The 1881–82 Home Nations rugby union matches were a series of international

rugby football Rugby football is the collective name for the team sports of rugby union and rugby league. Canadian football and, to a lesser extent, American football were once considered forms of rugby football, but are seldom now referred to as such. The ...

matches played between the

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

and

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

national

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...

teams. This was the last season before the introduction of the Home Nations Championship. The only recognised competition held between the countries was the annual

Calcutta Cup The Calcutta Cup is the trophy awarded to the winner of the rugby match between England and Scotland played annually in the Six Nations Championship. Like the match itself (England–Scotland), the Calcutta Cup is the oldest trophy contested be ...

match, contested between England and Scotland. It was the fourth challenge for the trophy, and the first time Scotland won it, beating England by two tries to nil.

Format

The matches for this season were decided on goals scored. A goal was awarded for a successful conversion after a

try Try or TRY may refer to: Music Albums * ''Try!'', an album by the John Mayer Trio * ''Try'' (Bebo Norman album) (2014) Songs * "Try" (Blue Rodeo song) (1987) * "Try" (Colbie Caillat song) (2014) * "Try" (Nelly Furtado song) (2004) * " Try (Ju ...

, for a dropped goal or for a

goal from mark A goal from mark is a former scoring move in rugby football. It occurred when a player " marked" the ball by making a fair catch and shouting "mark". From this position the player could not be tackled. The player then had the option of a free kick, ...

. If a game was drawn, any unconverted tries were tallied to give a winner. If there was still no clear winner, the match was declared a draw.

Results

Ireland vs. Wales

Ireland: RE McLean ( NIFC), JR Atkinson, Thomas St. George McCarthy (

Dublin University The University of Dublin ( ga, Ollscoil Átha Cliath), corporately designated the Chancellor, Doctors and Masters of the University of Dublin, is a university located in Dublin, Ireland. It is the degree-awarding body for Trinity College Dubl ...

), WW Fletcher (Kingston), EH Greene (

), GC Bent (

), AJ Forrest ( Wanderers) capt., JM Kennedy ( Wanderers), F Kennedy ( Wanderers), HB Morell (

), EA McCarthey (Kingstown), WA Wallis ( Wanderers), AJ Downing (

), FS Heuston (Kingstown), RG Thompson (

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) Wales: Charles Lewis (

Llandovery College , image = Llandovery College (geograph 5927072).jpg , image_size = , motto = Gwell Dysg Na Golud( here areno riches better than learning) , established = , closed = , type = Independent day and bo ...

) capt., Samuel Clark ( Neath), William Norton (

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...

), Bill Evans ( Rhymney), Charlie Newman ( Newport),

George Frederick Harding George Frederick Harding JP (1858 – 8 July 1927) was an English-born international rugby union player who played club rugby for Newport and international rugby for Wales. Harding was a member of the very first Wales international team t ...

( Newport),

James Bridie James Bridie (3 January 1888 in Glasgow – 29 January 1951 in Edinburgh) was the pseudonym of a Scottish playwright, screenwriter and physician whose real name was Osborne Henry Mavor.Daniel Leary (1982) ''Dictionary of Literary Biography: ...

( Newport), Hugh Vincent ( Bangor), Frank Purdon ( Swansea)

Tom Clapp Tom Clapp (25 October 1858 – 15 October 1933) was an English-born international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Newport and Nantyglo RFC. He won 14 caps for Wales and captained the team on three occasions. Clapp was the first ...

(

Nantyglo Nantyglo () is a village in the ancient parish of Aberystruth and county of Monmouth situated deep within the South Wales Valleys between Blaina and Brynmawr in the county borough of Blaenau Gwent. Governance An electoral ward in the same n ...

), Bob Gould ( Newport), Thomas Baker Jones ( Newport), William David Phillips (

), Tom Williams (

Pontypridd () ( colloquially: Ponty) is a town and a community in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. Geography comprises the electoral wards of , Hawthorn, Pontypridd Town, 'Rhondda', Rhydyfelin Central/Ilan ( Rhydfelen), Trallwng ( Trallwn) and Treforest (). ...

), George Morris ( Swansea) This match was the first ever meeting between the two nations rugby union teams; and resulted in the first ever Welsh victory over international opposition. Ten of the Irish teams were new

caps Caps are flat headgear. Caps or CAPS may also refer to: Science and technology Computing * CESG Assisted Products Service, provided by the U.K. Government Communications Headquarters * Composite Application Platform Suite, by Java Caps, a Ja ...

, which reflected the makeshift nature of the Irish team after ten of the original squad withdrew before the match. Kennedy of Ireland withdrew with an injury after half an hour of play and Atkinson took a serious injury to his nose.Griffiths (1987), page 3:4 . The match itself was frequently disrupted after disputes broke out from both sides,Griffiths (1987), page 4:3 . with Wales finishing victorious. The sports correspondent from ''

The Irish Times ''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is considered a newspaper ...

'' wrote a damning article in his match coverage, referring to the "dormant apathy" of the Irish team. ----

Ireland vs. England

Ireland: RB Walkington ( NIFC), RE McLean (

), EJ Wolfe ( NIFC), WW Pike (Kingstown), M Johnston (

), GC Bent (

), AJ Forrest ( Wanderers), JW Taylor ( NIFC) capt., R Nelson ( Queens's University), HB Morell (

), WEA Cummins ( Cork), JA McDonald ( Queen's University), RW Hughes ( NIFC), TR Johnson-Smyth (

), OS Stokes (Cork Bankers) England: A. N. Hornby (

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

), WN Bolton ( Blackheath), E Beswick ( Swinton), R Hunt (

), HT Twynam ( Richmond), HC Rowley (

), JI Ward ( Richmond),

Charles Gurdon Charles Gurdon (3 December 1855 – 26 June 1931) was an English barrister, judge, rower and rugby union forward who played club rugby for Cambridge University and Richmond. Gurdon represented England fourteen times during the early developmen ...

( Richmond) capt., BB Middleton (

Birkenhead Park Birkenhead Park is a major public park located in the centre of Birkenhead, Merseyside, England. It was designed by Joseph Paxton and opened on 5 April 1847. It is generally acknowledged as the first publicly funded civic park in the world. Th ...

Harry Vassall Henry Vassall (22 October 1860 – 5 January 1926) was an English rugby union player, writer, and master of Repton School, Derbyshire. He was best known as a centre for Oxford University. Vassall played international rugby for England in the ea ...

( Blackheath), Herbert Fuller ( Bath), JT Hunt (

), GT Thomson ( Halifax), A Spurling ( Blackheath), WW Hewitt (

Queen's House Queen's House is a former royal residence built between 1616 and 1635 near Greenwich Palace, a few miles down-river from the City of London and now in the London Borough of Greenwich. It presently forms a central focus of what is now the Old Ro ...

) ----

Scotland vs. Ireland

Scotland: T Anderson (Merchiston), Bill Maclagan (

Glasgow Academicals The Glasgow Academical Football Club is the third oldest rugby football club in Scotland. The club was also a founder member of the Scottish Football Union (the future SRU) in 1873. History Glasgow Hawks In 1997 the decision was made to ...

), F Hunter (

Edinburgh University The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted ...

), WS Brown (Edinburgh Inst. FP), AGG Asher (

Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to th ...

), G Macleod (

), R Ainslie (Edinburgh Inst. FP), C Reid ( Edinburgh Academical), DY Cassels ( West of Scotland) capt., D. Somerville (Edinburgh Inst. FP), D McCowan ( West of Scotland), R Maitland (Edinburgh Inst. FP), T Ainslie(Edinburgh Inst. FP), AFC Gore ( London Scottish), JB Brown (

) Ireland: RB Walkington ( NIFC), RE McLean (

), JR Atkinson (

), RW Morrow ( Queens's University), WW Fletcher (Kingstown), J Pedlow (Bessbrook), AC O'Sulivan (

), JW Taylor ( NIFC) capt., R Nelson ( Queens's University), JBW Buchanan (

), W Finlay ( NIFC), JA McDonald ( Queen's University), RW Hughes ( NIFC), G Scriven (

), J Johnston (Belfast Acads) ----

England vs. Scotland

England: A. N. Hornby (

) capt., WN Bolton ( Blackheath), E Beswick ( Swinton), JH Payne ( Broughton), HH Taylor ( Blackheath), Charles Coates ( Yorkshire Wanderers), WM Tatham (

( Richmond), PA Newton ( Blackheath),

(

), Herbert Fuller (

Cambridge University The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209 and granted a royal charter by Henry III of England, Henry III in 1231, Cambridge is the world' ...

), JT Hunt (

), GT Thomson ( Halifax), ET Gurdon ( Richmond), HC Rowley (

) Scotland: JP Veitch (Royal HSFP), Bill Maclagan (

), A Philip (Edinburgh Inst. FP), WS Brown (Edinburgh Inst. FP), Andrew Ramsay Don-Wauchope (

), Archibald Walker ( West of Scotland), Robert Ainslie (Edinburgh Inst. FP), Charles Reid ( Edinburgh Academical), DY Cassels ( West of Scotland) capt., WA Walls (

), D McCowan ( West of Scotland), Robert Maitland (Edinburgh Inst. FP), Thomas Ainslie (Edinburgh Inst. FP), JG Walker ( West of Scotland), JB Brown (

) At the fourth attempt, Scotland won the Calcutta Cup for the first time. ----

Wales vs. North of England

Although not a full international, the match between Wales and the North of England was important for the establishment of the Home Nations Championship the following season. In 1881, Wales had suffered such a crushing defeat at the hands of the English that it their readiness for full international participation was brought into question. In 1882 it was therefore decided to put a North of England team against them. The winning margin attained by the North was by just a goal to a try. This good form shown by the Welsh added to their victory over Ireland, gained for them a place in the International fixtures of the future.Marshall, Francis, ''Football; the Rugby union game'', p172, (1892) (London Paris Melbourne, Cassell and company, limited)

Bibliography

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Home Nations History of rugby union matches between England and Scotland History of rugby union matches between England and Ireland History of rugby union matches between Ireland and Scotland History of rugby union matches between Ireland and Wales History of rugby union matches between England and Wales England national rugby union team matches Scotland national rugby union team matches Ireland national rugby union team matches Wales national rugby union team matches 1881–82 in British rugby union 1881–82 in English rugby union

1881–82 in Scottish rugby union