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Colin Charvis

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72-409: Colin Charvis (born 27 December 1972) is a former professional rugby union player. A back row forward , Charvis was equally adept as a flanker or at number 8 . Born in Sutton Coldfield , England, he captained the Wales national team from 2002 to 2004, and also played for the British & Irish Lions on their tour of Australia in 2001 . Charvis became the world record try scorer for

144-570: A British Isles team visited Australia and New Zealand—although a private venture, it laid the foundations for future British and Irish Lions tours; and the 1888–89 New Zealand Native football team brought the first overseas team to British spectators. During the early history of rugby union, a time before commercial air travel, teams from different continents rarely met. The first two notable tours both took place in 1888—the British Isles team touring New Zealand and Australia, followed by

216-497: A haka before each match, leading Welsh Rugby Union administrator Tom Williams to suggest that Wales player Teddy Morgan lead the crowd in singing the Welsh National Anthem, Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau , as a response. After Morgan began singing, the crowd joined in: the first time a national anthem was sung at the start of a sporting event. In 1905 France played England in its first international match. Rugby union

288-618: A 43–30 win over Argentina at Stradey Park in Llanelli on 21 November 1998. He followed this up with another try in a 34–33 win over France at the Stade de France in the 1999 Five Nations Championship . In 2000, Charvis was implicated in Grannygate as he had been first capped for Wales in 1996 while apparently ineligible. However, by the time the scandal broke he had completed the required three-year residency period and no further action

360-696: A carpet and flooring shop in Swansea. In 2013, the shop was located on Oystermouth Road in Swansea, but in 2016, it was moved to Horizon Park, Llansamlet . In 2018, commemorating Black History Month in the United Kingdom, Charvis was included on a list of 100 "Brilliant, Black and Welsh" people. In 2023, Charvis was named as one of 295 former rugby players bringing a lawsuit against the sport's governing bodies over brain injuries sustained while playing. Rugby union Rugby union football , commonly known simply as rugby union or often just rugby ,

432-563: A forward in test match rugby with his 22nd international try on 24 November 2007 in a match against South Africa at the Millennium Stadium , Cardiff . In 2011, he was overtaken by Takashi Kikutani of Japan on the list of leading rugby union test try scorers . Charvis was born in Sutton Coldfield , Warwickshire , on 27 December 1972 to Lloyd and Lynne Charvis, and grew up in the nearby town of Aldridge . Charvis

504-594: A limited number of games, and Cambridge and Oxford continued their annual University Match . The first officially sanctioned international rugby sevens tournament took place in 1973 at Murrayfield, one of Scotland's biggest stadiums, as part of the Scottish Rugby Union centenary celebrations. In 1987, the first Rugby World Cup was held in Australia and New Zealand, and the inaugural winners were New Zealand. The first World Cup Sevens tournament

576-415: A lineout throw is generally awarded to the opposition at the spot on the sideline where they left the field. Exceptions include a kick out "on the full" (i.e. the ball did not land in the field-of-play before going into touch) in which case the lineout would still take place on the sideline but back in line with where the ball was kicked, or when a team takes a free kick from a penalty where they would retain

648-612: A move to the Newport Gwent Dragons fell through over the summer, Charvis was reportedly considering retirement; however, he did ultimately sign for the Dragons on a one-year deal. He made his debut for the club in a pre-season friendly against the Cornish Pirates, coming on as a second-half substitute in a 20–6 victory. Coach Paul Turner said after the game that he expected Charvis would play at least 15 games for

720-534: A preferred or standard 68 metre width, this is often used unless a ground has been specifically designed to accommodate a 70-metre rugby field. 100 metres is the typical length, with a line (see below) often marked at halfway with "50" on it, representing 50 metres from each goal line. The variations have been allowed in the Laws, possibly to accommodate older grounds (perhaps even pre-metrification when yards and feet were specified) and developing nations. The field of play

792-613: A stumbling block, and by the end of the tournament in March 2004, initial talks with three of the regions had reached an impasse. Despite interest from at least three unnamed, top-flight French sides, Charvis signed for Newcastle Falcons in England in June 2004. He missed three months of the 2004–05 season after suffering a broken foot in January 2005, but returned for the last three games of

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864-470: A successful penalty kick or a drop goal each score 3 points. The values of each of these scoring methods have been changed over the years. According to World Rugby's Laws of the Game, a typical rugby ground, formally known as the "playing enclosure", is formed by two major zones: The referee (and their assistants) generally have full authority and responsibility for all players and other officials inside

936-512: A try in an 18–10 win at home to the Ospreys in the penultimate match that secured Heineken Cup qualification; he was named man of the match in that game, as well as the final-day win at home to Leinster . Charvis signed a new one-year contract with the Dragons in July 2008 naming him as the team's contact and defence coach, while also reducing his playing commitments. He made his first appearance of

1008-538: Is Chatswood Oval in Sydney, Australia, an elliptically shaped cricket ground which is the home of Gordon rugby club, that has curved dead-ball lines to maximise the available in-goal space. Where multiple sports share a field (e.g. a rugby league and a rugby union club sharing one field), lines may be overlaid on top of each other, sometimes in different colours. However, particularly for television, rugby union line markings are generally painted white. Some exceptions include

1080-402: Is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in England in the first half of the 19th century. Rugby is based on running with the ball in hand. In its most common form, a game is played between two teams of 15 players each, using an oval-shaped ball on a rectangular field called a pitch. The field has H-shaped goalposts at both ends. Rugby union is a popular sport around

1152-408: Is considered "out-of-bounds" for the ball and the players, normally resulting in the non-infringing team receiving possession of the ball at a restart. The perimeter area can be divided into two areas: For the purposes of determining if a ball is "out-of-bounds" (i.e. has left the playing area), the perimeter area extends indefinitely away from the playing area. When a ball or player goes into touch,

1224-445: Is divided by a solid "halfway" line, drawn perpendicular to the sidelines at their midpoint. A 0.5m line is marked perpendicular to the halfway lines at its midpoint, designating the spot where the kickoffs shall be taken. The areas between each goal line and the halfway line are known as "halves" as in other football codes. A pair of solid lines are also drawn perpendicular to the sidelines, 22 metres (formerly 25 yards) from each end of

1296-573: Is of Jamaican heritage through his father. After playing football in his early years, Charvis began playing rugby at the age of 11 when he started attending Queen Mary's Grammar School in Walsall . At age 18, he began studying at the Polytechnic of Central London , where he was coached by former London Welsh RFC player Glan Richards, who convinced Charvis to join the club. He stayed at London Welsh until 1995, when he moved to Swansea RFC , under

1368-427: Is one of only four forwards to score over 100 international points ( John Eales , Carlo Checchinato and Takashi Kikutani are the others). He was the second most capped player for Wales and the most capped forward with 94 caps until overtaken by Martyn Williams on 13 March 2010. He also featured in the 1999 Rugby World Cup and captained Wales in the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia. After retiring, Charvis opened

1440-440: Is the third and final row of the forward positions, who are often referred to as the loose forwards. The three positions in the back row are the two flankers and the number 8 . The two flanker positions, known as the blindside flanker and openside flanker, are the final row in the scrum. They are usually the most mobile forwards in the game. Their main role is to win possession through 'turn overs'. The number 8 packs down between

1512-963: The Bunnings NPC in New Zealand, the League One in Japan and the Currie Cup in South Africa. Other transnational club competitions include the United Rugby Championship of club teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa and Wales, European Rugby Champions Cup in Europe, and Super Rugby in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. Primitive forms of football included harpastum , played by

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1584-456: The 1830s, "running in" with the ball in hand was allowed but subject to hacking and "collaring". Former Rugby School student Albert Pell is credited with having formed the first "football" team while a student at Cambridge University . Major private schools each used different rules during this early period, with former pupils from Rugby and Eton attempting to carry their preferred rules through to their universities. A significant event in

1656-470: The 35–33 away win at Benetton Treviso and 24–22 loss in the return game at Rodney Parade . That win over Benetton proved to be the Dragons' only one of the Heineken Cup campaign; they lost 25–0 in their final pool game against Perpignan on 19 January 2008, and Charvis suffered an injury that ruled him out for the next 10 weeks. He returned to play in five of the last six games of the season, scoring

1728-478: The Dragons lost 46–29. He scored his third try of the season in the Dragons' penultimate league match, a 23–0 win at home to Connacht. Due to his involvement with Wales at the 2007 Rugby World Cup, Charvis missed the first five games of the Dragons' season in 2007–08, returning to action in the 19–13 away win over Edinburgh on 12 October 2007. He again scored back-to-back European tries in December 2007, crossing in

1800-547: The Dragons that season. He ended up playing 26 times, mostly at flanker but also at number 8, and scored three tries. Charvis particularly shone in the European Challenge Cup , scoring a try in the 66–10 win at home and the 39–29 win away to the București Wolves in December 2006. The Dragons went on to reach the semi-finals of the competition, but Charvis missed the match against Clermont due to injury and

1872-512: The Dragons, with a focus on defence. His remit was expanded to coaching the forwards group in December 2009, after fellow coach Leigh Jones took a job in Hong Kong. He left the Dragons in late September 2010, but no reason was given for his departure. Charvis won his first cap for Wales on 1 December 1996, when he came on as a substitute in a 28–16 loss to Australia at Cardiff Arms Park. He scored his first tries two years later, scoring twice in

1944-513: The Laws: Generally, points where the dashed lines intersect other lines will be marked with a "T" or cross shape, although the extensions of dashed lines are generally not drawn within 5 metres of the goal lines or sidelines, to allow a clear demarcation of the field of play's boundaries. The Laws require the playing area to be rectangular in shape, however variations may be permitted with the approval of relevant unions. A notable example

2016-769: The New Zealand team touring Europe. Traditionally the most prestigious tours were the Southern Hemisphere countries of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa making a tour of a Northern Hemisphere, and the return tours made by a joint British and Irish team. Tours would last for months, due to long traveling times and the number of games undertaken; the 1888 New Zealand team began their tour in Hawkes Bay in June and did not complete their schedule until August 1889, having played 107 rugby matches. Touring international sides would play Test matches against international opponents, including national, club and county sides in

2088-476: The Romans, where two opposing teams competed to throw a large ball into an opposition net, fighting for possession of the ball. Medieval Irishmen played caid , carrying an inflated bladder and using arched trees as goals. The Welsh played an inter-parish game using a wooden ball called cnapan . Frenchmen played soule and Georgians played lelo. "Football" as a game was well established by 1803 at Rugby School and by

2160-537: The United States , Canada and Eastern Europe , its growth occurring during the expansion of the British Empire and through French proponents ( Rugby Europe ) in Europe. Countries that have adopted rugby union as their de facto national sport include Fiji , Georgia, Madagascar , New Zealand, Samoa , Tonga , and Wales . International matches have taken place since 1871 when the first game

2232-480: The Wallabies (Australia's national team) who often have yellow markings. Local clubs may use black, yellow, or other colours on grass, with other surfaces possibly requiring different marking techniques. Unlike association football, where on-field advertising is strictly forbidden in the laws, World Rugby allows sponsors logos to be painted on the playing surface. This is another way in which clubs can make money in

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2304-540: The World Cup, having not received an acceptable offer from any of the five new Welsh regional sides, Charvis signed for French second-tier side Tarbes on a contract that would take him through to the end of the 2003–04 season, when he was expected to return to Wales; During the season, he expressed his intent to continue playing for Wales; however, although he was part of the squad for the 2004 Six Nations Championship , his desire to continue his international career proved

2376-643: The assist for Jason Tovey 's decisive try in a 30–24 win over the Ospreys on 19 December; his final appearance for the Dragons came on 18 January 2009 in a 15–12 loss at home to Bath in the Heineken Cup. He also made an appearance for the Barbarians in a match to mark the official opening of the Scarlets ' new stadium, Parc y Scarlets , on 31 January. At the end of the season, after undergoing knee surgery, Charvis went full-time with his coaching duties at

2448-431: The backs and the forwards is that the backs are expected to have superior kicking and ball-handling skills, especially the fly-half, scrum-half, and full-back. The half-backs consist of two positions, the scrum-half and the fly-half , also known in the Southern Hemisphere as half-back and first five-eighth respectively. The fly-half is crucial to a team's game plan, orchestrating the team's performance. They are usually

2520-422: The ball is kicked into touch by a player who had at least one foot on or behind their own 22-metre line, the line-out formed at the spot where the ball crossed the touch-line instead of being taken in line with the spot from where it was kicked. Additional broken or dashed lines (of 5 metre dash lengths, according to the Laws ) are drawn in each half or on each side of, the field, each with specific purposes under

2592-417: The ball. Forwards play a vital role in tackling and rucking opposing players. Players in these positions are generally bigger and stronger and take part in the scrum and line-out. The forwards are often collectively referred to as the 'pack', especially when in the scrum formation. The front row consists of three players: two props (the loosehead prop and the tighthead prop) and the hooker . The role of

2664-591: The case of Northern Hemisphere rugby, or provincial/state sides in the case of Southern Hemisphere rugby. Between 1905 and 1908, all three major Southern Hemisphere rugby countries sent their first touring teams to the Northern Hemisphere: New Zealand in 1905, followed by South Africa in 1906 and Australia in 1908. All three teams brought new styles of play, fitness levels and tactics, and were far more successful than critics had expected. The New Zealand 1905 touring team performed

2736-588: The clubs that had favoured the Rugby Rules formed the Rugby Football Union in 1871, and their code became known as " rugby football ". In 1895, there was a major schism within rugby football in England in which numerous clubs from Northern England resigned from the RFU over the issue of reimbursing players for time lost from their workplaces. The split highlighted the social and class divisions in

2808-496: The early development of rugby football was the production of a written set of rules at Rugby School in 1845, followed by the Cambridge Rules that were drawn up in 1848. Formed in 1863, the national governing body The Football Association (FA) began codifying a set of universal football rules. These new rules specifically banned players from running with the ball in hand and also disallowed hacking (kicking players in

2880-486: The field are divided into eight forwards (two more than in rugby league ) and seven backs . There are typically significantly more forwards on the bench than backs with, for example, South Africa having a 7-1 split in favour of forwards in their August 2023 match against New Zealand in Twickenham. A 6-2 or 5-3 split is more common. The main responsibilities of the forward players are to gain and retain possession of

2952-401: The field of play and called the 22-metre lines, or "22"s. An area at each end, also known as the "22", is bounded by, but does not include, the sidelines, goal line and 22-metre line. In this area, a defensive player who cleanly catches a ball kicked by the other team, without the ball having already touched the ground after the kick, is entitled to claim a free kick, or " mark ". Additionally, if

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3024-420: The first laws were written by pupils at Rugby School; other significant events in the early development of rugby include the decision by Blackheath F.C. to leave The Football Association in 1863 and, in 1895, the split between rugby union and rugby league . Historically rugby union was an amateur sport, but in 1995 formal restrictions on payments to players were removed, making the game openly professional at

3096-711: The first test. He was named as a substitute for the first and third tests, coming on for Wales teammate Scott Quinnell both times. In October 2004, Charvis was at the centre of a selection row between Wales and the Newcastle Falcons, whose coach Rob Andrew believed Charvis would not have to be released for Wales' match against South Africa on 6 November; however, it was later clarified that Wales players based in England would have to be released by Premiership clubs as their fixture that weekend had been arranged in April 2004, unlike Scotland, whose game against Australia

3168-425: The first to receive the ball from the scrum-half following a breakdown, lineout, or scrum, and need to be decisive with what actions to take and be effective at communicating with the outside backs. Many fly-halves are also their team's goal kickers. The scrum-half is the link between the forwards and the backs. They receive the ball from the lineout and remove the ball from the back of the scrum, usually passing it to

3240-537: The fly-half. They also feed the scrum and sometimes have to act as a fourth loose forward. There are four three quarter positions: two centres (inside and outside) and two wings (left and right). In the Southern Hemisphere, the inside centre is commonly referred to as the second five-eighth, while the outside centre is simply known as the centre. The centres will attempt to tackle attacking players; whilst in attack, they should employ speed and strength to breach opposition defences. The wings are generally positioned on

3312-414: The goal lines, equivalent to American football's "end zones". The in-goal areas must be between 6 and 22 metres (6.6 and 24.1 yards) deep and cover the full width of the field. A ball grounded in this area by an attacking player will generally result in a try being awarded, unless there has been a previous infringement, or the player has gone out-of-bounds whilst in possession of the ball. The perimeter area

3384-607: The highest level for the first time. Rugby union spread from the Home Nations of the United Kingdom and Ireland , with other early exponents of the sport including Australia , New Zealand , South Africa and France . The sport is followed primarily in the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, New Zealand, Australia, Pacific Islands - Fiji , Tonga , Samoa , Georgia , Oceania , Southern Africa , Argentina , and in recent times also, Italy , Japan , South America ,

3456-539: The management of Mike Ruddock . Charvis played for Swansea for eight seasons, making a total of 168 appearances and scoring 62 tries. In March 2003, the club went into administration, and Charvis was offered a redundancy package on 21 March. He was released the following week amid hopes for a contract offer from the newly founded Neath–Swansea regional team , as well as the Gwent team coached by Mike Ruddock, who had brought Charvis to Swansea. After Wales's elimination from

3528-414: The most important attributes of a good full-back are dependable catching skills and a good kicking game. Rugby union is played between two teams – the one that scores more points wins the game. Points can be scored in several ways: a try , scored by grounding the ball in the in-goal area (between the goal line and the dead-ball line), is worth 5 points and a subsequent conversion kick scores 2 points;

3600-414: The outside of the backline. Their primary function is to finish off moves and score tries. Wings are usually the fastest players in the team and are elusive runners who use their speed to avoid tackles. The full-back is normally positioned several metres behind the back line. They often field opposition kicks and are usually the last line of defence should an opponent break through the back line. Two of

3672-440: The playing area and perimeter area, although depending on how large the perimeter is, other surfaces such as dirt, artificial turf, etc. may be used outside of a "sliding" perimeter from the bounds of the playing area. For the most part, the "playing area" is where the majority of play occurs. The ball is generally considered live whilst in this area, so long as players do not infringe, with special rules applied to specific zones of

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3744-442: The playing area. The playing area consists of: A typical "field of play" is generally 100 metres long by 68–70 metres wide for senior rugby, depending on the specific requirements of each ground. The Laws require the field of play to be between 94 and 100 metres (103 and 109 yards) long, with a width of between 68 and 70 metres (74 and 77 yards). As other football codes, such as association football and rugby league, have specified

3816-432: The playing enclosure. Fences or ropes (particularly at amateur clubs) are generally used to mark the extent of this area, although in modern stadia this may include the entire arena floor or other designated space. The Laws, above all, require that the playing enclosure's surface be safe, whilst also permitting grass, sand, clay, snow or conforming artificial turf to be used; the surface would generally be uniform across both

3888-659: The pre-1995 period of rugby union was marked by frequent accusations of " shamateurism ", including an investigation in Britain by a House of Commons Select committee in early 1995. Following the introduction of professionalism trans-national club competitions were started, with the Heineken Cup in the Northern Hemisphere and Super Rugby in the Southern Hemisphere. The Tri Nations , an annual international tournament involving Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, kicked off in 1996. In 2012 , this competition

3960-415: The professional era and is also often used by host nations, professional leagues and tournaments as additional revenue streams, particularly when games are broadcast. In recent years, augmented reality technology has been used to replace painting to protect the surface or save costs on painting fields, producing a similar effect for broadcast albeit sometimes with poorer results. The in-goal areas sit behind

4032-425: The right to throw-in. The perimeter area should be clear and free of obstructions and heavy, solid objects which could pose a danger to players for at least 5 metres from the playing area, according to the Laws. Players often leave the playing area whether accidentally or due to being forced off of the field, sometimes sliding or needing to slow down from a sprint. Many venues at elite levels leave larger spaces around

4104-659: The same day had not been arranged until late August. Charvis was named in Gareth Jenkins' 41-man preliminary summer training squad for the 2007 Rugby World Cup . He made the final 30-man squad in August after playing in the Test against England and made substitute appearances in both summer matches against Argentina and France. Charvis made a try-scoring substitute appearance in Wales's opening Pool B match against Canada, and made

4176-488: The season off the bench in a 25–14 win over former club Newcastle in the Anglo-Welsh Cup on 3 October 2008, being named man of the match for his half-hour cameo. He was on the scoresheet the following week with a try in a 32–22 win over Glasgow Warriors . That proved to be his final try in professional rugby, as he played in seven of the Dragons' next eleven matches without scoring, although his chip kick did provide

4248-454: The season. After captaining the team in those matches, he was named as Newcastle's full-time captain for the 2005–06 season, taking over from co-captains Jonny Wilkinson and Ian Peel . With his contract due to expire at the end of the season, talks began over a new deal but by May 2006, rumours surfaced that negotiations had broken down. No deal was forthcoming, and on 26 May 2006, it was announced that Charvis would be leaving Newcastle. After

4320-590: The shins), both of which were legal and common tactics under the Rugby School's rules of the sport. In protest at the imposition of the new rules, the Blackheath Club left the FA followed by several other clubs that also favoured the "Rugby Rules". Although these clubs decided to ban hacking soon afterwards, the split was permanent, and the FA's codified rules became known as " association football " whilst

4392-427: The sport in England. Although the rules of the game were not a factor in the split, the breakaway teams subsequently adopted some rule changes and this became the separate code of " rugby league ". The RFU's code thereafter took on the name "rugby union" to differentiate it from rugby league, but both versions of the sport are known simply as "rugby" throughout most of the world. The first rugby football international

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4464-425: The starting line-ups for the remaining pool clashes with Australia, Japan and Fiji . In November 2007, Wales caretaker coach Nigel Davies included Charvis in his starting line-up for the inaugural Prince William Cup match with South Africa. Despite the 34–12 defeat to the reigning world champions, Charvis scored his 22nd try for his country, making him the leading try scorer among all Welsh forwards (as of 2021). He

4536-432: The tallest players in the team and specialise as line-out jumpers. The main role of the lock in line-outs is to make a standing jump, often supported by the other forwards, to either collect the thrown ball or ensure the ball comes down on their side. Locks also have an important role in the scrum, binding directly behind the three front row players and providing forward drive. The back row, not to be confused with 'Backs',

4608-424: The two locks at the back of the scrum. The role of the number 8 in the scrum is to control the ball after it has been heeled back from the front of the pack, and the position provides a link between the forwards and backs during attacking phases. The role of the backs is to create and convert point-scoring opportunities. They are generally smaller, faster and more agile than the forwards. Another distinction between

4680-453: The two props is to support the hooker during scrums, to provide support for the jumpers during line-outs and to provide strength and power in rucks and mauls. The third position in the front row is the hooker. The hooker is a key position in attacking and defensive play and is responsible for winning the ball in the scrum. Hookers normally throw the ball in at line-outs. The second row consists of two locks or lock forwards. Locks are usually

4752-616: The world, played by people regardless of gender, age or size. In 2023, there were more than 10 million people playing worldwide, of whom 8.4 million were registered players. World Rugby , previously called the International Rugby Football Board (IRFB) and the International Rugby Board (IRB), has been the governing body for rugby union since 1886, and currently has 116 countries as full members and 18 associate members. In 1845,

4824-463: Was extended to include Argentina , a country whose impressive performances in international games (especially finishing in third place in the 2007 Rugby World Cup) was deemed to merit inclusion in the competition. As a result of the expansion to four teams, the tournament was renamed The Rugby Championship. Each team starts the match with 15 players on the field and typically seven or eight substitutes but this varies at amateur level. The 15 players on

4896-651: Was held at Murrayfield in 1993. Rugby Sevens was introduced into the Commonwealth Games in 1998 and was added to the Olympic Games of 2016. Both men and women's Sevens took place at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Rugby union was an amateur sport until the IRB declared the game "open" in August 1995 (shortly after the completion of the 1995 World Cup), removing restrictions on payments to players. However,

4968-599: Was included as an event in the Olympic Games four times during the early 20th century. No international rugby games and union-sponsored club matches were played during the First World War, but competitions continued through service teams such as the New Zealand Army team . During the Second World War no international matches were played by most countries, though Italy, Germany and Romania played

5040-632: Was played between Scotland and England at Raeburn Place in Edinburgh. The Rugby World Cup , first held in 1987, is held every four years. The Six Nations Championship in Europe and The Rugby Championship in the Southern Hemisphere are other important international competitions that are held annually. National club and provincial competitions include the Premiership in England, the Top 14 in France,

5112-652: Was played on 27 March 1871 between Scotland and England in Edinburgh . Scotland won the game by one goal and one try to one goal. By 1881 both Ireland and Wales had representative teams and in 1883 the first international competition, the Home Nations Championship had begun. 1883 is also the year of the first rugby sevens tournament, the Melrose Sevens , which is still held annually. Two important overseas tours took place in 1888:

5184-474: Was taken. In 2015, a DNA testing project suggested that Charvis had genuine Welsh ancestry that he did not know about. In 2001, Charvis was selected by the British & Irish Lions for their tour of Australia ; he scored two tries in their 83–6 win over a Queensland President's XV in the second match of the tour, followed by another in a game against New South Wales Country Districts in the final game before

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