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378:(1914–18), a series of Service International matches were played around the country by teams drawn from rugby playing servicemen; these games drew large crowds and helped to maintain the nation's morale through the dark days of the war. An international team was formed shortly after the end of World War II, known as the British Empire Forces, who played a series of games against France. Although made up of internationals, with some from the professional code of
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Guinea all took part. The Army beat Samoa and the French
Defence Force to progress to the semi-finals and were flown to Auckland New Zealand to play Tonga in the semi-final at North Shore RFC. Army scored in the 79th minute to win 15–10. The final was played at Auckland Uni RFC against the Australian Defence Force. The Army ran away winners 62–17 to become the first International Defence Rugby Union World Champions.
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In 1996, the ARU officially recognised women's rugby union, which had been played in the army since the late 1980s. A women's inter-service competition was introduced in 2003 and since its inauguration the army teams have been its undisputed champions. In Nov 2010 LCpl Jane
Leonard (Royal Engineers)
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reached the final at
Twickenham, with New Zealand winning the encounter to lift the King's Cup. In 1920 the Army–Navy competition was expanded to include the Royal Air Force, the same year that CSM C. W. Jones (Welch Regiment) was to become the first "other rank" to be picked to represent the army.
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In
September 2011 the Army Senior XV travelled to Australia to participate in the first ever International Defence Rugby World Cup. Teams from the UK (Royal Navy, Royal Air Force and Army), the French Defence Force, the Australian and New Zealand Defence Forces, Tonga, Samoa, China and Papua New
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and Fisher were given the added privilege of captaining their respective national teams. Also on a national front the ARU can boast of the fact that it has had appointed from its ranks
Presidents for the English and Scottish RFUs. They were: Major General BA Hill CB, DSO (English RFU 1937–39),
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Shortly after the ARU was formed the RFU donated the Army Cup, which was to be competed for at inter-unit level. Over the years there have been some ferocious contests for cup and from those contests the reputation of the Army's great rugby units have been made. Those units include; the
343:, but it was not until 1907 that the match became an annual fixture as part of the Inter-Service Competition. In 1919, an Inter-Service Championship was arranged by the Army Rugby Union, which included Service teams from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa, as well as a
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dominated army rugby. During the period 1948–62 more men played for the Army XV than in any other previous or subsequent era. It meant that thirty Army players were selected to represent their countries and from among those selected; Matthews, Hall, Cameron, Scotland,
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In 2010 the women's inter corps competition started with corps playing against each other. This has been a great incentive in the strengthening of the women's game in the Army. Over 200 women regularly play rugby in the inter corps competition.
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Colonel BC Hartley CB, OBE (English RFU 1947–48), Major
General RGS Hobbs CB, DSO, OBE (English RFU 1961–62), Brigadier FH Coutts CBE, DL (Scottish RFU 1977–78), Brigadier DW Shuttleworth OBE, ADC (English RFU 1985–86)
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482:(39–25), for a record 6th successive time before they embarked on a tour of Australia and New Zealand, where they defeated teams fielded by the
273:(1854–56) that a record was made of a game being played. Thereafter regiments of the British Army played wherever they were stationed in the
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teams. In 1931 the Army Rugby Union
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The United
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in the 1870s that led to the 3rd (East Kent) Regiment and the 62nd (Wiltshire) Regiment having a hand in the creation of the
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won international honours with
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Since the game's earliest years, members of the army have been keen players, but it was not until the
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In their centenary year (2006–07), the Army XV won the Inter-Services
Competition, beating the
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team and a British Army team playing under the name "Mother Country". The Mother Country and
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spreading its popularity around the globe. It was a result of the game being played in
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invasion of France in 1940. The period also saw Army players being selected for
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After the war first class rugby union players brought in through
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The Army were represented in the very first international by two
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Between the wars (1920–39) the ARU arranged matches against the
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The following former Army Rugby Union players have represented
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The following former Army Rugby Union players have represented
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The following former Army Rugby Union players have represented
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The following former Army Rugby Union players have represented
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Although the activities of the ARU were curtailed during the
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Army Players and International Representation (1871 onwards)
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1915 British Army Recruiting Poster during The Great War
339:. The first of these matches took place in 1878 at the
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regularly plays games against emerging nations like
253:) idea to have a body to administer the playing of
359:, the last of which was played shortly before the
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331:The highlight of the ARU season is the annual
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1229:) Wales & Great Britain Rugby League
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374:(1939–45), as they had been during the
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462:in 2001 and 2004. There are several
400:British Army Germany rugby union team
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310:Duke of Wellington's Regiment
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302:Charles William Sherrard
18:Army Rugby Football Club
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298:Charles Arthur Crompton
1311:Royal Corps of Signals
571:Mike Campbell-Lamerton
494:Notable former players
392:Mike Campbell-Lamerton
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1534:United Kingdom portal
731:Henry Halcro Johnston
470:Centenary year 2006/7
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318:Royal Horse Artillery
16:For the US team, see
296:players, Lieutenant
243:Rugby Football Union
881:Edward Innes Pocock
617:David Gilbert-Smith
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1454:. Retrieved
1444:
1426:
1412:Brian McCall
1400:Ernest Deane
1322:
1238:
1206:Haydn Morgan
1171:
1161:Arthur Young
1096:Stephen Turk
975:Gregor Sharp
963:Donald Scott
946:Ken Scotland
818:Ernie Michie
685:James Huggan
600:James Dunlop
588:Frank Coutts
537:Norman Bruce
520:Thomas Bowie
502:
478:(54–10) and
473:
456:rugby sevens
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380:rugby league
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283:Calcutta Cup
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259:British Army
239:British Army
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1376:Victor Pike
1352:Mick Molloy
1004:John Simson
917:Edward Ross
905:Andrew Ross
806:Hugh McLeod
412:Netherlands
361:Nazi German
357:French Army
271:Crimean War
255:rugby union
235:rugby union
1544:Categories
1419:References
1388:John Dowse
1307:Ted Sadler
1273:Tim Rodber
1038:Doug Smith
651:Ryan Grant
480:Royal Navy
420:Luxembourg
337:Twickenham
75:Captain(s)
23:Rugby team
1520:– YouTube
1456:1 October
1364:Robin Roe
287:Leicester
229:) is the
65:Ground(s)
58:Hampshire
54:Aldershot
1474:Archived
1434:Archived
1256:Nim Hall
1079:Ian Swan
505:Scotland
490:(11–6).
335:held at
49:Location
1325:Ireland
1241:England
464:Fijians
416:Germany
408:Denmark
404:Belgium
294:England
265:History
257:in the
237:in the
41:Founded
450:Sevens
1174:Wales
1458:2012
1210:REME
1083:REME
933:REME
839:REME
822:REME
781:REME
706:REME
418:and
304:RE.
249:'s (
233:for
221:The
211:.org
181:2nd
132:1st
44:1906
476:RAF
227:ARU
213:.uk
207:www
183:kit
134:kit
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