Army Navy Match

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For the similar annual event in American football, see Army-Navy Game.

The Army Navy Match is the annual rugby union match played between the senior XV teams of the Royal Navy and British Army. It marks the culmination of the annual Inter-Services Competition. Although a match was played between the officers of the British Army and the officers of the Royal Navy at Kennington Oval, London on 13th February 1878, it was not until 1909 that the Army Navy Match became an annual fixture, when it was jointly administered by the newly formed Royal Navy Rugby Union (RNRU - 1905) and the Army Rugby Union (ARU - 1906). Since then it has been played every year, with the exception of during the world wars (1914-1919 and 1940-45) when the games were suspended.

In 1920 a Tri-Service competition was created to included the newly formed Royal Air Force (RAF). However, the great rivalry between the Army and Navy has continued and their match, now held at the home of the English Rugby Union Football (Twickenham Stadium), remains the highlight of the annual inter-services rugby competition.

Since 2003 the women from the three Armed Services have been fielding their own rugby teams and have been competing in an annual inter-service competition.

Contents

[edit] The first Army Navy game

The first Army vs Navy game was held on 13 February 1878. A contemporary newspaper The Broad Arrow gave the following account of the match:

A fine exhibition of football delighted the somewhat small number of spectators. Bush scored the first try for the Navy from a scrummage near the line. The goal was kicked by Orford. A band of naval spectators who had taken up their position beneath a white ensign mounted on the roof of a drag greeted this score with great cheering. The greasy state of the ground was not favourable for any great display of running. Encouraged by a cry from their supporters 'Come on Navy, Force the Passage of the Straights' the Navy mounted great pressure and scored a touch down. In the second half the Navy scored a second try. Wrench of the Army took advantage of some bad passing by the Navy and scored the Army try: The goal was kicked but this ended the scoring and the Navy deservedly won the first match between the Services.

The Army' selectors made a generous contribution towards the Navy victory by selecting a Royal Artillery officer, R Bannatyne, as Team Captain. He was serving overseas at the time and received no notification of his selection. As a result he was absent for the game. The situation was further confounded by the fact that another Army player arrived late and missed a good part of the match.

The teams were:

British Army — back: C F Crombie (37th North Hampshire Regt); threequarter-backs: C H Coke (86th Royal County Down Regt), J N Cowan (Royal Engineers); half-backs: F C Heath (Royal Engineers), A J C French (76th Regt of Foot); forwards: A R Barker (Royal Artillery), A J Street (unidentified), J Spens (85th King's Light Infantry), I W Urquhart (108th (Madras Infantry) Regt of Foot), G Campbell (77th (East Middlesex) Regt). I G Adamson (108th Foot), Gould-Adams (1st (Royal Scots) Regt), T H Manser (Army Hospital Corps), S Ogilvie (unidentified), R A Bannatyne (Royal Artillery) (captain - absent).

Royal Navy — F Campbell, C Bishop, E Daniells, C Hart, P Bush, J Startin, D Henderson, J Orford, C Trower, R Montgomerie, J Bennett, F Thring, H Goldfinch, C Bayly, C Waiters.

[edit] Team colours

Navy - Navy blue shorts, socks and shirt.

Army - White shorts, red shirt and socks.

[edit] Match Results (1878–1914)

Year Winners Points Losers Points
1878 Royal Navy 1G1T Army 1G
1907 Royal Navy 15 Army 14
1907 Royal Navy 15 Army 0
1909 Royal Navy 25 Army 0
1910 Royal Navy 19 Army 10
1911 Army 22 Royal Navy 13
1912 Royal Navy 16 Army 8
1913 Royal Navy 18 Army 8
1914 Army 26 Royal Navy 14
1915–1919 No games played due to First World War

[edit] Match Results (1920–)

Year Champions Army vs Navy Army vs RAF Navy vs RAF
1920 Royal Navy Royal Navy 23–11 Army 21–9 Royal Navy 12–3
1921 Royal Navy Royal Navy 11–10 Royal Air Force 26–3 Royal Navy 33–3
1922 Royal Navy Royal Navy 7–3 Army 23–8 Royal Navy 9–6
1923 Royal Air Force Royal Navy 16–11 Royal Air Force 13–5 Royal Air Force 3–0
1924 Triple Tie Army 19–5 Royal Air Force 8–3 Royal Navy 16–9
1925 Army & Royal Air Force Army 11–8 Drawn 6–6 Royal Air Force 3–0
1926 Army Army 24–10 Army 11–0 Royal Navy 8–3
1927 Royal Navy Royal Navy 6–3 Army 22–0 Royal Navy 8–3
1928 Army Army 11–5 Army 18–6 Royal Navy 5–0
1929 Army Army 17–11 Army 27–0 Royal Navy 8–3
1930 Army Army 16–10 Army 14–8 Royal Navy 8–3
1931 Royal Navy Royal Navy 6–0 Royal Air Force 16–5 Royal Navy 16–0
1932 Army Army 11–0 Army 21–4 Royal Navy 22–5
1933 Army Army 19–0 Army 12–3 Royal Navy 14–3
1934 Army Army 16–8 Army 14–3 Royal Navy 36–0
1935 Triple Tie Army 11–8 Royal Air Force 6–3 Royal Navy 13–8
1936 Army Army 12–3 Army 16–3 Royal Air Force 3–0
1937 Army Army 14–3 Army 29–9 Drawn 3–3
1938 Royal Navy Royal Navy 10–9 Army 15–7 Royal Navy 10–6
1939 Royal Navy Drawn 6–6 Royal Air Force 18–3 Royal Navy 8–3
1940–1945 No games played due to Second World War
1946 Army Army 11–6 Army 11–6 Royal Air Force 9–6
1947 Royal Air Force Army 19–11 Royal Air Force 8–0 Drawn 5–5
1948 Triple Tie Royal Navy 9–8 Army 15–8 Royal Air Force 16–11
1949 Army & Royal Air Force Army 23–3 Drawn 3–3 Royal Air Force 11–0
1950 Army Army 16–6 Army 11–3 Drawn 6–6
1951 Royal Navy Royal Navy 11–0 Army 14–0 Royal Navy 6–5
1952 Army Army 11–3 Army 9–6 Royal Navy 6–0
1953 Army Army 3–0 Army 11–3 Drawn 3–3
1954 Triple Tie Royal Navy 8–6 Army 16–3 Royal Air Force 12–6
1955 Royal Air Force Royal Navy 8–3 Drawn 6–6 Royal Air Force 6–3
1956 Triple Tie Army 6–3 Royal Air Force 26–9 Royal Navy 11–9
1957 Army Army 6–3 Army 14–9 Royal Navy 8–6
1958 Royal Air Force Royal Navy 14–0 Drawn 3–3 Royal Air Force 14–3
1959 Royal Air Force Royal Navy 6–0 Royal Air Force 11–3 Royal Air Force 12–9
1960 Army Army 12–3 Army 6–3 Royal Navy 8–0
1961 Royal Navy Royal Navy 6–3 Royal Air Force 19–11 Royal Navy 9–3
1962 Royal Air Force Army 9–6 Royal Air Force 19–14 Royal Air Force 12–6
1963 Army Army 11–3 Army 8–6 Royal Air Force 3–0
1964 Army Army 8–0 Army 19–6 Royal Navy 5–3
1965 Army Army 5–3 Drawn 11–11 Royal Navy 15–6
1966 Royal Navy Royal Navy 10–9 Royal Air Force 12– Royal Navy 11–3
1967 Army Army 6–3 Army 17–6 Royal Navy 5–3
1968 Army Army 9–6 Drawn 3–3 Royal Navy 17–15
1969 Army Drawn 3–3 Army 26–21 Royal Air Force 9–5
1970 Royal Navy Royal Navy 15–9 Royal Air Force 15–12 Royal Navy 13–6
1971 Royal Air Force Royal Navy 11–9 Drawn 6–6 Royal Air Force 17–6
1972 Army Army 13–3 Army 14–6 Royal Navy 18–4
1973 Royal Navy Royal Navy 10–7 Army 19–9 Royal Navy 15–0
1974 Royal Navy Royal Navy 25–3 Royal Air Force 9–4 Royal Navy 23–13
1975 Triple Tie Royal Navy 19–0 Army 41–13 Royal Air Force 20–7
1976 Army Army 15–6 Army 6–3 Royal Navy 21–13
1977 Royal Navy Royal Navy 16–0 Army 19–13 Royal Navy 15–9
1978 Triple Tie Royal Navy 17–16 Army 16–6 Royal Air Force 15–8
1979 Royal Air Force Army 10–3 Royal Air Force 10–3 Royal Air Force 23–6
1980 Army Drawn 0–0 Army 26–7 Royal Air Force 16–7
1981 Royal Navy Royal Navy 7–3 Army 6–4 Royal Navy 15–12
1982 Royal Air Force Army 11–7 Royal Air Force 10–6 Royal Air Force 16–14
1983 Army Army 10–9 Army 16–7 Royal Air Force 8–4
1984 Triple Tie Army 13–6 Royal Air Force 15–9 Royal Navy 10–9
1985 Royal Air Force Army 11–6 Royal Air Force 15–12 Royal Air Force 29–23
1986 Royal Air Force Royal Navy 13–3 Royal Air Force 16–13 —
1987 Royal Navy Royal Navy 21&ndash10 Drawn 12–12 Royal Navy 13–6
1988 Army Army 35–3 Army 26–3 —
1989 Army Army 21–9 Army 42–10 —
1990 Army Army 16–7 Army 32–14 —
1991 Royal Air Force Army 10–0 Royal Air Force 30–12 —
1992 Triple Tie Army 16–9 Royal Air Force 18–6 —
1993 Royal Air Force Army 37–15 Royal Air Force 20–17 Royal Air Force
1994 Royal Air Force Army 18–6 Royal Air Force —
1995 Royal Navy Royal Navy 34–17 Army 28–26 —
1996 Triple Tie Royal Navy 9–6 Army 31–23 —
1997 Army Army 18–16 Draw 35–35 —
1998 Army Army 36–22 Army 23–7 —
1999 Army Army 24–13 Army 43–8 —
2000 Army Army 32–14 Army 13–11 —
2001 Royal Navy Royal Navy 31–20 Army 13–8 —
2002 Army Army 18–13 Army 74–3 —
2003 Army Army 53–16 Army 52–13 —
2004 Army Army 32–16 Army 46–6 —
2005 Army Army 41–15 Army 55–12 Royal Air Force 24–16
2006 Army Army 9–3 Army 82–10 Royal Navy 34–6
2007 Army Army 39–25 Army 54–10 Royal Navy 57–3
2008 Army Army 22–11 Army 42–6 Royal Navy 67–12

[edit] References

McLaren Col Lt J:The History of Army Rugby (Aldershot, The Army RFU, 1986)

[edit] External links