Moseley Wanderers represented
Great Britain at the 1900 Summer Olympics
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland competed as Great Britain at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. It was the second appearance of Britain after having participated in the inaugural 1896 Games. In Olympic competition, the n ...
at
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 ...
. They played one game, losing 27–8 to
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
, winning the
Silver medal.
Rugby Union at the 1900 Olympics
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It i ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
and
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
were the sole participants in 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
Jean Collas (3 July 1874 in Paris – 30 December 1928 in Asnières-sur-Seine, France) was a French rugby union player and tug of war competitor, who competed in the 1900 Summer Olympics
The 1900 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques ...
, and
Jean-Guy Gauthier
Henry Jean Guy Gauthier (30 December 1875 in Jarnac, Charente – 23 October 1938 in Cognac, Charente) was a French rugby union player who competed in the 1900 Summer Olympics
The 1900 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de ...
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
Léon Binoche (16 August 1878 – 28 August 1962) 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. His great-niece is the actress Juliette Bi ...
added a try to bring France's victory to a 27–8 margin.
The team
It is unclear how the team was chosen. Four of the players, including the captain
J. Henry Birtles, played for
Moseley
Moseley is a suburb of south Birmingham, England, south of the city centre. The area is a popular cosmopolitan residential location and leisure destination, with a number of bars and restaurants. The area also has a number of boutiques and ot ...
, with a number of others also playing for Midlands-based clubs such as Aston Old Edwardians or
Coventry
Coventry ( or ) is a city in the West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its city status until the Middle Ages. The city is governed b ...
.
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'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' (f ...
'' 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 Moseley
Moseley is a suburb of south Birmingham, England, south of the city centre. The area is a popular cosmopolitan residential location and leisure destination, with a number of bars and restaurants. The area also has a number of boutiques and ot ...
*
J. Henry Birtles (Captain)
Moseley
Moseley is a suburb of south Birmingham, England, south of the city centre. The area is a popular cosmopolitan residential location and leisure destination, with a number of bars and restaurants. The area also has a number of boutiques and ot ...
*
James Cantion London Irish
London Irish RFC is a professional rugby union club which competes in the Premiership, the top division of English rugby union. The club has also competed in the Anglo-Welsh Cup, the European Champions Cup and European Challenge Cup. While ...
*
Arthur Darby 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' ...
*
Clement Deykin Moseley
Moseley is a suburb of south Birmingham, England, south of the city centre. The area is a popular cosmopolitan residential location and leisure destination, with a number of bars and restaurants. The area also has a number of boutiques and ot ...
*
L. Hood Rosslyn Park
*
M. L. Logan London Scottish
*
Herbert Loveitt Coventry
Coventry ( or ) is a city in the West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its city status until the Middle Ages. The city is governed b ...
*
Herbert Nicol Old Edwardians
*
V. Smith Old Edwardians
*
M. W. Talbot Moseley
Moseley is a suburb of south Birmingham, England, south of the city centre. The area is a popular cosmopolitan residential location and leisure destination, with a number of bars and restaurants. The area also has a number of boutiques and ot ...
*
Joseph Wallis Old Edwardians
*
Claude Whittindale Aston Old Edwardians
*
Raymond Whittindale
*
Francis Wilson Old Crusaders
References
{{reflist, 2
Rugby union teams in England
Olympic rugby union players for Great Britain
Moseley