Fiji Rugby's famous day

23 October 2014

The things you find at home all these years later. While rummaging through some family shots I came across this picture I took from the commentary scaffold at what was then Buckhurst Park in Suva, Fiji. It shows the Fiji and British Isles teams coming onto the field before the playing of the last game of the Lions 26 match tour of New Zealand and Fiji in 1977. I think the high aspect of the shot might make it unique to Fiji rugby history. The scaffold was so rickety no photographers were allowed on it. This was the day Fiji's national team scored perhaps their most famous home victory. Fiji won 25-21. They could be rightly proud of course but it is true the Lions did not approach the fixture with true dedication. I can still recall their poolside party raging on and keeping me awake 16 hours before kickoff!

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Every day there is Rugby History 19 August 1967

Click to show NZ celebrates its 75th Jubilee in style

After a parade around the ground of old-time All Blacks, Australia loses 29-9 to New Zealand on Wellington's Athletic Park.

A-Z of Rugby

Click to show AARVOLD, CARL

b.16.07.1894 – d.25.01.48

West Hartlepool, Headingley, Blackheath and England
16 internationals for England 1928–33
5 internationals for Great Britain 1930

This tall, elegant centre three-quarter will always be found near the start of any A to Z rugby book.

The brilliant Aarvold made his international debut against the touring New South Wales Waratahs of 1928, but made his biggest rugby impact in the 1930 Great Britain team in New Zealand, where he scored three tries in the second and third tests. On that tour the British chose to not play their tour captain, Doug Prentice, in three of the tests and Aarvold captained in Prentice’s absence.

He made a success of life after rugby, becoming Sir Carl Aarvold, a judge at the Old Bailey. He died in March 1991, aged 83.