Rugby union at the 1900 Summer Olympics

Men's rugby union at the Games of the II Olympiad
Dates	14 October 28 October
Competitors	47 from 3 nations
Medalists
Union des Sociétés Françaises France   FC 1880 Frankfurt[1] Germany   Moseley Wanderers Great Britain

Rugby union at the 1900 Summer Olympics was played in Paris.^[2] Rugby union matches at the 1900 Summer Olympics were held on 14 October and 28 October. Forty seven athletes from three nations competed.

France, Germany, represented mainly by the FC 1880 Frankfurt,^[3] and Great Britain, represented by the Moseley Wanderers,^[4] all participated in the inaugural rugby event at the Olympics. Only two games were contested, France played both Germany and Great Britain, the French winning both matches. This saw the gold go to France, and both Germany and Great Britain are credited with silver and no bronze awarded.

Results

Match 1

Match	Date	Winner	Score	Loser
1	14 October	France	27–17	Germany

France-Germany match

In the first half, France scored a try by Emile Sarrade and a conversion. Germany scored tries by Heinrich Reitz and August Schmierer, with two conversions as well as a drop goal. Under the custom scoring rules of the Olympic tournament (3 points for tries or penalties, 2 points for conversions, 4 points for drop goals), this gave Germany a lead of 14–5.

The second half was vastly different, as Serrade scored two more tries while André Roosevelt also scored two and Frantz Reichel and A. Albert added one each. Two more conversions were made, bringing France's score to a total of 27. Germany, on the other hand, scored only one try, by one of the Ludwigs.^[5] France thus won the match 27–17.

Match 2

Match	Date	Winner	Score	Loser
2	28 October	France	27–8	Great Britain

The British squad was shut out in the first half, while France continued the scoring barrage they had experienced in the second half of the Germany match. Serrade scored two tries, bringing his tournament total to five. Joseph Olivier, Jean Collas, and Jean-Guy Gauthier each added a try. No conversions were scored, though André Rischmann's two penalties brought France's first-half total to 21.

Britain actually outscored France in the second half, 8–6, but had little chance of catching up. Joseph Wallis scored a try while J. Henry Birtles made a conversion and a penalty for Britain. Reichel scored his second try of the tournament, and Léon Binoche added a try to bring France's victory to a 27–8 margin.

Medal table

Games	Gold	Silver	Bronze
1900 Paris	France	Germany Great Britain	none awarded

Rosters

France Wladimir Aïtoff A. Albert Léon Binoche Jean Collas Jean-Guy Gauthier Auguste Giroux Charles Gondouin Constantin Henriquez J. Hervé Victor Larchandet Hubert Lefèbvre Joseph Olivier Alexandre Pharamond Frantz Reichel André Rischmann André Roosevelt Emile Sarrade

Germany Albert Amrhein Hugo Betting Jacob Herrmann Willy Hofmeister Hermann Kreuzer Arnold Landvoigt Hans Latscha Erich Ludwig Richard Ludwig Fritz Müller Eduard Poppe Heinrich Reitz August Schmierer Adolf Stockhausen Georg Wenderoth

Great Britain F. C. Bayliss J. Henry Birtles James Cantion Arthur Darby Clement Deykin L. Hood M. L. Logan H. A. Loveitt Herbert Nicol V. Smith M. W. Talbot Joseph Wallis Claude Whittindale Raymond Whittindale Francis Wilson

German rugby team at the 1900 Summer Olympics

Notes

1. Hugo Betting and August Schmierer were guest players from another clubs
2. The IOC and most Olympic history organizations refer to the sport played at the 1900 Summer Olympics simply as "rugby", though it was a form of rugby union.
3. Die Gründerjahre des deutschen Rugbysports (German) DRV website – Foundation years, accessed: 25 February 2010
4. Rugby Football History. "Rugby at the Olympics". Rugby Football History. Retrieved 4 April 2008.
5. The scorer's name is listed as "Ludwig", but there were two Ludwigs playing for Germany. It is unclear if the scorer was Erich Ludwig or Richard Ludwig.

References

• International Olympic Committee medal winners database
• De Wael, Herman. Herman's Full Olympians: "Rugby 1900". Accessed 2 March 2006. Available electronically at .
• Mallon, Bill (1998). The 1900 Olympic Games, Results for All Competitors in All Events, with Commentary. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. ISBN 0-7864-0378-0.

External links

• Rugby at the Olympics