Moseley Wanderers
Encyclopedia
Moseley Wanderers represented Great Britain at the 1900 Summer Olympics at rugby union
. They played one game, losing 27-8 to France
, winning the Silver medal
.
and Germany
were the sole participants of the inaugural rugby event at the Olympics. The first game, held on 14 October, was between France and Germany. Despite losing 5-14 at half time France beat Germany 27-17.
The second game saw Moseley Wanderers take on France on the 28 October. France beat the British team 27-8 in front of six thousand people which was the largest crowd of the games. The British squad was shut out in the first half, while France continued the scoring barrage they had experienced in the second half of the Germany match. Serrade scored two tries, bringing his tournament total to five. Joseph Olivier
, Jean Collas
, and Jean-Guy Gauthier
each added a try. No conversions were scored, though André Rischmann
's two penalties brought France's first-half total to 21.
Britain actually outscored France in the second half, 8-6, but had little chance of catching up. Joseph Wallis scored a try while J. Henry Birtles
made a conversion and a penalty for Britain. Reichel scored his second try of the tournament, and Léon Binoche
added a try to bring France's victory to a 27-8 margin.
It is unclear how the team was chosen. Four of the players, including the captain J. Henry Birtles
, played for Moseley
, with a number of others also playing for Midlands based clubs such as Aston Old Edwardians or Coventry
.
And on the 29 October The Times
reported:
Neither of the reports mention the Olympics with the Evening Gazette reporting on the English Union rather than British team and it is unclear whether the players even realized they were competing in the Olympics. However it is clear that fatigue was probably a major contributor to the defeat. At least five of the players are believed to have played for their respective clubs, in England, the day before the game. For example it is recorded that Clement Deykin represented the Midland Counties on the 24 October, Moseley on 27 October, made the trip to Paris overnight, and then played for the Wanderers the next day.
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...
. They played one game, losing 27-8 to France
France national rugby union team
The France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
, winning the Silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
.
Rugby Union at the 1900 Olympics
Great Britain, FranceFrance national rugby union team
The France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
and Germany
Germany national rugby union team
Germany is a third-tier Rugby Union playing nation. Germany currently plays at the second level of European rugby but has never managed to qualify for the Rugby World Cup...
were the sole participants of the inaugural rugby event at the Olympics. The first game, held on 14 October, was between France and Germany. Despite losing 5-14 at half time France beat Germany 27-17.
The second game saw Moseley Wanderers take on France on the 28 October. France beat the British team 27-8 in front of six thousand people which was the largest crowd of the games. The British squad was shut out in the first half, while France continued the scoring barrage they had experienced in the second half of the Germany match. Serrade scored two tries, bringing his tournament total to five. Joseph Olivier
Joseph Olivier (rugby union)
Joseph Olivier was a French rugby union player who competed in the 1900 Summer Olympics.He was a member of the French rugby union team, which won the gold medal.-External links:**...
, Jean Collas
Jean Collas
Jean Collas was a French rugby union player and tug of war competitor, who competed in the 1900 Summer Olympics.He was a member of the French rugby union team, which won the gold medal....
, and Jean-Guy Gauthier
Jean-Guy Gauthier
Jean-Guy Gauthier was a French rugby union player who competed in the 1900 Summer Olympics.He was a member of the French rugby union team, which won the gold medal.-External links:*...
each added a try. No conversions were scored, though André Rischmann
André Rischmann
André Rischmann was a French rugby union player who competed in the 1900 Summer Olympics.He was a member of the French rugby union team, which won the gold medal.-External links:**...
's two penalties brought France's first-half total to 21.
Britain actually outscored France in the second half, 8-6, but had little chance of catching up. Joseph Wallis scored a try while J. Henry Birtles
J. Henry Birtles
John Henry Birtles was a British rugby union player who competed in the 1900 Summer Olympics.He was a member of the British rugby union team, which won the silver medal.-External links:* *...
made a conversion and a penalty for Britain. Reichel scored his second try of the tournament, and Léon Binoche
Léon Binoche
Léon Binoche was a French rugby union player who competed in the 1900 Summer Olympics.He was a member of the French rugby union team, which won the gold medal.-External links:*...
added a try to bring France's victory to a 27-8 margin.
The team
J. Henry Birtles
John Henry Birtles was a British rugby union player who competed in the 1900 Summer Olympics.He was a member of the British rugby union team, which won the silver medal.-External links:* *...
, played for Moseley
Moseley Rugby Football Club
Moseley Rugby Football Club is an English rugby union club, based at Billesley Common in Birmingham, that competes in the RFU Championship. The club was historically the premier rugby club in Birmingham, reaching the final of the John Player Cup three times in the late 1970s and early 1980s...
, with a number of others also playing for Midlands based clubs such as Aston Old Edwardians or 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....
.
Why were Moseley at the Olympics?
How the team came to be chosen to represent Britain at the Olympics is not known. On the 28 October the Birmingham Evening Gazette reported:
England v France
Sunday football is neither popular nor frequent here but it is one of the latest diversions that help to make the French Sabbath so much unlike ours.
On Sunday an English fifteen will meet the French Rugby Union at the Paris Exhibition Grounds. The following players representing the English Union left London late last night for the purpose.
And on the 29 October The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
reported:
Football in Paris, October 28
A rugby football match was played today at the Velodrome Municipal at Vincennes between Moseley Wanderers and a team representing the full strength of France. A crowd of 10,000 persons was present. The French team held the advantage from the first and ultimately gained victory by 27 points to 8. The defeat of the Moseley team which was a strong one may be attributed partly to the fatigue of the journey. They only arrived in Paris this morning and have to leave again this evening. – Reuters.
Neither of the reports mention the Olympics with the Evening Gazette reporting on the English Union rather than British team and it is unclear whether the players even realized they were competing in the Olympics. However it is clear that fatigue was probably a major contributor to the defeat. At least five of the players are believed to have played for their respective clubs, in England, the day before the game. For example it is recorded that Clement Deykin represented the Midland Counties on the 24 October, Moseley on 27 October, made the trip to Paris overnight, and then played for the Wanderers the next day.
Players
- F. C. Bayliss MoseleyMoseley Rugby Football ClubMoseley Rugby Football Club is an English rugby union club, based at Billesley Common in Birmingham, that competes in the RFU Championship. The club was historically the premier rugby club in Birmingham, reaching the final of the John Player Cup three times in the late 1970s and early 1980s...
- J. Henry BirtlesJ. Henry BirtlesJohn Henry Birtles was a British rugby union player who competed in the 1900 Summer Olympics.He was a member of the British rugby union team, which won the silver medal.-External links:* *...
(Captain) MoseleyMoseley Rugby Football ClubMoseley Rugby Football Club is an English rugby union club, based at Billesley Common in Birmingham, that competes in the RFU Championship. The club was historically the premier rugby club in Birmingham, reaching the final of the John Player Cup three times in the late 1970s and early 1980s... - James CantionJames Cantion-Olympics:In 1900 he was a member of the Moseley Wanderers RFC who represented Great Britain & Ireland in the 1900 Olympic Games.Britain was one of three teams to compete in the first Olympic rugby games. Britain lost its only game, against France. The game against Germany was cancelled due to...
London IrishLondon IrishLondon Irish RFC is an English rugby union club based in Sunbury, Surrey, where the senior squad train, the youth teams and senior academy play home games, and the club maintain their administrative offices. The senior squad play home games at the Madejski Stadium in Reading and compete in the top... - Arthur DarbyArthur DarbyArthur John Lovett Darby was a British rugby union player who competed in the 1900 Summer Olympics....
Cambridge UniversityCambridge University R.U.F.C.The Cambridge University Rugby Union Football Club, or CURUFC, is the rugby union club of Cambridge University, and plays Oxford University in the annual Varsity Match at Twickenham stadium every December. CURUFC players wear light blue and white hooped jerseys with a red lion crest... - Clement DeykinClement DeykinClement Pemberton Deykin was a British rugby union player who competed in the 1900 Summer Olympics.He was a member of the British rugby union team, which won the silver medal.-External links:**...
MoseleyMoseley Rugby Football ClubMoseley Rugby Football Club is an English rugby union club, based at Billesley Common in Birmingham, that competes in the RFU Championship. The club was historically the premier rugby club in Birmingham, reaching the final of the John Player Cup three times in the late 1970s and early 1980s... - L. Hood Rosslyn ParkRosslyn Park F.C.Rosslyn Park Football Club is a rugby union team. Founded in 1879, the club became the first club based in England to play rugby internationally when it faced Stade Francais in Paris on 18 April 1892. In 1912, the club played in Prague, Budapest and Vienna in the first rugby matches ever played in...
- M. L. Logan London ScottishLondon Scottish F.C.London Scottish Football Club is a rugby union club in England. It is a member of both the Rugby Football Union and the Scottish Rugby Union.-History:...
- H. A. Loveitt CoventryCoventry 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....
- Herbert NicolHerbert NicolHerbert St. John Nicol was a British rugby union player who competed in the 1900 Summer Olympics.He was a member of the British rugby union team, which won the silver medal.-External links:*...
Old Edwardians - V. Smith Old Edwardians
- M. W. Talbot MoseleyMoseley Rugby Football ClubMoseley Rugby Football Club is an English rugby union club, based at Billesley Common in Birmingham, that competes in the RFU Championship. The club was historically the premier rugby club in Birmingham, reaching the final of the John Player Cup three times in the late 1970s and early 1980s...
- Joseph Wallis Old Edwardians
- Claude WhittindaleClaude WhittindaleClaude Whittindale was a British rugby union player who competed in the 1900 Summer Olympics.He was a member of the British rugby union team, which won the silver medal.-External links:*...
Aston Old Edwardians - Raymond WhittindaleRaymond WhittindaleRaymond Whittindale was a British rugby union player who competed in the 1900 Summer Olympics.He was a member of the British rugby union team, which won the silver medal.-External links:*...
- Francis WilsonFrancis Wilson (rugby union footballer)Francis Henry "Frank" Wilson was a British rugby union player who competed in the 1900 Summer Olympics.He was a member of the British rugby union team, which won the silver medal.-External links:*...
Old Crusaders