ARCHIVE OF COUNTY RESULTS AND PLAYERS
I have an on-going project to record the results of all matches played by Northumberland Rugby Union since its creation in 1880. A related venture is to record the players representing Northumberland in these games.
It may seem odd that I am adding records from each end of the historical spectrum of NRU but there is a simple reason. There is detailed information upon matches played over the last two decades; this is easily accessed and entered. Yet it is the early records which generate queries from those interested in rugby history or relations researching rugby playing ancestors. Unfortunately digging out old information is a slow task. I am therefore attempting to whet the appetite of those who consult me from time to time about the early days of our sport in Northumberland whilst building the archive backwards from today.
A recognition and a warning - Visitors to this archive are warned that direct records for a large part of the history of the county do not exist (or if they do, we are not aware of them).
For records about the first century of our existence we are indebted to the work of the late Bill Swann of the Wallsend club who acted as our pioneer archivist. In the absence of any other sources Bill spent months, if not years, delving in newspaper archives searching out mention of anything to do with county rugby, transcribing what he discovered by hand and later typing these up. Through the kind efforts of John Ward, a Past President of Northumberland RU, these typed sheets were bound into 9 volumes (a reference copy is available for inspection at Tyne and Wear County Archives, Blenheim Street, Newcastle).
It is these records which provide much of the information for the period 1880-1980 and you are warned that because of their nature the details may have been subject to transcription error at various stages between then and now. Further, the players in teams quoted for the first 80+ years are those listed in newspapers and/or programmes prior to the game. It is highly likely that on many occasions teams were changed at short notice prior to the game because of injury, illness etc. Information on games since about 1960 is much more reliable as records exist of the teams which actually turned out.
So, our records may not be 100% accurate but, linked with team records and other archive material they provide a wonderful picture of county rugby over the last 130 years.
Stuart Bainbridge
NRU Archivist
Any queries may be addressed by e-mail to stuartbainbridge@yahoo.co.uk
A SHORT GUIDE TO SCORING VALUES
Looking at early rugby scores can be confusing as the means of achieving victory differed from today. Also, the laws on scoring seemed to be changed with great regularity. To help the uninitiated make sense of these records I include below what appears to have been the evolution of the scoring system in the late 19th. Century. ( Any corrections to my suppositions would be welcome.)
Prior to 1875 - matches were decided only on GOALS. Tries had no value in themselves, only indicating that one side had earned a 'try' at kicking a goal.
From 1875 onwards - TRIES scored could decide the result if no goals were scored. It appears that unconverted tries were sometimes referred to as TOUCH DOWNS (e.g. as in the game against Dumfrieshire in 1880)
From 1886 - 3 tries equalled one goal so that results were expressed in terms of a total number of points scored (goal 3 points; a try 1 point). A MINOR was gained if one side forced their opponents to touch down in-goal, but these were only used in deciding the match in the event of the teams being equal in terms of goals and tries (see result v Lancashire 1883 where m.p's are recorded, presumably meaning Minor Points).
Currently, I cannot trace the beginning of the penalty goal (although it appears to have been reduced in value to 2 points for season 1889) or the significance of the 'dead ball' (see result v Yorkshire 1882).
From September 1891 - a try became worth 2 points, a penalty 3pts., a goal from a try 5pts., any other goal 4 pts.
From March 1893 - a try became worth 3pts.
In 1905 - a try 3pts., a goal from a try 5pts., a drop goal 4pts.except from a mark or a penalty in which case it was worth 3pts.
All perfectly clear!
