Q1. Can you please tell me the match result of William Barns Woollen's painting - The Rugby Match - between Lancashire & Yorkshire, and if possible where it was?
A1. It was the 1893/94 Country Championship, the match was played at Bradford. The score was Yorkshire 1 Goal, 2 Tries (11 points) to 1 Try (3 points).
Q2. Could you please tell me where I can find the history of international test results?
A2. External link
Q3. Regarding the song "swing low sweet chariot", what is the origin of the song, ie, artist, dates, etc. and why was it chosen to be a Rugby signature song.
A3. In 1980 England won the Five Nations Championship and the Grand Slam, their first for 23 years, under the inspirational captaincy of Lancastrian Bill Beaumont. But this was something of a false dawn and the remainder of the decade was not a great period for the England team. Coming into the last match of the 1988 season, against Ireland at Twickenham, they had lost 15 of their previous 23 matches in the Five Nations Championship. The Twickenham crowd had only seen one solitary England try in the previous two years and at half time against Ireland they were 0-3 down. During the second half the floodgates opened and England scored a remarkable six tries in a thumping 35-3 win. Three of the tries came in quick succession from Chris Oti, a black player making his Twickenham debut. A small section of the crowd started to sing a rugby club favourite – the gospel hymn Swing Low, Sweet Chariot – in honour of their new hero. At the next home game, against Australia, a young centre named Will Carling made his debut as England captain in another rousing victory. The England team was about to embark upon a period of great success and Swing Low, Sweet Chariot became synonymous with Twickenham and the England team.
Q4. How did the idea of awarding caps come about?
A4. The Rugby school cap gave rise to the tradition of presenting a player with an honor cap, e.g. for playing for his school, country etc.
Q5. How often did Fenwick Alison played for England as fullback?
A5. He played 7 times for England, all at full back.
Q6. Who played for the NSW Combine Country XV against the 1950 British Lions?
A6. New South Wales Country XV 9th August 1950
15 C Reynolds
14 JC Kennett
13 R Bush
12 K Morgan
11 J Schafer
10 AT Mataira
9 J Lynch
8 R Worboys
7 M Reynolds
6 J Blunt
5 G White
4 P Stanford
3 E Tweedale (c)
2 E Boyd
1 MB Pears
Q7. Can you please tell me who was Mark ---- who made his debut for Australia in 1980 against New Zealand as fly-half.
A7. Mark G Ella. Mark Ella's achievements in rugby union need little introduction. He represented Australia in rugby union from 1979 to 1984 being capped 25 times, 10 as captain, toured with the Wallabies on eight occasions as well as representing Australia at the Hong Kong Sevens between 1979 and 1984. In 1982 he was named Young Australian of the Year, in 1983 awarded the Member of the Order of Australia Medal, in 1987 inducted into the Australian Sports Hall of Fame and in 1995 into the International Rugby Hall of Fame.
Q8. Which Rugby Union Internationals have been played at the old Wembley Stadium.
A8.
11-Apr-1999 Wales 32 England 31 Five Nations 20-Feb-1999 Wales 23 Ireland 29 Five Nations 14-Nov-1998 South Africa 28 Wales 20 5-Apr-1998 France 51 Wales 0 Five Nations 7-Mar-1998 Scotland 13 Wales 19 Five Nations 29-Nov-1997 New Zealand 42 Wales 7 17-Oct-1992 England 26 Canada 13 Q9. Who played for the Cheshire team against the All blacks on 9th December 1905?
A9.
G F Tomes (New Brighton)
E S Ashcroft (Birkenhead Park)
C J Clarke (New Brighton)
A S Anderson (Birkenhead Park)
A Hartley (Sale)
P D Kendall (captain, Birkenhead Park)
E C Hulme (Birkenhead Park)
E Herschell (Birkenhead Park)
J S Francomb (Sale)
E A Weir (New Brighton)
A M Johnstone (Birkenhead Park)
H J M Edgar (Birkenhead Park)
A Taylor (Birkenhead Park)
G C Sanderson (Birkenhead Park)
S J Richardson (Birkenhead Park)