This is a list of international rugby union players who died serving in armed forces during the First World War. Most of these came from the British Commonwealth, but a number of French international rugby players were also killed. A number of major teams, whose nations were belligerents in World War I such as,,,, and had not made their international debuts at this point in time,[1] and the team had only been in existence for around two years prior to the war.Also, none of the Central Powers had true national rugby squads at this point although there had been rugby clubs in Germany since the late 19th century,[2] and the German Rugby Federation is the oldest national rugby union in continental Europe.[3] However, Germany did put forward a team for rugby union at the 1900 Summer Olympics (although not the 1908 tournament, which involved only two sides) – Olympic rugby was not seen as particularly prestigious – and it is not known if any of that team were war casualties.
The war took an extremely heavy toll upon rugby at all levels, and this list includes some major figures, such as Dave Gallaher, who led a major All Blacks tour to the British Isles in 1905;[4] David Bedell-Sivright, who is sometimes considered one of the greatest Scottish players of all time;[5] and Ronnie Poulton-Palmer who is similarly honoured by the English;[6] and the Frenchman Jean Bouin, better known as a middle distance runner at the 1908 Olympics as well as the 1912 Games.
The first rugby international to die in World War I was France and Stade Toulousain scrum-half Alfred Mayssonnié on 6 September 1914.
Although many rugby players were killed during the war, a large number were also injured or crippled, leading to their departure from the game. For example, the and British Isles player Tom Richards had his back and shoulders damaged by a bomb blast and suffered respiratory problems the rest of his life, from gas attacks he had experienced on the Western Front, leading to his death from TB in 1935.[7]
See main article: List of England rugby union footballers killed in the World Wars.
One of the most poignant stories is of Ronnie Poulton-Palmer, who had played against the South African tourists of 1912–13 only a few years before:
"Those who watched [Ronnie Poulton] play were certain that he was the greatest three-quarter ever to play the game and they held to that opinion all their lives..."
"Poulton later inherited a fortune on condition that he changed his name to Poulton-Palmer; sadly he did not live to enjoy it, being killed by a sniper's bullet in the Great War. His last words before he died were: 'I shall never play at Twickenham again.'"[6]
England had over twenty six players killed in the conflict. This was the second highest number of casualties, after . However, many of the Scotland players were "Anglos", i.e. based, born or playing in the England's domestic leagues for teams such as London Scottish FC or universities, so their loss affected English rugby too.
Henry Brougham is sometimes listed, because he died of war wounds. However, since he died in 1923, after the war had ended, he is also often omitted.
France is different from all the other nations mentioned on this list for two reasons – firstly, it was not part of the British Commonwealth nor English speaking, and secondly, unlike the other nations, it actually had a military front in its border territory.
Maurice Boyau particularly distinguished himself as a balloon buster and military flying ace, with 35 victories under his belt.[12] He spent much of his flying career with Escadrille 77, known as "Les Sportifs" for the great number of athletes in its ranks.[13] He had been captain of the French team before the war.
Stade Bordelais of Bordeaux was badly affected, losing players such as Boyau and Giacardy.
A German team competed at the 1900 Olympic tournament, represented by players from the SC 1880 Frankfurt club. It is not known if any of those 15 players died in World War I.
Pre-World War I, it was not uncommon for members of the British Isles team (later known as the British & Irish Lions) to be uncapped for their nation of origin. This never happens now.
Most British Isles players had been capped for their country, and can be found listed more fully under their respective countries. Capped players include the following.
At least one competitor for the Great Britain Olympic team which competed at rugby union at the 1908 Summer Olympics, and gained silver died –
Scotland and Ireland did not put teams up for either the 1900 or 1908 Olympic rugby events, and most of the players were from England, and in particular Cornwall.
Ireland, unlike Great Britain and much of the British Empire did not have conscription during the war, although there was a disastrous attempt in 1918 to impose it. See also Ireland and World War I.
| Portrait | Player | Caps | Military service | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1914 | 1 | 4 February 1917 (21) | Dalkey, Ireland | Served as second lieutenant in the 7th Battalion of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers at the Battle of Gallipoli and the Somme. Suffered from shell shock and committed suicide. | [14] [15] | |||
| 1912 | 1 | 9 December 1915 (25) | Armentières, France | Burgess was commissioned into the Royal Army Service Corps and served with the Royal Engineers. He was killed when he was hit by a shell while cycling down the rue de Dunkerque in Armentières. | ||||
| 1909 | 1 | Loos-en-Gohelle, France | After graduating from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Deane joined the Royal Army Medical Corps in 1911, and was stationed in India. In WWI he served as medical officer in the Leicestershire Regiment on the Western Front. Having already been awarded the Military Cross for bravery, at the Battle of Loos, Deane went to rescue men who had been caught up in German barbed wire, and was killed instantly by a shot to the head. | [16] | ||||
| William Victor Edwards | 1904 | 1 | 29 December 1917 (30) | near Deir Ibzi, Palestine | Fought with Royal Irish Fusiliers at Ginchy. Transferred to Royal Dublin Fusiliers and served in Sinai and Palestine Campaign: Third Battle of Gaza, Battle of Jerusalem. Died near Deir Ibzi. Reburied at Jerusalem British war cemetery in 1918. | [17] [18] | ||
| 1905–1907 | 11 | 24 May 1915 (34) | [19] | |||||
| 1914 | 3 | Suvla Bay, Gallipoli | McNamara served in the Royal Engineers, and died from gas in the trenches in Suvla Bay, Gallipoli. | |||||
| Robertson Smyth | 1903–1904 | 3+3 | 5 April 1916 (36) | London | Smyth joined the Royal Army Medical Corps in 1904, and served in India until the outbreak of WWI. He served on the Western Front until he was invalided through exposure to gas, and died a few months later. | |||
| 1913–14 | 2 | 4 October 1917 (28) | near Ypres, Belgium | Member of the Royal Irish Rifles, then transferred to the Machine Gun Corps. Fought in the Battle of the Somme. Died at the Battle of Broodseinde (part of Third Ypres). | [20] | |||
| Alfred Squire Taylor | 1910–12 | 4 | 31 July 1917 (29) | near Ypres, Belgium | Served in Royal Army Medical Corps; died at Third Battle of Ypres. |
Thirteen former New Zealand representativesknown as All Blackslost their lives in the First World War,[21] with three (possibly four) of them dying in the Battle of Messines.[22]
According to Allan Massie, "Scotland had suffered more severely than any of the Home Countries from the slaughter of the war. Thirty capped players were lost (twenty six English internationalists were killed)."[23]
While some of these players were clearly retired, others such as Frederick Harding Turner, James Huggan and John George Will had played in the last match before the war, the Calcutta Cup match in March 1914, and so had their playing careers prematurely ended. Walter Sutherland was also considered one of Hawick RFC's greatest players, and was still remembered fondly as "Wattie Suddie" in Bill McLaren's playing days.[24] Few surviving Scots were capped before and after the war – Charlie Usher, Jock Wemyss and Alex Angus are some of the exceptions. Charlie Usher spent much of the war in a POW camp.
Adam Burdett was part of the 1906–7 tour to the British Isles. This was the inaugural tour and is recognised as the event that coined the word "Springboks" as a nickname for the South Africa team. Poignantly, in the two games he played on that tour in November 1906, he shared the field with David Bedell-Sivright of, and Basil Maclear of, who were also casualties of that war. Likewise, Toby Moll would probably have rubbed shoulders with Eric Milroy, Noel Humphreys or Phil Waller in the 1910 British Isles tour of South Africa.
| Portrait | Player | Caps | Place of death | Military service | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1906 | 2 | Roberts Heights, Pretoria, Transvaal Province | Burdett served as captain, South African Army Service Corps. | [26] | ||||
| 1912–1913 | 4 | 13 April 1917 (26) | Arras, France | Ledger served as Sergeant, South African Infantry, and was killed in action. | [27] | |||
| 1910 | 1 | 14 July 1916 (26) | Moll served first in the South West Africa Campaign, then joined the Leicestershire Regiment in England. Soon after taking Bazentin le Petit in the Battle of Bazentin Ridge, he was hit by shrapnel and died the following day. | [28] | ||||
| 1912–1913 | 5 | 15 May 1916 (25) | Morkel served as a scout with the 1st South African Mounted Brigade in German East Africa. When the rainy season set in, Morkel's unit was cut off and the health of the troops severely deteriorated. Morkel contracted dysentery and died. | |||||
| 1912 | 3 | 20 June 1916 (29) | Thompson served first in the South West Africa Campaign, and then in German East Africa with the 5th Regiment of the South African Infantry. His unit was sent in pursuit of German forces in Kangata, near Pongwe. During the firefight that ensued, Thompson took a bullet through the neck and was killed. |
See main article: List of Wales rugby union footballers killed in the World Wars.
Amongst the fatalities was Richard Garnons Williams, who had played in the very first Wales international rugby union match in 1881. At 59 years of age, he was the eldest of the 13 Wales international players to be killed during the war.[29]
Charles Taylor was the first Welsh fatality, and was a noted athlete, especially good at the pole vault.[30]
Fred Perrett is often left out of lists of the Welsh international war dead due to his supposed defection to the professional game.[30]
| Portrait | Player | Caps | Military service | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1912–1913 | 3 | 31 July 1915 (24) | Hooge, Flanders, Belgium | Geen joined the King's Royal Rifle Corps at the start of WWI. His unit was involved in the failed defence of Hooge against German forces, equipped with flamethrowers. He was killed in action leading his men in hand-to-hand fighting. | ||||
| 1912–1913 | 2 | 2 April 1917 (26) | Ypres, Belgium | |||||
| 1912–1913 | 5 | 1 December 1918 (27) | Boulogne, France | |||||
| 1900–1901 | 4 | 14 March 1916 (38) | Cambrin, France | Phillips served with the Royal Fusiliers on the Western Front, and while out on a wiring party, he was shot through the chest and killed. | ||||
| Charlie Pritchard | 14 August 1916 (34) | |||||||
| Charles Taylor | 24 January 1915 (51) | |||||||
| 7 July 1916 (35) | ||||||||
| Horace Thomas | 3 September 1916 (26) | |||||||
| Phil Waller | 14 December 1917 (28) | |||||||
| David Watts | 14 July 1916 (30) | |||||||
| 27 August 1917 (35) | ||||||||
| Johnny Williams | 1906–1911 | 17+2 | 12 July 1916 (34) | Mametz, Somme, France | Serving with the Welsh Regiment, Williams was leading an attack on German positions in Mametz Wood, when he was wounded. He died a few days later. | |||
| 1881 | 1 | , France | Garnons Williams was commissioned into the British Army in 1876, and by 1906 had retired. At the start of WWI, he joined the Royal Fusiliers and was leading the 12th Battalion Royal Fusiliers at the Battle of Loos when he was shot and killed. | [31] |
The captain of the All America side that faced New Zealand in California died in the war.[32]
Sometimes included are two deaths from war wounds after the war, although both are past the Commonwealth War Graves Commission limit of 31 Aug 1921 (when an order in council declared the war over) to be considered a war death: