World Rugby Memorial – Appeal to Rugby Clubs
In 2017 a designated memorial to fallen rugby players will be formally unveiled in Craonnelle, Chemin des Dames in the French department of the Aisne. The organisers would like to include the names of fallen rugby players from around the world and are appealing to clubs to submit the names from their First World War Memorials for inclusion. Here John Dennison outlines what is required if you would like your club to be included.
Rugby as a game gave so much during the conflict and this is an opportunity to mark the sacrifice of those who went before us.
Names and details of all the Internationals are well documented but this project is looking deeper into the archives of clubs around the world.
The project is being jointly organised with the Conseil Department L’Aisne, in France and a new monument is being designed by the former French Captain, Jean Pierre Rives, dedicated to their memory.
It will be unveiled on land owned by the Conseil Department L’Aisne in the heart of the battlefields of the Chemin des Dames on September 16th 2017.
The Rugby Football Union and World Rugby Museum have offered their support to this project and would like as many clubs as possible to contribute.
The Book of Remembrance will contain the names of all Rugby Players wherever they fought and in whatever service.
This is the basic information that we are hoping to acquire:
- Player’s Name:
- Date of Birth:
- Name of Club:
- Date of Death:
- Place of Death:
- Regiment:
But if your club simply has a list of names then please submit these too.
Please submit to John Dennison at johndennison@francourt.org
