1945–46 Victory Internationals

Athletic competition the association football matches Victory International March 2019 April 2019 April 2019 The so-called Victory Internationals is a list of rugby union matches played in Europe from 1945 to 1946 between British, Irish, New Zealand and French rugby union representatives. During the Second World War, international matches were suspended, with the exception of some matches between Italy, Germany and Romania. Earlier, in June 1939, France was re-admitted to play in the 1940 international match against British teams, a full schedule was re-introduced in the Five Nations Championship in 1947. The international matches were not recognized as "official" ("capped matches") by British or Irish unions due to the absence of many players still serving in the armed forces in European and Pacific Ocean theatres. France however did award full caps for each of these games.https://books.google.com/books?id=R-0cDQAAQBAJ&q=+%27Victory+Internationals%27&pg=PT101 Rugby's Strangest Matches: Extraordinary but True Stories from Over a Century of Rugby Griffiths John Pavilion Books 2016 9781911042297 United Kingdom The New Zealand selection was called the "Kiwis", and was also known as the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force Rugby Team (a group of New Zealand soldiers), a name derived from 2NZEF. Like its British counterparts, it did not award any national cap, but this team eventually became widely recognized in its country and more than half of the Kiwi players ended up also playing for the All Blacks.https://rugbyredefined.wordpress.com/2013/04/25/2nd-new-zealand-expeditionary-force-rugby-team/ 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force rugby team 2013-04-24 en 2019-03-20 The activity restarted on 1 January 1945, with a match between France and a British Army selection, played in Colombes, followed by a match played at Richmond on 28 April, between a "British Empire XV" and France. More regular matches were played between December 1945 and April 1946. In 2013, the Welsh Rugby Union finally decided to award a cap for all the otherwise uncapped Welsh players who took part in the 1945 and 1946 matches against France.https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/25059124 Welsh rugby: President's Caps given to 25 players for non-Tests 2013-11-22 2019-03-20 en-GB Results 1 January 1945 France 21 - 9 British Army Parc des Princes, ParisFrance 21 - 9 British Army Henry Arthur Fry ENG 30000 Baladie, Dauger (2), Prin-Clary, Sahuc Desclaux, Prat (2) Holmes, Risman, TL Williams 28 April 1945 British Empire Forces 27 - 6 France Athletic Ground, RichmondBritish Empire Forces 27 - 6 France R.A. Beattie SCO Hollis (2), Owens (2), Risman (2), Williams Risman (3) Massare Prat 22 December 1945 Wales XV 8 - 0 France St. Helen's, SwanseaWales XV 8 - 0 France 25000 Davies, Matthews James 1 January 1946 France 10 - 0 British Empire Services Parc des Princes, ParisFrance 10 - 0 British Empire Services Cyril Herbert Gadney ENG 30000 Baladie, Prat Bergougnan 5 January 1946 Wales XV 3 - 11 Kiwis Arms Park, Cardiffhttp://rugbymuseum.co.nz/tdih-january-5-1946-kiwis-beat-wales-on-cardiff-arms-park/ TDIH: January 5 1946 – "Kiwis" beat Wales, on Cardiff Arms Park. – New Zealand Rugby Museum All Blacks Palmerston North en-US 2019-03-20 8 February 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190208090558/http://rugbymuseum.co.nz/tdih-january-5-1946-kiwis-beat-wales-on-cardiff-arms-park/ dead 19 January 1946 England XV 3 - 18 Kiwis Twickenham, Londonhttp://rugbymuseum.co.nz/tdih-november-24-1945-kiwis-win-first-international/ TDIH: November 24 1945 -"Kiwis" win first international. – New Zealand Rugby Museum All Blacks Palmerston North en-US 2019-03-20 8 February 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190208091128/http://rugbymuseum.co.nz/tdih-november-24-1945-kiwis-win-first-international/ dead R.A. Beattie SCO 19 January 1946 Wales XV 13 - 25 England XV Arms Park, Cardiffhttps://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/welsh-stars-still-rugby-ball-2131017 Welsh stars still had a rugby ball in wartime Woolford Anthony 2009-01-27 walesonline 2019-03-20 19 January 1946 Scotland XV 11 - 6 Kiwis Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburghhttp://rugbymuseum.co.nz/tdih-january-19-1946-kiwis-suffer-their-first-loss-against-scotland/ TDIH: January 19 1946 – "Kiwis" suffer their first loss against Scotland. – New Zealand Rugby Museum All Blacks Palmerston North en-US 2019-03-20 8 February 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190208090410/http://rugbymuseum.co.nz/tdih-january-19-1946-kiwis-suffer-their-first-loss-against-scotland/ dead 26 January 1946 Ireland XV 3 - 4 France Lansdowne Road, Dublinhttp://www.espnscrum.com/scrum/rugby/match/19599.html Ireland XV v France ESPN scrum 2019-03-20 H.G. Lathwell ENG 40000 Thorpe Bergougnan 2 February 1946 Wales XV 6 - 25 Scotland XV Swansea 6 February 1946 England XV 14 - 6 Ireland XV Twickenham, London 9 February 1946 Ireland XV 4 - 3 England XV Lansdowne Road, DublinIrishPhotoArchive 1946 - Rugby Union, England v Ireland 2013-10-22 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XMIWhMXApo 2019-03-20http://www.rugbymemories.com/IrelandSixNationsRugbyProgrammes.html Ireland Rugby Programmes www.rugbymemories.com 2019-03-20 23 February 1946 Scotland XV 9 - 0 Ireland XV Murrayfield, Edinburghhttp://www.whytes.ie/art/rugby-1946-february-9-and-23-scotland-vs-ireland-and-ireland-vs-england-official-programmes-signed/153625/?SearchString=&LotNumSearch=&GuidePrice=&OrderBy=LH&ArtistID=&ArrangeBy=list&NumPerPage=30&offset=97 Rugby 1946, February 9 and 23, Scotland vs. Ireland; and Ireland vs. England official programmes signed. at Whyte's Auctions Whyte's - Irish Art & Collectibles Whyte's 2019-03-20http://www.rugbyrelics.com/info/photographs/ireland-rugby-photos.htm Irish Rugby Photographs - Teams & Players of Ireland www.rugbyrelics.com 2019-03-20 23 February 1946 England XV 0 - 3 Wales XV Twickenham, London 9 March 1946 Wales XV 6 - 4 Ireland XV Arms Park, Cardiffhttps://www.sportspages.com/media/450x350/img_5b2a1efe57536.jpg Official programme for the match at Cardiff Arms Park, 9th March 1946. 10 March 1946 France 9 - 14 Kiwis Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir, Colombeshttp://www.espnscrum.com/scrum/rugby/match/19600.html France v Kiwis ESPN scrum 2019-03-20http://rugbymuseum.co.nz/tdih-march-10-1946-kiwis-win-a-thriller-against-france/ TDIH: March 10 1946 – "Kiwis" win a thriller against France. – New Zealand Rugby Museum All Blacks Palmerston North en-US 2019-03-20 8 February 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190208085743/http://rugbymuseum.co.nz/tdih-march-10-1946-kiwis-win-a-thriller-against-france/ dead George WardenENG 21000 Blake, Sherratt (2) Scott Scott Baladie, Pebeyre, Terreau 13 March 1946 Rhine Army XV 0 - 12 Kiwis Stadion am Zoo, Wuppertalhttp://rugbymuseum.co.nz/tdih-march-13-1946-scratchy-win-for-kiwis-in-germany/ TDIH: March 13 1946 – Scratchy win for "Kiwis" in Germany. – New Zealand Rugby Museum All Blacks Palmerston North en-US 2019-03-20 8 February 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190208085711/http://rugbymuseum.co.nz/tdih-march-13-1946-scratchy-win-for-kiwis-in-germany/ dead Major B.E.W. McCall M.C. WAL 16 March 1946 England XV 12 - 8 Scotland XV Twickenham, Londonhttps://cdn.globalauctionplatform.com/01214136-d28d-4709-9987-a88a00cc100b/5fe9060f-d0aa-4ed5-e8b8-a72c7ae3ad14/original.jpg Official Programme from the RFU Rugby Football Union Rugby Football Union 24 March 1946 France 10 - 13 Kiwis Stade Ernest Wallon, Toulousehttp://rugbymuseum.co.nz/tdih-march-24-1946-close-but-the-kiwis-defeat-france-again/ TDIH: March 24 1946 – Close, but the "Kiwis defeat France again. – New Zealand Rugby Museum All Blacks Palmerston North en-US 2019-03-20 8 February 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190208085532/http://rugbymuseum.co.nz/tdih-march-24-1946-close-but-the-kiwis-defeat-france-again/ dead Mon. Barbe FRA 30 March 1946 Scotland XV 13 - 11 Wales XV Murrayfield, Edinburgh 13 April 1946 Scotland XV 27 - 0 England XV Murrayfield, Edinburgh 22 April 1946 France 12 - 0 Wales XV Yves-du-Manoir, Colombeshttp://www.espnscrum.com/scrum/rugby/match/19601.html France v Wales XV ESPN scrum 2019-03-20 Alan Shilleto Bean ENG 34000 Terreau (2) Prat Alvarez References Victory Victory tour tour tour tour tour Five Nations Five Nations