Subject:
Teams:
Date:
Location:
The first rugby international played in The Netherlands.
England v Scotland.
16 April 1916.
Leeuwarden.
To whom it may concern,
On 11th October 1914, 1,500 men of the First Royal Naval Brigade arrived in
Groningen. They had been deployed in early October as part of “Winston’s Little
Army”, to assist the Belgian army in the defense of Antwerp. However the highly
trained and well-equipped German army proved too strong, and as the Belgian army
had abandoned their positions, there remained no option left other than to retreat.
During their retreat in Belgium, the German 1st Bavarian Brigade cut off the only
remaining escape route open to them. Commodore Wilfred Henderson was
determined for his men not to be taken prisoner of war by the Germans and
therefore made the decision to cross the Dutch frontier [De Klinge] with his
remaining three battalions Hawke, Benbow and Collingwood. On arrival, they were
interned (in accordance with International Law) in ‘Het Engelse Kamp’ in Groningen,
a city in the north of the country. The internees gave the camp their own name ‘HMS
Timbertown’, reflecting the wooden barracks they were housed in and their
connection to the British Admiralty.
The UK governments first appeal for men to enlist
and volunteer was predominantly focused on
sportsmen, and in particular rugby players for their
stamina, commitment and discipline.
As a result, many of the interned men were engaged
in team sports such as rugby, football, and cricket.
Each sport was played to a high level of competition
and fixtures played against local teams were
followed with great interest by the local press.
This resulted in good attendances and increased
support for the teams and the very “British sports”
that they played.
Guardians of the Dutch rugby history
Among the interned troops, was a number of [former] Rugby Union capped
players, A.C. Williamson the Oxford half-back being amongst them. Encouraged
by Commodore Wilfred Henderson, inter-battalion rugby fixtures were organized
and played on a regular basis.
This ultimately lead to the England v
Scotland fixture being played on the
fields of LAC Frisia 1883 in
Leeuwarden on Sunday 16 April 1916.
Accompanied by live music, a [paying]
crowd of 2500 people witnessed the
national anthems being proudly sung by
both sets of players. At 2pm the very
first rugby international to be played in
the Netherlands kicked off.
After a very tough, hard fought encounter, England came out on top [19-7], the
winning players receiving silver medals from British vice-consul to Leeuwarden,
Dhr K. Buisman. The fixture was again played 5 November 1916 [Leeuwarden],
with England narrowly beating Scotland 16-12.
Guardians of the Dutch rugby history
The publicity surrounding this historic sporting fixture, and the manner in which the
players represented their sport and countries left a lasting impression both locally
and nationally. As a consequence this rugby fixture played a significant role in
stimulating the development of the sport of rugby in the Netherlands.
The fixtures played between internment camp rugby teams and student fraternities
based in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Groningen and The Hague resulted in the
formation of the first rugby clubs in the Netherlands. Delftsche Studenten Rugby
Club - Delft, being the oldest surviving club and one, which today still retains a
strong sense of the tradition and competitive spirit dating back to the formation of the
club, 13 October 1918.
The Royal Connection:
The great – grandfather of Catherine, Duchess of
Cambridge, was one of those that responded to his
countries call to action. Frederick George Glassborow
[born 17 Dec 1889 in Leyton, Essex, England] was
one of 545 men and officers from Benbow battalion to
be interned at ‘HMS Timbertown’ in Groningen [19141918].
To commemorate and pay respect to those that fought
in the Great War for freedom in Europe and to
remember, celebrate the contribution of the internees
from England and Scotland who played in the first
ever rugby international to be played on Dutch soil, we
would like to organize a Centennial Memorial Rugby
Union 1916/2016 fixture. The location: RC Greate Pier facilities in Leeuwarden.
For further information, details regarding the Centennial Memorial Rugby Union
fixture, please do not hesitate in contacting me through the information listed below.
Kind regards,
Ken Wright
International Communication Officer
Leo van Herwijnen Rugby Foundation
Mob. +31 655456268 E: [email protected]
www.lvhrugbyfoundation.com
Guardians of the Dutch rugby history