1880–81 Home Nations rugby union matches
This season is most notable for the introduction of Wales as an international rugby union nation, playing their first ever match in a game against England.
The only recognised competition held between the countries was the annual Calcutta Cup match, contested between England and Scotland.
England: A. N. Hornby (Manchester), C. M. Sawyer (Broughton), L Stokes (Blackheath) capt., WR Richardson (Manchester), HH Taylor (Blackheath), JI Ward (Richmond), CWL Fernandes (Leeds), Charles Gurdon (Richmond), C Phillips (Birkenhead Park), GF Vernon (Blackheath), JJ Ravenscroft (Birkenhead Park), George Burton (Blackheath), HC Rowley (Manchester), ET Gurdon (Richmond), WW Hewitt (Queen's House) Ireland: T Harrison (Queen's College, Cork), W Peirce (Queen's College, Cork), WW Pike (Kingstown), HF Spunner (Tipperary), M Johnston (Dublin University), AJ Forrest (Dublin University) capt., DR Browning (Wanderers), JCS Burkitt (Queen's College, Cork), F Kennedy (Wanderers), HB Morell (Dublin University), WEA Cummins (Queen's College, Cork), WA Wallis (Dublin University), AR McMullen (Queen's College, Cork), G Scriven (Dublin University), H Purdon (NIFC) England continued their experiment, which it began in 1880, of holding international matches in the North of England, after disappointing crowds in the South.
[2] England brought in five new caps, four into the pack, but it was their experienced backs of Hornby and Stokes that continued to cause their opponents the most problems.
Despite the loss, Scotland showed the way forward by introducing a three-man three-quarter line for the first time at an international level;[4] and also brought in Charles Reid, a teenager from Edinburgh Academy.
B. Mann (Cardiff), Edward Treharne (Cowbridge Grammar School and Pontypridd), Godfrey Darbishire (Bangor), William David Phillips (Cardiff), Richard Garnons Williams (Brecon and Newport), George Frederick Harding (Newport) After the inability of the South Wales Football Union to successfully organise matches with teams from other countries, Richard Mullock, secretary of Newport Athletics Club, managed to arrange an international with the Rugby Football Union, between a Wales XV and England.
The group of players brought together to form the very first Wales team were selected for their geographic spread, to appease as many regions of the country as possible; and their academic pedigree.
[4] The match was also notable for being the last international game for Lennard Stokes, who retired from rugby to concentrate on his medical career.
