Army Navy Match

The Army Navy Match
Part of the Inter-Services Competition
Twickenham Stadium
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LocationLondon
Teams
First meeting13 February 1878
(Annually since 6 March 1909)
Latest meeting13 May 2023
Navy 39-22
Next meeting2024
StadiumsTwickenham Stadium
TrophyThe Babcock Trophy
Statistics
All-time seriesArmy 63, Navy 35,
Draws 4 (1939, 1969 1980 and 2016)[1]
Largest victoryArmy, 50–7 (2009)[1]
Smallest victoryNavy 11–10 (1921), Navy 9–8 (1948), Navy 17–16 (1978), Army 10–9 (1983), Army 43-42 (2024)[1]
The above statistics do not include the matches before the first official match in 1907. 1907 was the first official Army Navy match played after the formation of the Army Rugby Union in 1906. The Royal Navy Rugby Union did not form until the 1907/08 season.[2]
Other information
Current sponsorBabcock International

The Army Navy Match is the annual rugby union match played between the senior XV teams of the Royal Navy and British Army. It marks the culmination of the annual Inter-Services Competition. Although a match was played between the officers of the British Army and the officers of the Royal Navy at The Oval, London on 13 February 1878, it was not until 1907 that the Army Navy Match became an annual fixture. For the first fixture the match Secretary was Surg Lt George Levick RN. From 1909 it was jointly administered by the newly formed Royal Navy Rugby Union (RNRU – 1907) [3] and the Army Rugby Union (ARU – 1906). Since then it has been played every season, with the exception of during the world wars (1914–19 and 1940–45) and COVID-19 pandemic when the matches were suspended.

  1. ^ a b c "Navy Rugby by Alligin Photography". Archived from the original on 2016-06-02. Retrieved 2016-05-02.
  2. ^ "The History of Navy Rugby by Alligin Photography". The History of Navy Rugby by Alligin Photography.
  3. ^ The Army and Navy Gazette 16 Nov 1907