Navy Rugby by Alligin Photography will be producing articles about what it considers to be the three ‘first matches’ between the Navy and the Army. The three matches are as follows:
1878 – The first ‘First Match’. A game billed as the Navy v Army played at the Kennington Oval for the Military Benevolent Fund.
1907- the second ‘First Match’. This game was promoted by the newly formed Royal Navy Rugby Union and the Army Rugby Union as ‘Officers of the Navy’ v ‘Officers of the Army’. Ratings and Other Ranks were not eligible to play.
1920 – the third ‘First Match’. At last the ‘Royal Navy’ v ‘The Army’. The first match where both sides were able to select from all their personnel. This match was played at Twickenham and was attended by King George V.
So in recognition of that first match one hundred and twenty five years ago read on.
Geraint
The Broad Arrow
16th February 1878
The following account appeared in the “Broad Arrow”. It was sent to the Royal Navy Rugby Union by Lt Col Brodie Purdon, who was the Hon Secretary of the Army Rugby Union at the time, in 1932. It was a copy of the account sent to the Army Rugby Union by the Army, Navy and Air Force Gazette with a note that the Army and Navy Gazette had not covered the game at the time. It is the most complete account of the match that I have been able to find.
Football Match – Navy v Army
On Wednesday, February 13th, the first of what we hope will be an annual match was played at the Oval, Kennington, between picked teams of the Army and Navy. The Rugby Union rules were played, and a fine exhibition of football delighted the somewhat small number of spectators. We suppose the limited attendance was owing to rain in the morning and the somewhat threatening and cloudy look to the sky in the afternoon. We are afraid that the Benevolent Fund, for the benefit which the match was played, will not profit much by the gate money. Henderson, the captain of the Navy team, won the toss, and chose to play till half-time with the wind. The Army started the ball with two men short, on of the absentees, however, speedily arrived, but they played one man short throughout the game.
The ball was well returned, and the first scrimmage [as spelt, not scrummage – ed] showed the superiority of the Navy forwards, who gradually worked the ball close to their opponents’ goal, when Bush got hold of the leather, ran in smartly, and obtained a try for the Navy amidst great applause from a strong band of naval spectators, who had taken up their position beneath a white ensign mounted on the roof of a drag. The kick was given to Orford, who scored an unmistakable goal, which caused great cheering from the partisans of the Navy.
The play was nearly confined to the forwards now, though the quarter-back on each side tried very hard to get away with the ball, but the “greasy” state of the ground was not favourable for any great display of running. Both forward teams worked very hard, and gradually the Navy, in response to a cry from the drag to “force the passage of the straits”, worked the ball dangerously near their opponents’ goal line, and the Army were compelled to touch down in self-defence. The game was now very even, although the ball was still generally kept in the Army twenty-five, notwithstanding the gallant efforts of their quarter and half backs to carry the war into naval territory. Half-time was called, and the sides changed goals; Henderson kicked off for the Navy, and a gallant rush of Naval forwards prevented the return of the ball, and the Army again had to touch down. On its being re-started the game became faster and better, the scrimmages not being quite so tight as before half-time. The looser game, however, seemed to suit the Navy just as well as the soldiers, and it was not long before they got the ball behind the goal line and gained another try. Orford again essayed the kick, which was at a very difficult angle, and he did not get a goal. The Army now played extremely well, and gradually worked the ball back in to the middle of the ground, and at last well into the enemy’s country, when Bishop got hold of it and sent it well back. A very pretty little bit of kicking now took place between the backs of each side, and much pleased the spectators ,who warmly applauded the pluck up-hill play of the Army team, who at length had the satisfaction of making their enemy touch down.
The play now became fast and spirited. Wrench, Cowan and Heath playing exceedingly well for the Army, whilst Startin and Bush were all there on the other side, as were Orford and Daniells. The ball was gradually worked into the Navy twenty-five, and on going into “touch” was thrown out rather injudiciously too far, and rather in front of goal, when Wrench, taking advantage of a not very clever bit of passing, ran in and secured a capital try for the Army. A goal resulted from the kick, and a very well deserved goal it was, as the Army had been playing a hitherto losing game with great pluck and spirit. On the ball being re-started, there was very pretty play on both sides, and when time was up the Navy were left the winners of a very pleasant and exceedingly well-fought game by a goal and a try against a goal; the Army were also forced to touch down twice and the Navy one. The Navy forwards played extremely well together. Bayly, Orford and Montgomerie particularly distinguished themselves, as did Henderson, who played in his usual good and unselfish manner. Bush and Startin, as quarter-backs, seemed to be the right men in the right places, and Daniells, as half back, was very good. Cowan, Wrench and Heath played exceedingly well for the Army, and their forwards, especially towards the end of the game, played with vigour and determination. Both teams were entertained by the Officers of the Royal Naval College at Greenwich, who we believe, had the pleasure of hoisting for the first time the naval ensign at the Kennington Oval.
The following are the names of the teams:- Navy – Campbell and Bishop backs; Daniells and Hart half-backs; Bush and Startin quarter-back; Henderson, Orford, Trower, Montgomerie, Bennett, Thring, Goldfinch, Bayly and Waters, forwards; Army – Heath and Wrench quarter-backs; Coke and Cowan half-backs; Cromie back; Street, Spens, Urquhart, Campbell, Barker, Adamson, Goold-Adams, Ogilvie, Manser and Bannatine. forwwards.
Brodie adds a hand written note to the account which explains that Bannatine (Captain of the Army) did not turn up and that the Army played one short. He also adds the initials of the players and suggests a couple of other corrections to the spelling of the names.
| Navy | Position | Army |
|---|---|---|
| Campbell F. | Fullbacks | Cromie |
| Bishop C. | ||
| Daniells E. | Half Backs | Coke |
| Hart C. | Cowan | |
| Bush P. | Quarter Backs | Heath |
| Startin J. | Wrench | |
| Henderson G. (Capt) | Forwards | Street |
| Orford J. | Spens | |
| Trower C. | Urquhart | |
| Montgomerie R. | Campbell | |
| Bennett J. | Barker | |
| Thring F. | Adamson | |
| Goldfinch H. | Goold-Adams | |
| Bayly C. | Ogilvie | |
| Waters C. | Manser | |
| Bannatine (Capt) * | ||
The Broad Arrow’s report makes note of the three touch downs during the match. This was probably considered important during the time of the match as in many games it contributed to the score. “Conceding a minor” was a term attributed to the modern day term of grounding the ball in your own In Goal and was penalised by a point to the opposition. So from that first match it is quite possible the Navy would have had two more points and the Army one. It was not until the 1880’s that scoring became standardised with the try being worth one point, a conversion two points and a drop goal three points.
The Army Rugby Union in their account of this first match give a shorter piece from the Broad Arrow which is slightly at odds with the full report produced above, particularly where the cry of “force the passage of the straits” is mis quoted. The longer account certainly has it correctly used. The term “force the passage of the straits” appears in many scenarios through history but its use in 1878 may well relate to HMS Euryalus which, as part of a combined naval force, was at the head of an allied fleet of 10 British, 3 French, 4 Dutch and 1 US ships. On 5 September 1864, the fleet began to force the passage of the Straits of Shimonoseki, by attacking the batteries of Toyour, and by evening a large number of the batteries had been silenced.
The Army Rugby Union also give an account from the Morning Post of Thursday 14 Februay 1878, which is reproduced below and gives the second Navy try scores as Bailey [Correct name was Bayly – ed]
ARMY v. NAVY
At Kennington-oval yesterday a match for the benefit of the Military Fund was played between the above named sides, under rugby rules, but attendance was not as large as might have been desired. Play began at 3.35pm, when the Navy, who had won the toss elected to defend the goal nearest the Crown Baths. Coke kicked off for the Army. The Navy got much the better of the scrimmages in the early part of the game, and before half-time a try was gained for them by Bush, from which Orford kicked a goal. No other definite advantage was secured for either side before ends were changed. In the last part of the match the Navy continued, for the most part, to get the better of the play. Bailey gained a second try for them, but the kick at goal ended in failure. The Army rallied considerably after this, and French ran in, the place kick by Cowan proving successful. Nothing further occurred ; and at the call of “No side” the Navy were pronounced victors by a goal and a try to a goal. The Army played one short throughout.
The Team’s Formation
Those with a keen eye for detail may notice that according to the Broad Arrow the two teams played slightly different formations. The Navy elected to go with two backs and nine forwards whilst the Army named one back and ten forwards. Although they ended up playing with nine through Bannatine not turning up. This was not unusual at the time and indeed later the same year when Ireland hosted England for the first International at Landsdown Road the Irish used the ten man forward formation with two quarter backs, two half backs and a full back with England replacing one of the forwards with a second full back.
Equally it was not unusual for side to play with more than fifteen players and also to differing rules. At the time of the match the Portsmouth Navy team was considered very strong and they regularly played as a team of twenty. The Portsmouth side was also captained by the Navy’s captain, Henderson, and played with fourteen forwards, two quarter backs, two half backs and two backs. Of note is that Portsmouth Royal Navy Football Club went unbeaten in the 1878-1879 season.
The above picture of the Portsmouth Navy side (1878/1879) shows Henderson, the Navy captain, sat on the right at the front of the picture. Other players from that first Navy match are Bishop (third from left back row), Orford, the goal kicker, (player sitting with beard) and Trower, sat front left.
Article sourced and researched from the hand written minute book of the Royal Navy Rugby Union and other correspondence, John McLaren’s book “The History of the Army Rugby Union, the Army Rugby Union website by Geraint Ashton Jones