Rugby Football Union (UK 2021)

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[press release]
Royal Mail Reveal Images of Eight New Stamps That Celebrate the 150th Anniversaries of the Formation of the Rugby Football Union and the First International Match Between England and Scotland In 1871

Issue date: 19 October

    • The dynamic images feature moments from iconic men’s and women’s rugby union matches for all four Home Nations over the past 50 years
    • Featured on one of the stamps is Vicky Macqueen, MBE – who won 34 caps for England – who is pictured making the tackle on Wales’ Melissa Berry
    • Rugby legends from the men’s and women’s game feature on the stamps including: JPR Williams; Emily Scarratt; Sophie Spence; Roy Laidlaw; Kim Littlejohn; Simon Geoghegan; Melissa Berry; and Jonny Wilkinson
    • Images shown on the stamps are from:
      • Women’s Rugby World Cup Final, 2014
      • Five Nations Championship, 1970
      • Women’s Six Nations Championship, 2015
      • Five Nations Championship, 1984
      • Women’s Home Nations Championship, 1998
      • Five Nations Championship, 1994
      • Women’s Six Nations Championship, 2009
      • Rugby World Cup Final, 2003
    • Royal Mail worked closely with all four Home Nations’ governing bodies on the stamp issue
    • The full set of eight stamps, available in a Presentation Pack, retails at £12.40. The stamps and a range of collectible products are available to pre-order now at www.royalmail.com/rugbyunion and go on general sale from 19 October

Royal Mail has revealed images of eight stamps that celebrate the 150th anniversaries of the formation of the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and the first international match between England and Scotland in 1871.

Rugby legends from the men’s and women’s game feature on the stamps including: JPR Williams; Emily Scarratt; Sophie Spence; Roy Laidlaw; Kim Littlejohn; Simon Geoghegan; Melissa Berry; and Jonny Wilkinson.

Images shown on the stamps are from:

      • Women’s Rugby World Cup Final, 2014
      • Five Nations Championship, 1970
      • Six Nations Championship, 2015
      • Five Nations Championship, 1984
      • Women’s Home Nations Championship, 1998
      • Five Nations Championship, 1994
      • Women’s Six Nations Championship, 2009
      • Rugby World Cup Final, 2003

Also featured on one of the stamps is Vicky Macqueen, MBE – who won 34 caps for England – who is pictured making the tackle on Wales’ Melissa Berry during a match in the 2009 Women’s Six Nations Championship.

David Gold, Director of External Affairs & Policy, said: “The sport of rugby continues to evolve today and is becoming an ever more inclusive sport – with almost three million women players across the world – increased diversity and inclusivity has seen the culture of the game change, both on and off the field. These stamps are a fitting way to mark Rugby Union’s long and extraordinary history.”

Royal Mail worked closely with all four Rugby Union Home Nations’ governing bodies on selecting the images to be included in the stamp issue.

The full set of eight stamps, available in a Presentation Pack, retails at £12.40. The stamps and a range of collectible products are available to pre-order from today (5 October) at www.royalmail.com/rugbyunion and go on general sale from 19 October.

Rugby Football Union
The popularity of the ‘rugby’ style of football and corresponding need for universal laws saw 21 English clubs meet in London on 26 January 1871 to form the Rugby Football Union. The first set of laws was approved later that year, not long after England met Scotland’s challenge in the first rugby international. England have won what is now the Six Nations Championship 29 times outright, with ten shared victories, and the Grand Slam (beating every other nation in the competition) 13 times. England are the only northern hemisphere team to have won the World Cup, beating Australia in 2003.

First International
While England and Scotland had already unofficially met playing ‘football’ rules, most ‘football’ clubs north of the border played a game far more similar to modern rugby and were determined to test national sporting strengths along these lines. On 27 March 1871, the countries met at Raeburn Place, Edinburgh, and after an epic contest, Scotland prevailed by one goal to nil. Angus Buchanan scored the crucial ‘try’ (grounding the ball over the opponents’ goal line), which afforded William Cross the chance to kick the ball over the crossbar and between the posts – at the time, the only way to score a point.

The Women’s Game
No area of rugby union has seen greater growth in recent years, so much so that few clubs in countries where the sport is long established do not now have strong women’s sections, while the proportion of women playing is noticeably high in countries in which the sport is becoming established. The first Women’s Home Nations Championship was staged in 1996 and the first official Women’s Rugby World Cup in 1998: New Zealand, due to host the next World Cup in 2022, have been world champions five times, England twice and the United States once. There are now approaching three million female players across the world.

Scottish Rugby Union
Founded in 1873 and based since 1925 at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh, the SRU played a leading role in the development of the modern game and is responsible for all Scotland’s national sides, as well as the country’s domestic leagues and competitions. Having beaten England in the first international played, Scotland have gone on to win what is now the Six Nations Championship 15 times outright and have shared the title nine times. They have won the Grand Slam three times, most recently in 1990, and competed in every World Cup, with a best-placed finish of fourth.

Welsh Rugby Union
Since the formation of the Welsh Rugby Union in 1881, the nation has produced some of the world’s finest players. The national side was arguably the best in the world in the years running up to the First World War, and again in the 1970s. Wales have won what is now the Six Nations Championship 28 times outright, with 12 shared victories, and the Grand Slam (beating every other country) on 12 occasions, most recently in 2019. They have competed in every World Cup, reaching the semi-finals three times.

Irish Rugby Football Union
Ireland played their first international against England in 1875, four years before the founding of the Irish Rugby Football Union, which manages the sport across the entire sland. Ireland, along with Scotland and Wales, were founding members of the Home Nations Championship, the predecessor of the Six Nations Championship, which they have won 14 times outright, with nine shared titles. They have also won three Grand Slams and in recent years have become one of the strongest teams in world rugby, combining vigour and verve with physicality and commitment. Ireland have competed in all nine World Cup tournaments and missed out on the quarter finals on two occasions.

Stamp-By-Stamp:

Women’s Rugby World Cup Final, 2014
After defeat in three successive finals, England win the World Cup. Tries from Emily Scarratt (pictured, with ball) and Danielle Waterman secure victory.

Five Nations Championship, 1970
A victory marking the start of a glorious era in Welsh rugby for a side featuring greats like JPR Williams (pictured), Gareth Edwards and Mervyn Davies.

Women’s Six Nations Championship, 2015
Needing to win to secure the title, a rampant Ireland – with lock Sophie Spence (pictured) to the fore – ran in 11 tries to become champions.

Five Nations Championship, 1984
Scrum-half Roy Laidlaw (pictured, with ball) scored two tries as Scotland became outright winners of the Five Nations Championship for the first time since 1938.

Women’s Home Nations Championship, 1998
Led by Kim Littlejohn (pictured, far left), Scotland complete a five-year journey from novices to best team in Europe with a win that boosted the sport’s status in the country.

Five Nations Championship, 1994
Ireland upset the odds to win at Twickenham for the first time in 12 years – a brilliant try by Simon Geoghegan (pictured) inspiring a generation of outstanding players.

Women’s Six Nations Championship, 2009
Non Evans kicks the winning penalty in the final minute as Wales, captained by Melissa Berry (pictured), beat England for the first time and win the Triple Crown.

Rugby World Cup Final, 2003 (above)
Jason Robinson’s try and five successful kicks from Jonny Wilkinson (pictured) see England become the first northern hemisphere country to win the World Cup.