming 150th anniversary of the founding of the club. His research has included trawling the microfiche of local newspapers. Here he reports on this and shares … Continue reading →

Posted in Clubs | 1 Comment