New Zealand Army rugby team of 1919
Encyclopedia
The New Zealand Army rugby team of 1919 was a rugby union
team which represented New Zealand
after the end of the First World War. Although spoken of as a single team, there were several New Zealand Services teams playing in Britain at the conclusion of the War. The most notable being the touring Army XV who played a series of games throughout Great Britain and France, including an internationally recognised match against the Wales national team
. With the introduction of the King's Cup; a services tournament between forces from Australia, Britain, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa, the team split intself in two. The 'A' Team taking part in the King's Cup, while the 'B' team continued touring against club and county opponents.
When the War came to an end, most international and club teams were decimated; more than a hundred internationals had died in the conflict (See:List of international rugby union players killed in action during the First World War), many more were seriously injured and other players were now too old or out of condition. Therefore club teams took the possibility to play an organised New Zealand team as a way to challenge their own teams as they sought to rebuild.
Llanelli's
first official game after the War was against the New Zealand Army team from the Larkhill Garrison in Wiltshire. This was followed by games the New Zealand Machine Gun Corps on 22 February 1919. These and similar teams came together to make the New Zealand Army team. This team split into an 'A' and 'B' team when during a tour of Great Britain, an inter-services tournament, with a cup presented by King George V
, was held between the allied forces. The stronger New Zealand Army 'A' team took the challenge of the King's Cup and eventually triumphed over the British Army at Twickenham. The 'B' team continued the tour of Great Britain and France.
Five-eighths
1 The matches that made up the King's Cup competition.
----
from playing rugby union was lifted. This allowed players from both codes to play in services team without threat of action. With the war over, the Welsh Rugby Union
immediately sort to re-establish the amateur rules, and were suspicious that several of the New Zealand team had played professional rugby before the war and now wanted a guarantee that all the New Zealanders were amateurs. This view led one irate British Service officer to comment, "As if it matters a damn whether they are amateurs or professionals when they have come to this country to fight and die for us." The WRU realising that had misjudged the sentiment towards the Services teams quickly dropped their complaint and did not raise the issue again.
(Maesteg
), Jerry Shea
(Pill Harriers
), Melbourne Thomas
(Bridgend), Evan Rees
(Swansea
), Trevor Nicholas (Cardiff
). Walter Martin
(Newport), Ike Fowler
(Llanelli
), Glyn Stephens
(Neath
) capt., Jim Jones (Swansea
), William Thomas Havard
(Llanelli
), Gwyn Francis
(Llanelli
), Jack Whitfield
(Pill Harriers
), Aaron Rees (Swansea
), Will Morris (Abertillery
), Tom Parker
(Swansea
)
New Zealand Army: C Capper, W Ford, L Stohr, P Storey, J Ryan capt., W Fea, C Brown, M Cain, E Hassell, J Kissick, J Moffitt, A Wilson, A West, A Singe, R Fogarty
The competition, sometimes referred to as the 'Inter-Services and Dominions Rugby Championship', consisted of a small league, whereby each of the teams played each other over a period of weeks. Once the teams had played each encounter, the two sides with the most wins would face each other for the right to play for the King's Cup at Twickenham. The winner of the final was then invited to play the French Army team, again at Twickenham. The matches were played in varying locations around Britain.
The New Zealand Army 'A' team's first encounter was with the RAF played at Swansea
in Wales; New Zealand won 22-3. This was followed by another victory, this time against the Canadian Force at Portsmouth
in England. After beating the South African Forces team at Twickenham, New Zealand travelled to Edinburgh
in Scotland to play the 'Mother Country', the British Army team. This was the closest encounter to date, with New Zealand winning 6-3. With four wins from four encounters, New Zealand had already secured their place in the final, but then lost the final match of the round against Australia at Bradford. This was the first loss of the tour for the New Zealand Army, for either the A or B team.
The final in London was between New Zealand and the 'Mother Country' team. James Ryan led his team to a 9-3 victory, earning the right to Face the French Army three days later. After the win over France, Ryan was award the King's Cup, presented by King George V. With the King's Cup Championship over, the 'A' team returned to Wales to rejoin the rest of the squad ready to face the Wales team at Swansea.
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...
team which represented New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
after the end of the First World War. Although spoken of as a single team, there were several New Zealand Services teams playing in Britain at the conclusion of the War. The most notable being the touring Army XV who played a series of games throughout Great Britain and France, including an internationally recognised match against the Wales national team
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
. With the introduction of the King's Cup; a services tournament between forces from Australia, Britain, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa, the team split intself in two. The 'A' Team taking part in the King's Cup, while the 'B' team continued touring against club and county opponents.
New Zealand Services
The First World War saw a high percentage of amateur rugby union players signing up to serve their country. At the same time the sport of rugby union was suspended at club and country level in most countries. The sport survived during this period through organised games conducted by inter-service and allied forces.When the War came to an end, most international and club teams were decimated; more than a hundred internationals had died in the conflict (See:List of international rugby union players killed in action during the First World War), many more were seriously injured and other players were now too old or out of condition. Therefore club teams took the possibility to play an organised New Zealand team as a way to challenge their own teams as they sought to rebuild.
Llanelli's
Llanelli RFC
Llanelli Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club founded in 1875 and its senior team is one of the leading club sides in Wales. The club began the 2008-09 season at their historic home ground of Stradey Park in Llanelli, but moved in November 2008 to the new Parc y Scarlets in adjacent...
first official game after the War was against the New Zealand Army team from the Larkhill Garrison in Wiltshire. This was followed by games the New Zealand Machine Gun Corps on 22 February 1919. These and similar teams came together to make the New Zealand Army team. This team split into an 'A' and 'B' team when during a tour of Great Britain, an inter-services tournament, with a cup presented by King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
, was held between the allied forces. The stronger New Zealand Army 'A' team took the challenge of the King's Cup and eventually triumphed over the British Army at Twickenham. The 'B' team continued the tour of Great Britain and France.
The tour of Great Britain and France
The tour of Great Britain and France took in 38 matches, of which the New Zealand Army won 33, drew two and lost just three games. With the tour over the Army team headed to South Africa for a further twelve matches.Touring party
Those players marked with AB were also capped as New Zealand 'All Black' rugby union internationals, either before or after playing in the New Zealand Army team.Full Backs
- C.H. Capper (Field Artillery)
- John Gerald O'Brien (Divisional Signals)AB
Three-Quarters
- W.A. Ward (Rifle Brigade)
- Percival Wright Storey (Otago Infantry Regt.)AB
- G.L. Owles (Field Artillery)
- Leonard "Jack" Stohr (Medical Corps)AB
- Eddie Ryan (Field Artillery)AB
Five-eighthsRugby union positionsIn the game rugby union, there are fifteen players on each team, comprising eight forwards and seven backs . Depending upon the competition, there may be up to eight replacement players. Early games consisted primarily of forwards that attacked plus a handful of "tends" that played back in defence...
- Eric Arthur Cockroft (Canterbury Infantry Regt.)AB
- Richard William Roberts (Rifle Brigade)AB
- William Fea (Rifle Brigade)AB
- Jim RyanJames Ryan (rugby union player born 1887)Ryan James was a New Zealand rugby union footballer who represented rugby union four times between 1910 and 1914. A soldier in the Otago Infantry Regiment during World War One, he captained the New Zealand Army team in 1919, leading them to success in the King's Cup.-References:...
(Otago Infantry Regt.)AB - W.L. Henry (Canterbury Infantry Regt.)
- P. Tureia (Pioneers)
- G.J. McNaught (Machine Gun Corps)
- E. Watson (Wellington Infantry Regt.)
- G. Yardley (Auckland Infantry Regt.)
Half backs
- Charlie Brown (Field Engineers)AB
- D.McK. Sandman (Canterbury Infantry Regt.)
Forwards
- P. Allen (Wellington Infantry Regt.)
- J. Kissick (Field Engineers)
- F.P. Arnold (Auckland Infantry Regt.)
- A.A. Lucas (Field Artillery)
- Ernest Bellis (Otago Infantry Regt.)AB
- James Moffit (Auckland Infantry Regt.)AB
- R.W. Bilkey (Field Artillery)
- Harold Vivian Murray (Machine Gun Corps)
- John Alexander Bruce (Field Engineers)AB
- E.J. Naylor (Otago Infantry Regt.)
- Michael Joseph Cain (Otago Infantry Regt.)AB
- R. Sellars (Divisonal Signals)
- Eric Cockroft (Field Artillery)AB
- A.P. Singe (Auckland Infantry Regt.)
- James Burt Douglas (Otago Infantry Regt.)AB
- S.J. Standen (Field Artillery)
- Dick Fogarty (Rifle Brigade)AB
- C.W. Tepene (Otago Infantry Regt.)
- A. Gilchrist (Field Artillery)
- Alfred WestAlfred WestAlfred Hubert West was a New Zealand international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Hawera and was capped twice for New Zealand.- External links :...
(Field Artillery)AB - Edward Hasell (Field Artillery)AB
- H.G. Whittington (Rifle Brigade)
- A. Wilson (Rifle Brigade)
Results
| Date | Opponent | Location | Result | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match 1 | Royal Naval Division | Devonport Devonport, Devon Devonport, formerly named Plymouth Dock or just Dock, is a district of Plymouth in the English county of Devon, although it was, at one time, the more important settlement. It became a county borough in 1889... |
Drawn | 0-0 | |
| Match 2 | 1 February | Monmouthshire Monmouthshire County RFC Monmouthshire County RFC is a Welsh rugby union club that manages an invitational team, known as Monmouthshire that originally played rugby at county level... |
Crosskeys Crosskeys Crosskeys is a small village in Caerphilly county borough in Wales.- Location :Crosskeys is seven miles north west of Newport, just past Risca off the A467 road. Located near to the confluence of the Ebbw River and the Sirhowy River, it was originally called Pont-y-cymer... |
Won | 22-3 |
| Match 3 | United Services | Torquay Torquay Torquay is a town in the unitary authority area of Torbay and ceremonial county of Devon, England. It lies south of Exeter along the A380 on the north of Torbay, north-east of Plymouth and adjoins the neighbouring town of Paignton on the west of the bay. Torquay’s population of 63,998 during the... |
Won | 9-0 | |
| Match 4 | Canadian Forces | Chiswick Chiswick Chiswick is a large suburb of west London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It is located on a meander of the River Thames, west of Charing Cross and is one of 35 major centres identified in the London Plan. It was historically an ancient parish in the county of Middlesex, with... |
Won | 12–0 | |
| Match 5 | South African Services | Richmond | Won | 26-5 | |
| Match 6 | Coventry R.F.C. Coventry R.F.C. Coventry Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based in the city of Coventry, England. The club enjoyed national success during the 1960s and the 1970s, with many of its players playing for their countries.... |
Coventry Coventry Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although... |
Won | 14–0 | |
| Match 7 | Australian Imperial Forces | Richmond | Won | 9-0 | |
| Match 8 | RAF 1 | Swansea Swansea Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands... |
Won | 22-3 | |
| Match 9 | Canadian Expeditionary Force1 | Portsmouth Portsmouth Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island... |
Won | 11–0 | |
| Match 10 | Yorkshire | Bradford Bradford Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897... |
Won | 44-5 | |
| Match 11 | British XV | Leicester Leicester Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest... |
Won | 11-3 | |
| Match 12 | RAF | Richmond | Won | 3–0 | |
| Match 13 | Gloucester | Gloucester Gloucester Gloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham.... |
Won | 15-12 | |
| Match 14 | 29 March | Cardiff Cardiff RFC Cardiff Rugby Football Club is a rugby union football club based in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The club was founded in 1876 and played their first few matches at Sophia Gardens, but soon relocated to Cardiff Arms Park where they have been based ever since... |
Cardiff Cardiff Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for... |
Drawn | 0-0 |
| Match 15 | South African Forces1 | 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... |
Won | 14–5 | |
| Match 16 | 2 April | Maesteg Maesteg RFC Maesteg Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team from the town of Maesteg, South Wales. The club presently play in the Welsh Rugby Union Division One West and is a feeder club for the Ospreys.-Club history:... |
Maesteg Maesteg Maesteg is a town and community in Bridgend County Borough, Wales. Maesteg lies at the northernmost end of the Llynfi Valley, close to the border with Neath Port Talbot. In 2001, Maesteg had a population of 17,859, but it is now at an estimate of 20,000.... |
Won | 8-3 |
| Match 17 ('A' team) | 5 April | Mother Country1 | Edinburgh Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area... |
Won | 6-3 |
| Match 18 ('B' team) | 5 April | Abertillery Abertillery RFC Abertillery Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club based in Abertillery. According to their web site, they were founded in 1883, though other sources state 1884. Their team colours are green and white and their home ground is Abertillery Park in Abertillery. The club is a member of the... |
Abertillery Abertillery Abertillery is a town in the county borough of Blaenau Gwent in South Wales, north-west of Newport, originally on the Great Western Railway. Its population rose steeply during the period of mining development in South Wales, being 10,846 in the 1891 census and 21,945 ten years later... |
Won | 3–0 |
| Match 19 ('B' team) | 9 April | Cross Keys Cross Keys RFC Cross Keys RFC is a rugby union club located in the Welsh village of Crosskeys. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons.- History :... |
Crosskeys Crosskeys Crosskeys is a small village in Caerphilly county borough in Wales.- Location :Crosskeys is seven miles north west of Newport, just past Risca off the A467 road. Located near to the confluence of the Ebbw River and the Sirhowy River, it was originally called Pont-y-cymer... |
Won | 6-0 |
| Match 20 ('A' team) | 12 April | Australian Imperial Forces1 | Bradford Bradford Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897... |
Lost | 5-6 |
| Match 21 ('B' Team) | 12 April | Pill Harriers Pill Harriers RFC Pill Harriers RFC are a Welsh rugby union club based in Newport in South Wales. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons..-Club origins:... |
Newport Newport Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent... |
Drawn | 0–0 |
| Match 22 ('B' Team) | 16 April | Ogmore Vale | Ogmore Vale Ogmore Vale Ogmore Vale is a village in the county borough of Bridgend, Wales on the River Ogmore.The village's main source of income came from coal mining. Up until the year 1865, the Ogmore valley was a quiet, isolated, rural hill farming community of less than ten farms and a few cottages... |
Won | 12-7 |
| Match 23 ('A' team) | 16 April | Mother Country - King's Cup Final1 | 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... |
Won | 9-3 |
| Match 24 ('A' team) | 19 April | French Army | 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... |
Won | 20–3 |
| Match 25 ('B' team) | 19 April | Neath Neath RFC Neath Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club which plays in the Welsh Premier Division. The club's home ground is The Gnoll, Neath. The first team is known as the Welsh All Blacks because of the team colours: black with only a white cross pattée as an emblem... |
Neath Neath Neath is a town and community situated in the principal area of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, UK with a population of approximately 45,898 in 2001... |
Won | 10-3 |
| Match 26 | 21 April | Wales Wales national rugby union team The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with... |
Cardiff Cardiff Arms Park Cardiff Arms Park , also known as The Arms Park, is primarily known as a rugby union stadium, but it also has a bowling green, and is situated in the centre of Cardiff, Wales. The Arms Park was host to the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1958, and hosted four games in the 1991 Rugby World... |
Won | 6-3 |
| Match 27 | Abergavenny Abergavenny RFC Abergavenny Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club team based in Abergavenny. Today, Abergavenny RFC plays in the Welsh Rugby Union Division Three East league and is a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons.... |
Abergavenny Abergavenny Abergavenny , meaning Mouth of the River Gavenny, is a market town in Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located 15 miles west of Monmouth on the A40 and A465 roads, 6 miles from the English border. Originally the site of a Roman fort, Gobannium, it became a medieval walled town within the Welsh Marches... |
Won | 20–0 | |
| Match 28 | Ebbw Vale Ebbw Vale RFC Ebbw Vale Rugby Football Club is a Welsh Rugby Union Club based in the town of Ebbw Vale, Blaenau Gwent, South Wales. The club currently play in the WRU Division One East and the SWALEC Cup. It also acts as a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons.... |
Ebbw Vale Ebbw Vale Ebbw Vale is a town at the head of the valley formed by the Ebbw Fawr tributary of the Ebbw River, south Wales. It is the largest town and the administrative centre of Blaenau Gwent county borough... |
Won | 28-0 | |
| Match 29 | Coventry Coventry R.F.C. Coventry Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based in the city of Coventry, England. The club enjoyed national success during the 1960s and the 1970s, with many of its players playing for their countries.... |
Coventry Coventry Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although... |
Won | 7-0 | |
| Match 30 | Queen's University Queen's University RFC Queen's University Rugby Football Club is the rugby union team of Queen's University Belfast. Founded in 1869, it is the second oldest rugby union club in Northern Ireland . They originally played as Queen's College, Belfast and have won the Ulster Senior Cup a record 21 times... |
Belfast Belfast Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly... |
Won | 18-0 | |
| Match 31 | United Services | Salisbury Salisbury Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county... |
Won | 20-7 | |
| Match 32 | Devon | Torquay Torquay Torquay is a town in the unitary authority area of Torbay and ceremonial county of Devon, England. It lies south of Exeter along the A380 on the north of Torbay, north-east of Plymouth and adjoins the neighbouring town of Paignton on the west of the bay. Torquay’s population of 63,998 during the... |
Won | 14-0 | |
| Match 33 | Tredegar Tredegar RFC Tredegar Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team based in Tredegar. The club was founded in 1893 but at that time played under the name Tredegar Harriers. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons.... |
Tredegar Tredegar Tredegar is a town situated on the Sirhowy River in the county borough of Blaenau Gwent, in south-east Wales. Located within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire, it became an early centre of the Industrial Revolution in South Wales... |
Won | 8-0 | |
| Match 34 | 5 May | Monmouthshire Monmouthshire County RFC Monmouthshire County RFC is a Welsh rugby union club that manages an invitational team, known as Monmouthshire that originally played rugby at county level... |
Ebbw Vale Ebbw Vale Ebbw Vale is a town at the head of the valley formed by the Ebbw Fawr tributary of the Ebbw River, south Wales. It is the largest town and the administrative centre of Blaenau Gwent county borough... |
Lost | 3-4 |
| Match 35 | French XV | Paris Paris Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region... |
Won | 16-10 | |
| Match 36 | Selection Francais | Pau | Won | 16-6 | |
| Match 37 | Selection Francais | Toulouse Toulouse Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea... |
Won | 16-6 | |
| Match 38 | Northern Command | Headingley Headingley Headingley is a suburb of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. It is approximately two miles out of the city centre, to the north west along the A660 road... |
Won | 33-0 |
1 The matches that made up the King's Cup competition.
----
New Zealand Army in Wales
During the First World War, the ban on players who had switched to play professional rugby leagueRugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
from playing rugby union was lifted. This allowed players from both codes to play in services team without threat of action. With the war over, the Welsh Rugby Union
Welsh Rugby Union
The Welsh Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Wales, recognised by the International Rugby Board.The union's patron is Queen Elizabeth II, and her grandson Prince William of Wales became the Vice Royal Patron of the Welsh Rugby Union as of February 2007.-History:The roots of the...
immediately sort to re-establish the amateur rules, and were suspicious that several of the New Zealand team had played professional rugby before the war and now wanted a guarantee that all the New Zealanders were amateurs. This view led one irate British Service officer to comment, "As if it matters a damn whether they are amateurs or professionals when they have come to this country to fight and die for us." The WRU realising that had misjudged the sentiment towards the Services teams quickly dropped their complaint and did not raise the issue again.
Wales
Wales: Ianto DaviesIanto Davies
Evan "Ianto" Davies was a Welsh international rugby union full back who played club rugby for Llanelli and Maesteg. He won a single cap for Wales and also played county rugby for Glamorgan-Rugby career:...
(Maesteg
Maesteg RFC
Maesteg Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team from the town of Maesteg, South Wales. The club presently play in the Welsh Rugby Union Division One West and is a feeder club for the Ospreys.-Club history:...
), Jerry Shea
Jerry Shea
Jeremiah "Jerry" Shea was a Welsh international dual-code rugby centre who played club rugby for Newport and Pill Harriers under the rugby union code and later represented Wigan Wasps as a rugby league player. Shea was an all round athlete, and was an accomplished swimmer and professional boxer...
(Pill Harriers
Pill Harriers RFC
Pill Harriers RFC are a Welsh rugby union club based in Newport in South Wales. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons..-Club origins:...
), Melbourne Thomas
Melbourne Thomas
Beriah Melbourne Gwynne Thomas was a Welsh international rugby union player. He played club rugby several teams including Bridgend, St. Batholomew's Hospital, London Welsh and Cardiff...
(Bridgend), Evan Rees
Evan Rees
Evan B. Rees was a Welsh rugby union and professional rugby league footballer of the 1910s who at representative level played rugby union for Wales, and at club level for Swansea RFC, playing at Centre, i.e...
(Swansea
Swansea RFC
Swansea Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team which plays in the Welsh Premier Division. Its home ground is St Helens Rugby and Cricket Ground in Swansea. The team is sometimes known as The Whites because of the primary colour of the team strip...
), Trevor Nicholas (Cardiff
Cardiff RFC
Cardiff Rugby Football Club is a rugby union football club based in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The club was founded in 1876 and played their first few matches at Sophia Gardens, but soon relocated to Cardiff Arms Park where they have been based ever since...
). Walter Martin
Walter Martin (rugby player)
Walter John Martin DCM was a Wales international rugby union player. He played club rugby predominantly for Newport, captaining the side and played county rugby for Monmouthshire. While playing for Newport, Martin faced the three major Southern Hemisphere teams, Australia, South Africa and New...
(Newport), Ike Fowler
Ike Fowler
Isaac "Ike" John Fowler was a Welsh dual-code international rugby scrum-half who played rugby union for Llanelli and rugby league with Batley RLFC...
(Llanelli
Llanelli RFC
Llanelli Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club founded in 1875 and its senior team is one of the leading club sides in Wales. The club began the 2008-09 season at their historic home ground of Stradey Park in Llanelli, but moved in November 2008 to the new Parc y Scarlets in adjacent...
), Glyn Stephens
Glyn Stephens
Glyn Stephens was a Welsh international rugby union prop who played club rugby for Neath. He won 10 caps for Wales and captained his country...
(Neath
Neath RFC
Neath Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club which plays in the Welsh Premier Division. The club's home ground is The Gnoll, Neath. The first team is known as the Welsh All Blacks because of the team colours: black with only a white cross pattée as an emblem...
) capt., Jim Jones (Swansea
Swansea RFC
Swansea Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team which plays in the Welsh Premier Division. Its home ground is St Helens Rugby and Cricket Ground in Swansea. The team is sometimes known as The Whites because of the primary colour of the team strip...
), William Thomas Havard
William Thomas Havard
Rt. Rev. William Thomas Havard MC was a Welsh First World War military chaplain, and rugby union international player who was later successively bishop of two dioceses of the Church in Wales: St Asaph and St David's....
(Llanelli
Llanelli RFC
Llanelli Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club founded in 1875 and its senior team is one of the leading club sides in Wales. The club began the 2008-09 season at their historic home ground of Stradey Park in Llanelli, but moved in November 2008 to the new Parc y Scarlets in adjacent...
), Gwyn Francis
Gwyn Francis
David Gwyn Francis was a Welsh international rugby union player, who played for the Welsh national side twice .-Life:...
(Llanelli
Llanelli RFC
Llanelli Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club founded in 1875 and its senior team is one of the leading club sides in Wales. The club began the 2008-09 season at their historic home ground of Stradey Park in Llanelli, but moved in November 2008 to the new Parc y Scarlets in adjacent...
), Jack Whitfield
Jack Whitfield
Jack Whitfield was a Welsh international rugby union hooker who played club rugby for Newport and club rugby for Monmouthshire...
(Pill Harriers
Pill Harriers RFC
Pill Harriers RFC are a Welsh rugby union club based in Newport in South Wales. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons..-Club origins:...
), Aaron Rees (Swansea
Swansea RFC
Swansea Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team which plays in the Welsh Premier Division. Its home ground is St Helens Rugby and Cricket Ground in Swansea. The team is sometimes known as The Whites because of the primary colour of the team strip...
), Will Morris (Abertillery
Abertillery RFC
Abertillery Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club based in Abertillery. According to their web site, they were founded in 1883, though other sources state 1884. Their team colours are green and white and their home ground is Abertillery Park in Abertillery. The club is a member of the...
), Tom Parker
Tom Parker
Tom Parker may refer to:*Tom Parker , American travel journalist*Tom Parker , Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court*Tom Parker Tom Parker may refer to:*Tom Parker (actor), American travel journalist*Tom Parker (Alabama judge), Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court*Tom Parker (basketball) Tom Parker...
(Swansea
Swansea RFC
Swansea Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team which plays in the Welsh Premier Division. Its home ground is St Helens Rugby and Cricket Ground in Swansea. The team is sometimes known as The Whites because of the primary colour of the team strip...
)
New Zealand Army: C Capper, W Ford, L Stohr, P Storey, J Ryan capt., W Fea, C Brown, M Cain, E Hassell, J Kissick, J Moffitt, A Wilson, A West, A Singe, R Fogarty
The King's Cup
The King's Cup was competed by six teams. The New Zealand Army, the British Army (known during the competition as the Mother Country), Australian Imperial Forces, Canadian Expeditionary Forces, South African Forces and the RAF.The competition, sometimes referred to as the 'Inter-Services and Dominions Rugby Championship', consisted of a small league, whereby each of the teams played each other over a period of weeks. Once the teams had played each encounter, the two sides with the most wins would face each other for the right to play for the King's Cup at Twickenham. The winner of the final was then invited to play the French Army team, again at Twickenham. The matches were played in varying locations around Britain.
The New Zealand Army 'A' team's first encounter was with the RAF played at Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
in Wales; New Zealand won 22-3. This was followed by another victory, this time against the Canadian Force at Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
in England. After beating the South African Forces team at Twickenham, New Zealand travelled to Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
in Scotland to play the 'Mother Country', the British Army team. This was the closest encounter to date, with New Zealand winning 6-3. With four wins from four encounters, New Zealand had already secured their place in the final, but then lost the final match of the round against Australia at Bradford. This was the first loss of the tour for the New Zealand Army, for either the A or B team.
The final in London was between New Zealand and the 'Mother Country' team. James Ryan led his team to a 9-3 victory, earning the right to Face the French Army three days later. After the win over France, Ryan was award the King's Cup, presented by King George V. With the King's Cup Championship over, the 'A' team returned to Wales to rejoin the rest of the squad ready to face the Wales team at Swansea.