Memorial to rugby’s fallen in the Great War

ONE of rugby’s many tributes to those who fell during World War 1 this weekend has been a special commemoration gathering at Compiegne, organised by the World Rugby Memorial which is seeking to record the contribution of rugby players around the world during World War 1.

The focus of activities has been the RCC Compiegne club just 3km from the Glade of the Armistice deep in the forest where the terms of Germany’s surrender were finally signed in a railway carriage during the early hours of November 11, 1918.

Teams from LLandovery College, Ystalyfera, Peter Symonds College Winchester, Mount St Mary’s Sheffield and St George’s School Munich have been competing in a tournament, while there was a battlefield tour on Friday across the Somme where the conflict was fought with visits to VillersBretoneux, Corbie, La Boiselle, Albert and Beaumont Hamel.

On Friday evening a special Rugby & WW1 Q&A session with a panel of special guests, including old Lions colleagues John Taylor and Fergus Slattery, reflected on how the game was affected pre, during and post war.

There have also been various social functions and there will be a Commemorative Service later today, but the work of the WRM is on going.

The organisation’s aim is to record on a data base the death and sacrifice of all the rugby players who were killed in World War 1, a figure that organiser John Dennison, judging from the clubs who have already been in contact with their details, believes to be well in excess of 100,000

Clubs, schools, Universities and national unions who have not yet logged the details of their “fallen” for inclusion in Rugby’s digital book of remembrance should send details to: RugbyMemorial@gmail .com