Simon Barnes Chief Sports Writer
Last week in this space I was looking for information about the first woman to play rugby. I am delighted to say that I now have information in overplus. The first lady of rugby - rugby's Eve - is Emily Frances Galwey, nee Valentine, born in the 1870s, at first a tomboy and then a lady of much spirit. She later wrote a rather splendid memoir and here is a chunk of it.
"I loved rugby football, but seldom got a chance to do more than kick a place-kick or drop goal, but I could run in spite of petticoats and thick undergarments. My great ambition was to play in a real rugby game and score a try. One day I got a chance. It was just a school scratch match and they were one 'man' short. I was about 10 years old. I plagued them to let me play. 'Oh all right. Come on then.' Off went my overcoat and hat - I always wore boys' boots anyhow, so that was all right.
"I knew the rules. At last my chance came. I got the ball - I can still feel the damp leather and the smell of it ... I grasped it and ran dodging and darting, but I was so keen to score that try that I did not pass it, perhaps, when I should; I still raced on, I could see the boy coming towards me; I dodged and breathless, with my heart pumping, my knees shaking, I ran. Yes, I had done it, one last spurt and I touched down."
Thus was set in train the events that will lead to the women's rugby union World Cup, which will be held again this year.
The Times (London, England) (Jan 18, 2010): p69
Showing posts with label pre-1970. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pre-1970. Show all posts
Monday, 18 January 2010
Monday, 11 January 2010
Miss Valentine the mother of women's rugby.
Simon Barnes Chief Sports Writer
There will be a women's rugby union World Cup in England this summer, which is all splendid stuff. But here is a question: who was the first female rugby player? Who was women's rugby's Webb Ellis? Who was rugby's Eve? Greatly to my surprise, I am told that I supplied the answer myself in a column in this newspaper in 1985. A rugby match was played at Portora Royal School, in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, in 1885. The school was short of numbers, because the headmaster had just decamped and taken half the pupils with him. But they still got a XV out, and in the threequarter line, there was the daughter of the acting headmaster.
But who was she? John Birch writes to tell me it was Miss E. F. Valentine, who together with her three brothers, set up the school team, in the face of some opposition. Miss Valentine went on to become Mrs Galway and emigrated to South Africa.
It seems clear that Miss Valentine both trained for and played rugby, and this predates anything else documented on the subject. But, so far, the researchers have no idea of Miss Valentine's first name, and no photograph. Anyone with information on the subject, please get in touch.
The Times (London, England) (Jan 11, 2010): p61
There will be a women's rugby union World Cup in England this summer, which is all splendid stuff. But here is a question: who was the first female rugby player? Who was women's rugby's Webb Ellis? Who was rugby's Eve? Greatly to my surprise, I am told that I supplied the answer myself in a column in this newspaper in 1985. A rugby match was played at Portora Royal School, in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, in 1885. The school was short of numbers, because the headmaster had just decamped and taken half the pupils with him. But they still got a XV out, and in the threequarter line, there was the daughter of the acting headmaster.
But who was she? John Birch writes to tell me it was Miss E. F. Valentine, who together with her three brothers, set up the school team, in the face of some opposition. Miss Valentine went on to become Mrs Galway and emigrated to South Africa.
It seems clear that Miss Valentine both trained for and played rugby, and this predates anything else documented on the subject. But, so far, the researchers have no idea of Miss Valentine's first name, and no photograph. Anyone with information on the subject, please get in touch.
The Times (London, England) (Jan 11, 2010): p61
Thursday, 18 January 2007
Women's pioneer dies aged 106
YOU might think women's rugby is a comparatively recent phenomenon but a remarkable pioneer has died in Cardiff aged 106. Maria Eley played full-back for Cardiff Ladies in a wartime charity match at Cardiff Arms Park on Dec 16, 1917, when Newport won 6-0. Interestingly, reports suggest that the Cardiff team all wore protective headgear, which predates their male counterparts by some decades.
Maria remained a keen player until she married her husband, Hector, and concentrated on bringing up eight children. She attributed her longevity to a love of rugby and an aversion to cigarettes and alcohol. Away from rugby and family duties she chaired the senior citizens club at her native Cogan for 24 years and was still calling bingo until she was 101.
Daily Telegraph (London, England) (Jan 18, 2007): p016
Maria remained a keen player until she married her husband, Hector, and concentrated on bringing up eight children. She attributed her longevity to a love of rugby and an aversion to cigarettes and alcohol. Away from rugby and family duties she chaired the senior citizens club at her native Cogan for 24 years and was still calling bingo until she was 101.
Daily Telegraph (London, England) (Jan 18, 2007): p016
Saturday, 30 March 1985
1885: Girl playing rugby at Portora Royal School, Enniskillin, Ireland
The Times, Saturday, Mar 30, 1985; pg. 12
Tuesday, 28 July 1970
1964: The Evening Post (New Zealand)
From National Library of New Zealand:
Hands up all those who noticed the small mistake we made with last week's feature cartoon - ah, so you all did - that's right, we had it upside down, didn't we? And now to contemplate what to do about N.Z. rugby - what's this? Women playing rugby! Might be just what our national game needs - so we'll appoint ourselves sole selector - (not that we think N.Z. needs our services) - it's just that we've always like contemplating women rugby players - (as long as they don't actually play the game)
Nevile Sidney Lodge
[In a series of small scenes the cartoonist who is wearing a hat which is part dunce's cap and part jester's hat, admits to an error in last week's cartoon which was upside down and then contemplates the notion of women playing rugby - Mr cartoonist is happy to see them strut in little shorts but not actually play.]
Hands up all those who noticed the small mistake we made with last week's feature cartoon - ah, so you all did - that's right, we had it upside down, didn't we? And now to contemplate what to do about N.Z. rugby - what's this? Women playing rugby! Might be just what our national game needs - so we'll appoint ourselves sole selector - (not that we think N.Z. needs our services) - it's just that we've always like contemplating women rugby players - (as long as they don't actually play the game)
Nevile Sidney Lodge
[In a series of small scenes the cartoonist who is wearing a hat which is part dunce's cap and part jester's hat, admits to an error in last week's cartoon which was upside down and then contemplates the notion of women playing rugby - Mr cartoonist is happy to see them strut in little shorts but not actually play.]
Tuesday, 24 March 1970
Monday, 23 March 1970
1953: Umpire in trouble at university match
The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA), Saturday 15 August 1953 (p4)
Thursday, 19 March 1970
1949: Having seen the English Women's Cricket Team in action...
Cartoon: Having seen the English Women's Cricket Team in action we've decided that the national game, too, could do with a dash of femininity to make it more attractive - well, attract[ive] to start with, anyway.
[Four scenes depicting women rugby players]
Published in New Zealand Free Lance, 30 Mar 1949
[Four scenes depicting women rugby players]
Published in New Zealand Free Lance, 30 Mar 1949
Sunday, 15 March 1970
1945: Historic rugby photo poses perfect mystery
"AKRAD Woman's Rugby Team v The Business Girls Team - 1945" is the only information scribbled on the back of this photo held by the Waihi Arts Centre and Museum.
The photo is waiting to be included in the museum's new computer archive database Past Perfect and the "past perfect" girls are hoping Waihi Leader readers can shed some light on it.
The "past perfect" girls meet once a month; an opportunity for some of Waihi's older identities to attach stories and a background to photos held at the museum - or put stories to the faces in the pictures.
"However, some photos are just beyond the age or memories of all of us and we need more help," says archivist Harriet Taylor.
Anyone with information about the photo, or who would like to join the photo group, can contact Harriet on 863 6063 or by emailing research@waihimuseum.co.nz.
Friday, 30 January 1970
1930: Every one an Amazon
The Register News-Pictorial (Adelaide, SA), Tuesday 30 September 1930 (p12)
Thursday, 22 January 1970
Wednesday, 21 January 1970
1921: Women's rugby match, Sydney, Sept 18
Western Argus (Kalgoorlie, WA), Tuesday 20 September 1921, p34
1921: Rugby League. The Ladies Match
The Sydney Morning Herald, Friday 16 September 1921, Page 11
More information in this article http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/FootballStudies/2001/FS0402e.pdf
Thursday, 1 January 1970
1912: Shall there be women footballers?
The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA), Thursday 22nd February 1912"Oh, horrible!" was Miss Rose Scott's first comment on the proposition made to the secretary of the Rugby League that women's football club might be formed (says the Sydney "Sun"). Miss Scott is president of the Ladies' Swimming Association of New South Wales, and believes that women should take some atheletic exercise. But not football. "It's too rough," she exclaiined.:"Too brutal! Girls have enough to do. They can play lawn tennis and croquet, and when they are very little they can play cricket. I played cricket when I was little. But, Football - ugh! It is horrible!" Only one in her life did Miss Scott see a football match, and she still cannot speak about it without a shudder. "If women were to play football with men looking on," she declare, "it would be worse than horrible. It would be disgusting! I don't even believe in men and women swimming together. I would not be president if it was permitted," Yet Miss Scott thinks that women need some healthy development. "Why not walking?" she said. "Walking is very good for girls. But football! Oh, no; no, NO! They musn't be made nmgo and horrible. It's nearly as bad as prizefighting. Do you know,I wouldn't be surprised if it is football that makes men rough and dreadful enough to go to prize fights. Such knocking down of one another." Then Miss Scott expounded the inwand principle of her views. "Men want to be made more gentle," she announced, "and in that way more like women. But women want to be more like men, being more free and honest and truthful. Most women are not truthful. They have been slaves, and slaves cannot be truthful. Proper freedom would make womnen less catty. Because, you know, women are catty." The president of the Swimming Association repeated this statement as though it were in danger of contradiction. "Women 'are' catty" she asserted once more, "and this can be cured; but not by football," she concluded. "Women playing football is a dreadful idea. That is trying to be toocmannish. It is so rough! So horrible!"
1891: Papers relating to 1891 women's rugby team
Correspondence and cuttings relating to a controversy which arose in 1891 over a proposed countrywide tour by a New Zealand women's rugby team (National Library of New Zealand).
http://find.natlib.govt.nz/primo_library/libweb/action/display.do?ct=display&doc=nlnz_tapuhi1060738&indx=1&dum=true&dscnt=0&indx=1&vl(2003849UI0)=any&srt=rank&tab=default_tab&vl(2003848UI1)=all_items&ct=search&frbg=&vid=default&vl(1UI0)=contains&fn=search&dstmp=1280310155085&vl(freeText0)=women's%20rugby&mode=Basic&scp.scps=oogle.com/mail/?account_id=johnlbirch@gmail.com&shva=1#sent/12a0f501baeed9ad
http://find.natlib.govt.nz/primo_library/libweb/action/display.do?ct=display&doc=nlnz_tapuhi1060738&indx=1&dum=true&dscnt=0&indx=1&vl(2003849UI0)=any&srt=rank&tab=default_tab&vl(2003848UI1)=all_items&ct=search&frbg=&vid=default&vl(1UI0)=contains&fn=search&dstmp=1280310155085&vl(freeText0)=women's%20rugby&mode=Basic&scp.scps=oogle.com/mail/?account_id=johnlbirch@gmail.com&shva=1#sent/12a0f501baeed9ad
1881: The lady football players at Stanley
This is a bit of a mystery. The "England" and "Scotland" teams played several games in 1881 (see http://www.donmouth.co.uk/womens_football/1881.html for details) but all other games were, from reports, clearly played to Association Football rules. However, a report on one game in the Liverpool Mercury of 27th June 1881 suggests that - for this game at least - the players may have been playing a version of rugby.
Note that points were not introduced into rugby until 1886. Until then rugby games were decided by "goals", which could be scored in open play (a "field goal", which was not abolished until 1905) or from a free kick - or "try" - at goal awarded after a touchdown behind their opponents' line. Only if goals were equal were the number of tries counted.
The description of this game does, taken in isolation, sound more like rugby than association football if it were not for the fact that the same teams tended to play "soccer" in their other games. Unfortunately after over 130 years it is impossible to know what they really were playing that afternoon.
The kit described matches some hitherto mysterious cigarette cards and other depictions of women "rugby players" from the period.
Note that points were not introduced into rugby until 1886. Until then rugby games were decided by "goals", which could be scored in open play (a "field goal", which was not abolished until 1905) or from a free kick - or "try" - at goal awarded after a touchdown behind their opponents' line. Only if goals were equal were the number of tries counted.
The description of this game does, taken in isolation, sound more like rugby than association football if it were not for the fact that the same teams tended to play "soccer" in their other games. Unfortunately after over 130 years it is impossible to know what they really were playing that afternoon.
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