Category Archives: International Players

England v Ireland 1988: The Nigel Melville Story

Posted on August 26, 2019 by

The Five Nations match between England and Ireland in March 1988 was a historic occasion for two reasons… Continue reading →

Posted in Countries, England, International Players, Ireland | Leave a comment

Historic Rugby Internationals: New Zealand v France, 1961

Posted on August 12, 2019 by

The second test in the 3-match series between New Zealand and France played in a gale at Athletic Park, Wellington on August 5th 1961 ranks as one of the most remarkable test matches ever played… Continue reading →

Posted in Countries, France, International Players, New Zealand | 1 Comment

Who was Lewis Cobden Thomas?

Posted on August 5, 2019 by

Lewis Cobden Thomas was born on 6 August 1865 in Merthyr Tydfil, the fourth son and fifth of eleven children of Thomas Thomas, an ironmonger, and his wife Gwladys, nee Jones.  He was given the name of the radical liberal MP, Richard Cobden, who had fiercely opposed the Corn Laws, campaigned for their abolition and for an improved system of education. Continue reading →

Posted in Countries, International Players, Wales | 1 Comment

When the Crowd Stops Roaring by Neven MacEwan

Posted on July 22, 2019 by

Neven MacEwan played 20 times for New Zealand between 1956 and 1962. He helped defeat the British and Irish Lions three times during their 1959 tour of Australia and New Zealand and contributed to a 3-0 series whitewash of France in 1961. His international career came at a time when the All Blacks vied with South Africa for supremacy in the world game… Continue reading →

Posted in Countries, International Players, New Zealand | Leave a comment

Happy Blogiversary!

Posted on July 8, 2019 by

It’s been 5 years since we started this blog and over that time we’ve covered all sorts of topics, from ghostly paintings and the Twickenham streaker, to the “First Lady” of rugby and international rugby’s most decorated player. Not forgetting our extraterrestrial jersey! 

Here’s a round up of our top 10 most read posts over the last 5 years… Continue reading →

Posted in Countries, International Players, Lest We Forget, Museum Collection, Women's Rugby | Leave a comment

Trend or Tradition? Part 2

Posted on June 17, 2019 by

3 years ago we posted a response to an article published on Americas Rugby News in which Richard Steele examined the history of Scottish selections and whether the trend of international teams selecting foreign born players really is as modern as is widely assumed. This time, John Jenkins takes a look at some other rugby nations… Continue reading →

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After the War: The Victory Internationals, 1945-46

Posted on June 10, 2019 by

With the onset of the Second World War, official international rugby was put on hiatus in 1939. After the war ended in 1945, there was one season before fixtures officially resumed and it was in this period that the Victory Internationals were played to fill the void… Continue reading →

Posted in International Players, Lest We Forget, Services | 1 Comment