Cheltenham’s place in rugby league history was yesterday confirmed with the unveiling of a green plaque to celebrate the centenary of the conclusion of the first international rugby league series.
Commissioned by the Cheltenham Civic Society the plaque hangs on the site of the grandstand of the Athletic Ground in St John’s Avenue.
The unveiling was carried out by Kevin Nicholas, the President of the Rugby Football League and Brad Tindall, who represented the New Zealand Rugby League.
Both men made brief addresses to the assembled dignitaries who included Cheltenham MP Martin Horwood, the town’s Mayor, Cllr John Rawson and John Henry the Chairman of the Civic Society who opened proceedings.
The recurring theme throughout the speeches was the sheer scale of the achievement of the New Zealand tourists, who sailed for weeks to England before arriving to play a game they were completely unfamiliar with and yet, they achieved success, winning the series in Cheltenham by taking the deciding game 8-5.
In his speech, the Mayor noted that the plaque commemorated something important both in the history of rugby league and in the history of Cheltenham. “This is a good day for Cheltenham,” he said.
The final speaker, Tony Collins, Professor of the Social History of Sport at Leeds Met. Carnegie University, put a historical context on things by saying that “the Kiwis’ adventure was unparalleled in sport.”
He went on to add that the match had a tremendously important place in the history of rugby league as, by winning the series, the Kiwis had ensured that rugby league would become established in New Zealand from a position of strength.
The Tourists returned home via Australia where, despite the tragic death of Albert Baskerville, who orchestrated the tour, from pneumonia, they helped to establish rugby league.
The centenary of the game is being celebrated throughout 2008 down under and those celebrations will culminate in a World Cup in October and November.
Pictures:
Kevin Nicholas (left) and Brad Tindall unveil the plaque
The words on the plaque
Here, until 1982 was the Athletic Ground, home to Cheltenham Rugby (Union) club. World rugby history was made on 15th February 1908 when the pioneering rugby league touring side, the New Zealand "All Golds", defeated the Northern Union (England) 8-5 to win the first-ever rugby league test match series.
Born in 1883, Albert Henry Baskerville from Wellington, New Zealand, was the prime advocate and organiser of the ground breaking tour by the All Golds to England. The team returned home via Australia where the first ever test match between the two countries was played on May 9th 1908 in Sydney. New Zealand won 11-10, Baskerville playing a leading role. Shortly afterwards he contracted pneumonia and died on May 20th 1908.
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The Gloucestershire Rugby League is an organisation for local rugby league clubs in Gloucestershire. Our main activity currently is to promote rugby league through the County and give useful information about our sport to the public of Gloucestershire.
