Middlesex Rugby
LNZ visit Passchendale
London New Zealand visit the First World War battlefield
Peter Reynolds writes
The Battle of Passchendaele
On Sunday the 7th October whilst the rest of New Zealand was mourning the World Cup loss to France, London New Zealand Rugby Club was taking the field against a French Invitational XV at a converted football ground in Belgium to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Battle of Passchendaele during the First World War. A war which saw 13 All Blacks killed including captain of the 1905 ‘Originals’ team, Dave Gallaher.
A visit to the New Zealand Memorial to the Missing at Messine Ridge prior to the match meant that each player had the chance to choose a name from the memorial wall and take to the field in memory of a fallen soldier. Club Captain Campbell Rowe said “it was the perfect way to instil in the players the significance of the match they were about to take part in” and in a moving moment two players returned to the team bus with no name selected stating they were “playing in memory of the unknown soldiers”.
The significance to the local Flemish people of New Zealand’s contribution during WW1 was also highlighted to the team on entering the village of Passchendaele, as the bus was greeted with New Zealand flags hanging from windows the length of the main street.
In what become a much anticipated event by the locals a crowd of over 500 turned up to watch the first ever rugby game to be played in the region. This included the local Mayor and villagers who had never witnessed a rugby game previously as well as a number of NZ war veterans who were over to attend various ANZAC services.
The formalities of the day started with locals dressed as New Zealand WW1 soldiers, escorting the match ball onto the field sitting atop a folded New Zealand flag and then firing a rifle volley. Introductions to the Mayor followed, with both teams exchanging club shields plus LNZ President Wendy Whitechurch presenting the Mayor with a framed commemorative jersey to mark the historical match. The teams then took to the field and in a touching gesture befitting the occasion, LNZ crossed the field to shake hands with the dozen New Zealand war veterans in the crowd. The club Haka followed which was received with huge enthusiasm, if not bemusement by the local crowd.
With the match finally under way the French started strongly with their large and well drilled pack mauling the ball up field on several occasions but the speed and fitness of the lighter LNZ pack soon took its toll with trys to Adam Tane, Barry Clarke and 2 to Deon McNee to give LNZ a 22-0 lead at the break. The second half continued in the same vein with LNZ’s highly paced game resulting in 2 trys to Dave Caswell and any French attack quickly shut down by LNZ’s outstanding defence.
The final score of 34-0 may not have avenged the All Black loss but this match was not about winning or losing, this match was about young New Zealanders travelling half way round the world on their big OE looking for adventure……only to be killed and buried in a foreign land. We shall remember them.
