Middlesex Rugby Football Union
Encyclopedia
Middlesex Rugby Football Union is the governing body for rugby union
in Middlesex
, England
; Middlesex is a historic county of England that has since been divided up and shared between Greater London
, Surrey
and Hertfordshire
though the appellation is still in use when referring to sport, businesses and postal address in the area. Middlesex RFU was originally created as the Middlesex County Rugby Club but within six years was being referred to as the Middlesex County Rugby Union.
called a meeting at the Bedford Hotel at which a resolution was passed bringing the club into being. He served as the Club and Union's first president until 1883 being succeeded by E. Temple Gurdon (also of Richmond F.C.
).
CS Bongard, the first tournament taking place according to one source in 1925 and others in 1926. This was the first seven-a-side rugby
festival in England. The first tournament took place at Twickenham in aid of Middlesex hospital was won by Harlequins.
Two asterisks denotes member of the International Rugby Board
Middlesex County Rugby Union was originally created as a rugby club and as such fulfilled fixtures for six years before becoming the Union for clubs within the county. After becoming a union the club continued to operate selecting players from its constituent clubs to play representative matches for the county and to go on tours.
Very early in its history, Middlesex played Surrey
under floodlights at the Old Deer Park
. This is possibly the first rugby match played under floodlights as electric light had only just been invented. A floodlit game was the ideal opportunity to try out the new technology although the game was not a great success by all accounts.
On October 24, 1905, Middlesex played the touring South African side at Richmond for their ninth match. The Springboks won 9 - 0, their narrowest score so far in the tour; a penalty by Douglas Morkel and try by Brink made the half time score 6 - 0 whilst in the second half the only points came from a try by Loubser. Middlesex fielded a cosmopolitan team including Jim Louwrens the South African College scrum half of 1901, three Welshmen who were also later to play for Wales (Harding, Jenkins & Williams) and the Scottish international Geddes. The match referee was Cartwright.
On September 2, 1964 Staines RFC played a Middlesex XV on the occasion of the opening of their new ground, "The Reeves".
for the sixth time in 1968, having defeated Warwickshire in the final (tries by Brian Stoneman and Sandy Hinshelwood
helped them to their 9-6 win at Twickenham
). At least ten of the players that had participated in the final went on the tour in July of that year. Middlesex played a total of seven matches on a tour that lasted a little over two weeks, two games being played in Uganda
and five in Kenya
. The tourists won all seven matches comfortably and reported that the standard of rugby in the region had dropped noticeably since some members of the touring party had last played there. It was generally felt that the East African sides lacked stamina and tactical nous; the latter is understandable as the opportunities for playing high level rugby in the region were limited, though the former is surprising as much of the region is at altitude and it would be expected that the visitors would suffer more than the hosts.
The Middlesex tour party consisted of 70 members though the minority of these were players, the majority were officials and non-playing members who were travelling as supporters. Amongst the players, at least three had previously toured East Africa; Patrick Orr (twice, with Anti-Assassins
in 1965 and Richmond F. C. in 1963), Chris Ralston
(with Richmond F. C. in 1963) and Brian Stoneman (twice, with Richmond F. C. and Combined (Oxford
and Cambridge
) Universities, both in 1963).
Middlesex scored 262 points in seven matches, an average of more than 37 per game. In total they conceded only 14 points. They scored 61 tries, 32 conversions, three penalty-goals and two dropped-goals. Top scorer was Gordon MacDonald (45 points, all from goal-kicking), Ricky Parsons was second highest scorer (33 points, from 5 tries, the rest from goal-kicking), Mike Alder was third (31 points from 6 tries, the rest from goal-kicking). Top try scorers were Tim Rutter and Robin Jolliffe (7 each), Mike Alder and Roger Weaver (6 each). Francis Mann was the outstanding player of the tour.
The tour had been organised by the Middlesex Hon. Secretary
Barry Boyden, his assistant Cyril Brandon and the RFUEA's
appointed Tour Chairman Bernard Nicholls. As with all rugby tours to East Africa in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, it would not have been possible without the hosting arrangements offered by the rugby fraternity in Kenya and Uganda; in order to cut down on costs, members of the tour party were welcomed into the homes of the hosts and provided for in a manner that was acclaimed by those that were lucky enough to have toured the region. Hence the frequency with which first time tourists rapidly made certain they returned a second or third time.
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
in Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
; Middlesex is a historic county of England that has since been divided up and shared between Greater London
Greater London
Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
and Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
though the appellation is still in use when referring to sport, businesses and postal address in the area. Middlesex RFU was originally created as the Middlesex County Rugby Club but within six years was being referred to as the Middlesex County Rugby Union.
History
FR Adams Esq of Richmond F.C.Richmond F.C.
Richmond Football Club is a rugby union club from Richmond, London. It is a founding member of the Rugby Football Union, and is one of the oldest football clubs...
called a meeting at the Bedford Hotel at which a resolution was passed bringing the club into being. He served as the Club and Union's first president until 1883 being succeeded by E. Temple Gurdon (also of Richmond F.C.
Richmond F.C.
Richmond Football Club is a rugby union club from Richmond, London. It is a founding member of the Rugby Football Union, and is one of the oldest football clubs...
).
Middlesex Sevens
The world famous Middlesex Sevens were organised by Dr. Russell-Cargill and the Middlesex Hon. SecretarySecretary (club)
Secretary is a title commonly held by a member of an organization, club, or society. Common duties of the Secretary include taking minutes, notifying members of meetings, contacting various persons in relation to the society, administrating the day to day activities of the organization and...
CS Bongard, the first tournament taking place according to one source in 1925 and others in 1926. This was the first seven-a-side rugby
Rugby sevens
Rugby sevens, also known as seven-a-side or VIIs, is a variant of rugby union in which teams are made up of seven players, instead of the usual 15, with shorter matches. Rugby sevens is administered by the International Rugby Board , the body responsible for rugby union worldwide...
festival in England. The first tournament took place at Twickenham in aid of Middlesex hospital was won by Harlequins.
Past Presidents
Asterisk denotes President of the R.F.U.Rugby Football Union
The Rugby Football Union was founded in 1871 as the governing body for the sport of rugby union, and performed as the international governing body prior to the formation of the International Rugby Board in 1886...
Two asterisks denotes member of the International Rugby Board
International Rugby Board
The International Rugby Board is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. It was founded in 1886 as the International Rugby Football Board by the unions of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. England refused to join until 1890. The International Rugby Football Board changed its name to the...
Honorary Secretaries
Honorary Treasurers
Members who were Presidents of the RFU
County side
Middlesex County Rugby Union was originally created as a rugby club and as such fulfilled fixtures for six years before becoming the Union for clubs within the county. After becoming a union the club continued to operate selecting players from its constituent clubs to play representative matches for the county and to go on tours.
Very early in its history, Middlesex played Surrey
Surrey Rugby Football Union
The Surrey County Rugby Football Union is the union responsible for rugby union in the county of Surrey, England and is one of the constituent bodies of the national Rugby Football Union having been formed in 1879.-Early years of County representative team:...
under floodlights at the Old Deer Park
Old Deer Park
Old Deer Park is an area of open space within Richmond-upon-Thames, England, and is in extent. The park is bounded generally by the River Thames to the west, Kew Gardens to the north, and urban areas of Richmond town to the east and south. Owned by the Crown Estate, the park forms part of a larger...
. This is possibly the first rugby match played under floodlights as electric light had only just been invented. A floodlit game was the ideal opportunity to try out the new technology although the game was not a great success by all accounts.
On October 24, 1905, Middlesex played the touring South African side at Richmond for their ninth match. The Springboks won 9 - 0, their narrowest score so far in the tour; a penalty by Douglas Morkel and try by Brink made the half time score 6 - 0 whilst in the second half the only points came from a try by Loubser. Middlesex fielded a cosmopolitan team including Jim Louwrens the South African College scrum half of 1901, three Welshmen who were also later to play for Wales (Harding, Jenkins & Williams) and the Scottish international Geddes. The match referee was Cartwright.
On September 2, 1964 Staines RFC played a Middlesex XV on the occasion of the opening of their new ground, "The Reeves".
English County championship
| Year | Winners | Opponents | Score | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1893 | Yorkshire | Cumberland, Devon, Middlesex | ||
| 1905 | Durham County | Middlesex | 9 - 8 | West Hartlepool West Hartlepool This article refers to the place; for the Rugby Football Club see West Hartlepool R.F.C.West Hartlepool refers to the western part of the what has since the 1960s been known as the borough of Hartlepool in North East England... |
| 1929 | Middlesex | Lancashire Lancashire County Rugby Football Union The Lancashire County Rugby Football Union is the society responsible for rugby union in the county of Lancashire, England and is one of the constituent bodies of the national Rugby Football Union having been formed in 1881... |
8 - 8 | Twickenham Twickenham Stadium Twickenham Stadium is a stadium located in Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is the largest rugby union stadium in the United Kingdom and has recently been enlarged to seat 82,000... |
| 8 - 9 | St Anthony's Road ground, Blundellsands Blundellsands Blundellsands or Blundell Sands is an area of Merseyside, England in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, and a Sefton council electoral ward... |
|||
| 1951 | East Midlands | Middlesex | 10 - 0 | Northampton Northampton Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is... |
| 1952 | Middlesex | Lancashire Lancashire County Rugby Football Union The Lancashire County Rugby Football Union is the society responsible for rugby union in the county of Lancashire, England and is one of the constituent bodies of the national Rugby Football Union having been formed in 1881... |
9 - 6 | Twickenham Twickenham Stadium Twickenham Stadium is a stadium located in Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is the largest rugby union stadium in the United Kingdom and has recently been enlarged to seat 82,000... |
| 1954 | Middlesex | Lancashire Lancashire County Rugby Football Union The Lancashire County Rugby Football Union is the society responsible for rugby union in the county of Lancashire, England and is one of the constituent bodies of the national Rugby Football Union having been formed in 1881... |
6 - 24 | St Anthony's Road ground, Blundellsands Blundellsands Blundellsands or Blundell Sands is an area of Merseyside, England in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, and a Sefton council electoral ward... |
| 1955 | Lancashire Lancashire County Rugby Football Union The Lancashire County Rugby Football Union is the society responsible for rugby union in the county of Lancashire, England and is one of the constituent bodies of the national Rugby Football Union having been formed in 1881... |
Middlesex | 8 - 14 | Twickenham Twickenham Stadium Twickenham Stadium is a stadium located in Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is the largest rugby union stadium in the United Kingdom and has recently been enlarged to seat 82,000... |
| 1956 | Middlesex | Devon | 13 - 9 | Twickenham Twickenham Stadium Twickenham Stadium is a stadium located in Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is the largest rugby union stadium in the United Kingdom and has recently been enlarged to seat 82,000... |
| 1966 | Middlesex | Lancashire Lancashire County Rugby Football Union The Lancashire County Rugby Football Union is the society responsible for rugby union in the county of Lancashire, England and is one of the constituent bodies of the national Rugby Football Union having been formed in 1881... |
0 - 6 | St Anthony's Road ground, Blundellsands Blundellsands Blundellsands or Blundell Sands is an area of Merseyside, England in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, and a Sefton council electoral ward... |
| 1968 | Middlesex | Warwickshire | 9 - 6 | Twickenham Twickenham Stadium Twickenham Stadium is a stadium located in Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is the largest rugby union stadium in the United Kingdom and has recently been enlarged to seat 82,000... |
| 1976 | Gloucestershire Gloucestershire Rugby Football Union The Gloucestershire Rugby Football Union is the union responsible for rugby union in the county of Gloucestershire, England and is one of the constituent bodies of the national Rugby Football Union. Formed in 1878, it has won the county championship on numerous occasions.-History:The Union was... |
Middlesex | 9 - 24 | Athletic Ground, Richmond Athletic Ground, Richmond The Athletic Ground, Richmond, is a rugby ground home to National League 2 South side Richmond F.C. and the RFU Championship side London Scottish... |
| 1977 | Lancashire Lancashire County Rugby Football Union The Lancashire County Rugby Football Union is the society responsible for rugby union in the county of Lancashire, England and is one of the constituent bodies of the national Rugby Football Union having been formed in 1881... |
Middlesex | 17 - 6 | St Anthony's Road ground, Blundellsands Blundellsands Blundellsands or Blundell Sands is an area of Merseyside, England in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, and a Sefton council electoral ward... |
| 1979 | Middlesex | Northumberland | 19 - 6 | Twickenham Twickenham Stadium Twickenham Stadium is a stadium located in Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is the largest rugby union stadium in the United Kingdom and has recently been enlarged to seat 82,000... |
| 1985 | Middlesex | Notts, Lincs & Derby | 12 - 9 | Twickenham Twickenham Stadium Twickenham Stadium is a stadium located in Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is the largest rugby union stadium in the United Kingdom and has recently been enlarged to seat 82,000... |
| 1987 | Yorkshire | Middlesex | 22 - 11 | Twickenham Twickenham Stadium Twickenham Stadium is a stadium located in Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is the largest rugby union stadium in the United Kingdom and has recently been enlarged to seat 82,000... |
| 1990 | Lancashire Lancashire County Rugby Football Union The Lancashire County Rugby Football Union is the society responsible for rugby union in the county of Lancashire, England and is one of the constituent bodies of the national Rugby Football Union having been formed in 1881... |
Middlesex | 32 - 9 | Twickenham Twickenham Stadium Twickenham Stadium is a stadium located in Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is the largest rugby union stadium in the United Kingdom and has recently been enlarged to seat 82,000... |
1968 tour of East Africa
Middlesex were the English county championsCounty Championship (rugby union)
The County Championship is an annual rugby union competition in England between teams representing English counties. After restructuring in 2007 the top tier of the Championship has been known as the Bill Beaumont Cup, after the trophy awarded to the competition winners was named in honour of Bill...
for the sixth time in 1968, having defeated Warwickshire in the final (tries by Brian Stoneman and Sandy Hinshelwood
Sandy Hinshelwood
Alexander James Watt Hinshelwood is a former international rugby union player.He was capped twenty-one times for Scotland as a wing between 1966 and 1970. He scored five tries for Scotland....
helped them to their 9-6 win at Twickenham
Twickenham Stadium
Twickenham Stadium is a stadium located in Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is the largest rugby union stadium in the United Kingdom and has recently been enlarged to seat 82,000...
). At least ten of the players that had participated in the final went on the tour in July of that year. Middlesex played a total of seven matches on a tour that lasted a little over two weeks, two games being played in Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
and five in Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. The tourists won all seven matches comfortably and reported that the standard of rugby in the region had dropped noticeably since some members of the touring party had last played there. It was generally felt that the East African sides lacked stamina and tactical nous; the latter is understandable as the opportunities for playing high level rugby in the region were limited, though the former is surprising as much of the region is at altitude and it would be expected that the visitors would suffer more than the hosts.
The Middlesex tour party consisted of 70 members though the minority of these were players, the majority were officials and non-playing members who were travelling as supporters. Amongst the players, at least three had previously toured East Africa; Patrick Orr (twice, with Anti-Assassins
Anti-Assassins
The Anti-Assassins Rugby Union Football team was an invitation team that selected players from the northern counties of England to play friendly charitable matches locally and to go on tour...
in 1965 and Richmond F. C. in 1963), Chris Ralston
Chris Ralston
Christopher Wayne Ralston is a former England international rugby union player. He reprented the British and Irish Lions on their 1974 tour to South Africa and at the time played club rugby for Richmond F.C..-References:...
(with Richmond F. C. in 1963) and Brian Stoneman (twice, with Richmond F. C. and Combined (Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
and Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
) Universities, both in 1963).
| Date | Opposition | Location | Result | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968-07-06 | Kampala Kampala Kampala is the largest city and capital of Uganda. The city is divided into five boroughs that oversee local planning: Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division and Lubaga Division. The city is coterminous with Kampala District.-History: of Buganda, had chosen... |
won | 5 - 47 | |
| 1968-07-08 | Uganda Invitation XV | Entebbe Entebbe Entebbe is a major town in Central Uganda. Located on a Lake Victoria peninsula, the town was at one time, the seat of government for the Protectorate of Uganda, prior to Independence in 1962... |
won | 0 - 32 |
| 1968-07-10 | West Kenya | Eldoret Eldoret Eldoret is a town in western Kenya and the administrative centre of Uasin Gishu District of Rift Valley Province. Lying south of the Cherangani Hills, the local elevation varies from about 2100 metres above sea level at the airport to more than 2700 metres in nearby areas... |
won | 3 - 57 |
| 1968-07-13 | Central Province | Nairobi Nairobi Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is... |
won | 6 - 35 |
| 1968-07-14 | Scorpions RFC Scorpions RFC The Scorpions RFC is an invitation rugby team in East Africa that was established upon principles that have many parallels with the Barbarian F.C. in terms of values, playing style, selection policy and the lack of a home ground... |
RFUEA Ground RFUEA Ground The RFUEA Ground is a rugby union stadium located on the Ngong Road in Nairobi, Kenya. It was purpose built to be the home of the national team and to serve as the headquarters of the Rugby Football Union of Kenya... , Nairobi Nairobi Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is... |
won | 0 - 47 |
| 1968-07-17 | Coast Invitation XV | Mombasa Mombasa Mombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya. Lying next to the Indian Ocean, it has a major port and an international airport. The city also serves as the centre of the coastal tourism industry.... |
won | 0 - 16 |
| 1968-07-20 | East Africa East Africa East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:... |
RFUEA Ground RFUEA Ground The RFUEA Ground is a rugby union stadium located on the Ngong Road in Nairobi, Kenya. It was purpose built to be the home of the national team and to serve as the headquarters of the Rugby Football Union of Kenya... , Nairobi Nairobi Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is... |
won | 0 - 28 |
Middlesex scored 262 points in seven matches, an average of more than 37 per game. In total they conceded only 14 points. They scored 61 tries, 32 conversions, three penalty-goals and two dropped-goals. Top scorer was Gordon MacDonald (45 points, all from goal-kicking), Ricky Parsons was second highest scorer (33 points, from 5 tries, the rest from goal-kicking), Mike Alder was third (31 points from 6 tries, the rest from goal-kicking). Top try scorers were Tim Rutter and Robin Jolliffe (7 each), Mike Alder and Roger Weaver (6 each). Francis Mann was the outstanding player of the tour.
The tour had been organised by the Middlesex Hon. Secretary
Secretary (club)
Secretary is a title commonly held by a member of an organization, club, or society. Common duties of the Secretary include taking minutes, notifying members of meetings, contacting various persons in relation to the society, administrating the day to day activities of the organization and...
Barry Boyden, his assistant Cyril Brandon and the RFUEA's
Rugby Football Union of East Africa
The Rugby Football Union of East Africa is an umbrella union for the Kenya Rugby Football Union, Tanzania Rugby Football Union and Uganda Rugby Football Union. It owes its existence to the fact that, prior to independence, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda were either a protectorate or mandate of the...
appointed Tour Chairman Bernard Nicholls. As with all rugby tours to East Africa in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, it would not have been possible without the hosting arrangements offered by the rugby fraternity in Kenya and Uganda; in order to cut down on costs, members of the tour party were welcomed into the homes of the hosts and provided for in a manner that was acclaimed by those that were lucky enough to have toured the region. Hence the frequency with which first time tourists rapidly made certain they returned a second or third time.
Notable players for the County side
- John DawesJohn DawesSydney John Dawes OBE is a former Welsh rugby union player, playing at centre, and later coach. He captained London Welsh, Wales, the Barbarians and the British Lions...
(London Welsh RFC, , LionsBritish and Irish LionsThe British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
and Barbarian F.C.Barbarian F.C.The Barbarian Football Club, usually referred to as the Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team based in Britain...
) - Sandy HinshelwoodSandy HinshelwoodAlexander James Watt Hinshelwood is a former international rugby union player.He was capped twenty-one times for Scotland as a wing between 1966 and 1970. He scored five tries for Scotland....
(London Scottish, and LionsBritish and Irish LionsThe British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
) - Ian Conin Jones (London Welsh RFC and )
- George James Hamish Keith (Wasps FCWasps FCWasps FC is the amateur side of the Wasps rugby union club formed in 1867. The men's first team was split from Wasps FC at the turn of professionalism, for the 1996-97 season, to become Wasps RFC, owned by Chris Wright, and later became London Wasps in the summer of 1999...
and ) - Andy RipleyAndy RipleyAndrew George Ripley, OBE was an English rugby union international, who represented England from 1972 to 1976, and the British Lions on their unbeaten 1974 tour of South Africa.-Early life:...
(Rosslyn Park F.C.Rosslyn Park F.C.Rosslyn Park Football Club is a rugby union team. Founded in 1879, the club became the first club based in England to play rugby internationally when it faced Stade Francais in Paris on 18 April 1892. In 1912, the club played in Prague, Budapest and Vienna in the first rugby matches ever played in...
, , LionsBritish and Irish LionsThe British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
and Barbarian F.C.Barbarian F.C.The Barbarian Football Club, usually referred to as the Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team based in Britain...
) - Chris RalstonChris RalstonChristopher Wayne Ralston is a former England international rugby union player. He reprented the British and Irish Lions on their 1974 tour to South Africa and at the time played club rugby for Richmond F.C..-References:...
(Rosslyn Park F.C.Rosslyn Park F.C.Rosslyn Park Football Club is a rugby union team. Founded in 1879, the club became the first club based in England to play rugby internationally when it faced Stade Francais in Paris on 18 April 1892. In 1912, the club played in Prague, Budapest and Vienna in the first rugby matches ever played in...
, and LionsBritish and Irish LionsThe British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
) - Arthur GouldArthur GouldArthur Joseph "Monkey" Gould was a Welsh international rugby union centre and full back who was most associated as a club player with Newport Rugby Football Club. He won 27 caps for Wales, 18 as captain, and is considered the first superstar of Welsh rugby...
(London Welsh RFC Richmond F.C.Richmond F.C.Richmond Football Club is a rugby union club from Richmond, London. It is a founding member of the Rugby Football Union, and is one of the oldest football clubs...
and ) - Peter Kininmonth
- CEL “Curly” HammondCurly HammondCurly Hammond was a rugby union international who represented England from 1905 to 1908. He also captained his country.-Rugby union career:...
(for four successive years was captain of Harlequins F.C. and Middlesex and later captained ) - Patrick C.R. Orr (Harlequins F.C. and Barbarian F.C.Barbarian F.C.The Barbarian Football Club, usually referred to as the Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team based in Britain...
) - Brian Stoneman (Richmond F.C.Richmond F.C.Richmond Football Club is a rugby union club from Richmond, London. It is a founding member of the Rugby Football Union, and is one of the oldest football clubs...
and Barbarian F.C.Barbarian F.C.The Barbarian Football Club, usually referred to as the Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team based in Britain...
) - Charles Webster Thorburn (Guy's Hospital RFCGuy's, Kings and St. Thomas' Rugby Football ClubGuy's, Kings and St. Thomas' Rugby Football Club is the name given to the modern amalgam of three formerly distinct hospital rugby clubs each with a long history, having all been founded in the nineteenth century. The teams from Guy's Hospital and St Thomas' Hospital were the first to merge...
and Barbarian F.C.Barbarian F.C.The Barbarian Football Club, usually referred to as the Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team based in Britain...
)
Photos on the web
- Middlesex Team that played 1898 New Zealand Maori http://www.middlesexrugby.com/basic/imageview.php?imagestoreid=122&filename=earlyteam.jpg&viewWidth=490&viewHeight=297&imagetype=image/jpeg
- Middlesex v 1905 New Zealand scrum http://www.rugbyrelics.com/images/aaaaa/qq/middx-scrum.jpg
- Peter Kininmonth who scored a drop goal to propel Scotland to a famous win against Wales in 1951 http://www.espnscrum.com/PICTURES/CMS/16200/16201.2.jpg
- The Middlesex side that played Somerset on December 28, 1889 at Weston-super-Mare http://www.cliftonrfchistory.co.uk/other/borwick/middlesex1889.jpg
- Middlesex v 1906/7 Sprinboks at Richmond (South Africa won 9 - 0) http://www.rugbyrelics.com/images/aaaaa/om/89-Middlesex.jpg
External links
- www.middlesexrugby.com
- Middlesex Sevens
- Middlesex Sevens Profile on UR7s.com
- http://www.therugbyhistorysociety.co.uk/mid726.html The First Middlesex Sevens From The Rugby History Society