The so-called Victory Internationals[1][2] is a list of rugby union matches played in Europe from 1945 to 1946 between British, Irish, New Zealand and French rugby union representatives.

During the Second World War, international matches were suspended, with the exception of some matches between Italy, Germany and Romania. Earlier, in June 1939, France was re-admitted to play in the 1940 international match against British teams, a full schedule was re-introduced in the Five Nations Championship in 1947.

The international matches were not recognized as "official" ("capped matches") by British or Irish unions due to the absence of many players still serving in the armed forces in European and Pacific ocean theatres. France however did award full caps for each of these games.[1]

The New Zealand selection was called the "Kiwis", and was also known as the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force Rugby Team (a group of New Zealand soldiers), a name derived from 2NZEF. Like its British counterparts, it did not award any national cap, but this team eventually became widely recognized in its country and more than half of the Kiwi players ended up also playing for the All Blacks.[3]

The activity restarted on 1 January 1945, with a match between France and a British Army selection, played in Colombes, followed by a match played at Richmond on 28 April, between a "British Empire XV" and France. More regular matches were played between December 1945 and April 1946.

In 2013, the Welsh Rugby Union finally decided to award a cap for all the otherwise uncapped Welsh players who took part in the 1945 and 1946 matches against France.[4]

Results

1 January 1945 France 21 - 9 British Army Parc des Princes, Paris[5]  
Try: Baladie, Dauger (2), Prin-Clary, Sahuc
Con: Desclaux, Prat (2)
 Try: Holmes, Risman, TL Williams
 Attendance: 30000
Referee: Henry Arthur Fry England
28 April 1945 British Empire Forces 27 - 6 France Athletic Ground, Richmond[6]  
Try: Hollis (2), Owens (2), Risman (2), Williams
Con: Risman (3)
 Try: Massare
Pen: Prat
 Referee: R.A. Beattie Scotland
22 December 1945 Wales XV 8 - 0 France St. Helen's, Swansea[7]  
Try: Davies, Matthews
Con: James
 Attendance: 25000
1 January 1946 France 10 - 0 British Empire Services Parc des Princes, Paris[8]  
Try: Baladie, Prat
Drop: Bergougnan
 Attendance: 30000
Referee: Cyril Herbert Gadney England
5 January 1946 Wales XV 3 - 11 Kiwis Arms Park, Cardiff[9]  
19 January 1946 England XV 3 - 18 Kiwis Twickenham, London[10]  
Referee: R.A. Beattie Scotland
19 January 1946 Wales XV 13 - 25 England XV Arms Park, Cardiff[2]  
19 January 1946 Scotland XV 11 - 6 Kiwis Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh[11]  
26 January 1946 Ireland XV 3 - 4 France Lansdowne Road, Dublin[12]  
Try: Thorpe
 Drop: Bergougnan
 Attendance: 40000
Referee: H.G. Lathwell England
2 February 1946 Wales XV 6 - 25 Scotland XV Swansea[2]  
6 February 1946 England XV 14 - 6 Ireland XV Twickenham, London  
9 February 1946 Ireland XV 4 - 3 England XV Lansdowne Road, Dublin[13][14]  
23 February 1946 Scotland XV 9 - 0 Ireland XV Murrayfield, Edinburgh[15][16]  
23 February 1946 England XV 0 - 3 Wales XV Twickenham, London[2]  
9 March 1946 Wales XV 6 - 4 Ireland XV Arms Park, Cardiff[2][17]  
10 March 1946 France 9 - 14 Kiwis Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir, Colombes[18][19]  
Try: Baladie, Pebeyre, Terreau
 Try: Blake, Sherratt (2)
Con: Scott
Pen: Scott
 Attendance: 21000
Referee: George WardenEngland
13 March 1946 Rhine Army XV 0 - 12 Kiwis Stadion am Zoo, Wuppertal[20]  
Referee: Major B.E.W. McCall M.C. Wales
16 March 1946 England XV 12 - 8 Scotland XV Twickenham, London[21]  
24 March 1946 France 10 - 13 Kiwis Stade Ernest Wallon, Toulouse[22]  
Referee: Mon. Barbe France
30 March 1946 Scotland XV 13 - 11 Wales XV Murrayfield, Edinburgh[2]  
13 April 1946 Scotland XV 27 - 0 England XV Murrayfield, Edinburgh  
22 April 1946 France 12 - 0 Wales XV Yves-du-Manoir, Colombes[23]  
Try: Terreau (2)
Con: Prat
Drop: Alvarez
 Attendance: 34000
Referee: Alan Shilleto Bean England

References

  1. 1 2 Griffiths, John (2016). Rugby's Strangest Matches: Extraordinary but True Stories from Over a Century of Rugby. United Kingdom: Pavilion Books. ISBN 9781911042297.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Woolford, Anthony (27 January 2009). "Welsh stars still had a rugby ball in wartime". walesonline. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  3. ↑ "2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force rugby team". 24 April 2013. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  4. ↑ "Welsh rugby: President's Caps given to 25 players for non-Tests". 22 November 2013. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  5. ↑ France 21 - 9 British Army
  6. ↑ British Empire Forces 27 - 6 France
  7. ↑ Wales XV 8 - 0 France
  8. ↑ France 10 - 0 British Empire Services
  9. ↑ "TDIH: January 5 1946 – "Kiwis" beat Wales, on Cardiff Arms Park. – New Zealand Rugby Museum | All Blacks | Palmerston North". Archived from the original on 8 February 2019. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  10. ↑ "TDIH: November 24 1945 -"Kiwis" win first international. – New Zealand Rugby Museum | All Blacks | Palmerston North". Archived from the original on 8 February 2019. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  11. ↑ "TDIH: January 19 1946 – "Kiwis" suffer their first loss against Scotland. – New Zealand Rugby Museum | All Blacks | Palmerston North". Archived from the original on 8 February 2019. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  12. ↑ "Ireland XV v France". ESPN scrum. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  13. ↑ IrishPhotoArchive (22 October 2013), 1946 - Rugby Union, England v Ireland, retrieved 20 March 2019
  14. ↑ "Ireland Rugby Programmes". www.rugbymemories.com. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  15. ↑ "Rugby 1946, February 9 and 23, Scotland vs. Ireland; and Ireland vs. England official programmes signed. at Whyte's Auctions | Whyte's - Irish Art & Collectibles". Whyte's. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  16. ↑ "Irish Rugby Photographs - Teams & Players of Ireland". www.rugbyrelics.com. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  17. ↑ "Official programme for the match at Cardiff Arms Park, 9th March 1946".
  18. ↑ "France v Kiwis". ESPN scrum. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  19. ↑ "TDIH: March 10 1946 – "Kiwis" win a thriller against France. – New Zealand Rugby Museum | All Blacks | Palmerston North". Archived from the original on 8 February 2019. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  20. ↑ "TDIH: March 13 1946 – Scratchy win for "Kiwis" in Germany. – New Zealand Rugby Museum | All Blacks | Palmerston North". Archived from the original on 8 February 2019. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  21. ↑ Rugby Football Union. "Official Programme from the RFU".
  22. ↑ "TDIH: March 24 1946 – Close, but the "Kiwis defeat France again. – New Zealand Rugby Museum | All Blacks | Palmerston North". Archived from the original on 8 February 2019. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  23. ↑ "France v Wales XV". ESPN scrum. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
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