A remarkable photo has been revealed of the England Rugby Union team taken just months before WWI broke out.
Of the 15 men in the photo, seven of them would perish in the Great War.
The photo was taken just before their 16-15 win against arch-rivals Scotland.
Now, almost 100 years after the war began, a unique sporting project celebrating the lives and deaths of these men, along with every Rugby Union player killed during the First World War, will be published.
In the image one of the country's finest players Lt Ronald Poulton-Palmer can be seen crossing his arms in the front row.
The England captain led an unbeaten side in the two years preceding the war, including a Grand Slam-winning victory in the 1914 Five Nations Championship.
He was killed within six weeks by a sniper on the Western Front, near to the Belgium border. It is reported he said 'I will never play at Twickenham again' as he died.
Qualified surgeon James 'Bungy' Watson was part of the Royal Navy and posted to HMS Hawke.
In September 1914 the ship was blown up and sunk in eight minutes by a German submarine while on patrol with sister ship HMS Thesesus. 500 men, including the player, perished.
Another five of the team would also perish.
In total, 140 men from nine international Rugby Union teams perished in the conflict. As well as those who played for England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, there were also those who played for other teams within the British Empire, such as Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, and also the USA and France.
The lives and deaths of all 140 men will feature in new book Into Touch: Rugby Internationals Killed In The Great War, which will be published by Pen and Sword early next year.
Pictured: The England rugby team pose for a last photograph just months before being called up to fight in the First World War where seven of them would perish
Lives of every Rugby Union player who perished in WW1 to be honoured
Includes flanker who died at the Somme and forward in Zeebrugge Raid
Screenwriter Nigel McCrery spent two years researching the men
Found over 140 players from nine teams died in the war by combing archives
Next year marks 100-year anniversary of the Great War, which killed millions
By Lizzie Edmonds
30 December 2013
Daily Mail
This remarkable photograph is of the 1914 England rugby team - taken months before they were called up to fight in the Great War.
The team went on to win the match against rivals Scotland 16-15, but within months most of them were called up to join the war effort - and many of them died before the end of the conflict.
Now, 100 years after the war began, a unique sporting project celebrating the lives and deaths of these men, along with every Rugby Union player killed during the First World War, will be published.
England team: Back row, left to right: Alfred Maynard, Arthur Dingle, Bungy Watson, Cyril Lowe, Sidney Smart, G Ward, Joseph Brunton, JE Greenwood. Front row, left to right: William Johnston, Cherry Pillman, HC Harrison, Ronald Poulton-Palmer, Bruno Brown, Francis Oakeley, WJA 'Dave' Davies
In the image one of the country's finest players Lt Ronald Poulton-Palmer can be seen crossing his arms in the front row.
The captain led an unbeaten side in the two years preceding the war, including a Grand Slam- winning victory in Five Nations Championship, April 1914.
He was killed within six weeks by a sniper on the Western Front, near to the Belgium border. It is reported he said 'I will never play at Twickenham again' as he died.
Qualified surgeon James 'Bungy' Watson was part of the Royal Navy and posted to HMS Hawke.
In September 1914 the ship was blown up and sunk in eight minutes by a German submarine while on patrol with sister ship HMS Thesesus. 500 men, including the player, perished.
Arthur 'Mud' Dingle and his men were ordered to take Scimitar Hill for the second time in 1915.
The mission was a disaster and the captain was assumed dead on 22 August, but his body was never found.
Forward Arthur Harrison had a prolific career as a Lieutenant Commander in the navy.
He fought in the 1914 Heligoland Bight battle plus Jutland and Dogger Bank in 1915, before dying in the 1918 Zeebrugge Raid - during which all of his men were either killed or wounded.
He was given a Victoria Cross for his service and his mother received it in 1967.
Lieutenant Alfred Frederick Maynard died on the first day of the Battle of the Ancre 1916, having survived being shot in the leg at Gallipoli.
Captain Robert Pillman - a flanker - died during the infamous Battle of the Somme in 1916. He was shot on a German parapet while trying to get his men away during a night raid.
He didn't die instantly, but after several hours he succumbed to his wounds.
Lieutenant Francis Eckley Oakeley played as a scrum half. He died on HMS D2 submarine when the vessel was rammed and sunk by a German patrol boat in 1914.
Silent Witness screenwriter Nigel McCrery spent two years piecing together information on the lives of the team, as well as every international who defended their country.
In action: England's Francis Oakeley (centre) tries to break down the wing, with support from teammates Alfred Maynard (left), Sidney Smart (second right) and Ronald Poulton-Palmer (right)
By painstakingly combing archives, the rugby fan first identified each player from every country involved in the war, before looking in to where the player fought.
Mr McCrery found a total of 140 players from nine teams who gave their lives to the effort by searching through piles of sporting and historical records.
He found information about internationals who played for France and the USA, as well as those from Allied sides, including all British countries, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand.
Killed: 'Bungy' Watson was posted to HMS Hawke (pictured). In September 1914 the ship was blown up and sunk in eight minutes by a German submarine, killing 500
Mr McCrery discovered some of the international players sadly died of disease, while others committed suicide following the trauma of war.
The writer said he discovered some of the other team members who survived the war went on to fight in the Second World War. Others, he said, live on into old age.
The lives and deaths of all 140 men will feature in Into Touch: Rugby Internationals Killed In The Great War, which will be published by Pen and Sword early next year.
The book covers a history of international rugby up to the First World War. It also includes biographies - including how each man died and where they were buried - and photographs of each player.
Notorious: Captain Pillman died on the parapet of German trench during the infamous Battle of the Somme in 1916, in which the British Empire and France defeated Germany. Over 1 million men were killed or injured, making it one of the bloodiest battles in history. (pictured)
Speaking today Mr McCrery said: 'I have a real interest in the Great War and Rugby Union - both inherited from my father.
'I think it would be a tragedy if, after 100 years, these great men are forgotten.'
'I want people who read it to realise the effects of war. These were exceptional people - not only great players, but intelligent men and members of the community who were tragically lost.'
Some estimates suggest almost 70 million men from around the world died in the conflict, which lasted between July 1914 and November 1918.
1914 ENGLAND TEAM: THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LIVES AND WHERE
Lt Alfred Frederick Maynard: Hooker. Died on the first day of Battle of Ancre 1916, having survived being shot in Gallipoli.
Captain Arthur James Dingle: Wing. Killed during disastrous second attack at Scimitar Hill 1915. His body was never found.
Surgeon James Henry-Digby 'Bungy' Watson: Centre. Died when the HMS Hawke was sunk by a German submarine in 1914. 500 men perished in attack.
Captain Robert Pillman: Flanker. Died on parapet of German trench during Battle of the Somme 1916. He was attempting to get his men away from a night raid.
Lt Commander Arthur Harrison: Forward. Was killed during 1918 Zeebrugge Raid - where all of his men were either shot or killed. His mother picked up his Victoria Cross in 1967.
Lt Ronald Poulton-Palmer: Captain. Died on the Western Front, close to Belgium border in 1914. Reportedly said he would 'never play at Twickenham again' as he died.
Lieutenant Francis Eckley Oakeley: Scrum half. Died on HMS D2 submarine when the vessel was rammed and sunk in 1914.
Into Touch: Rugby Internationals Killed In The War will be published By Pen and Sword in January.
Read more: Pictured: The England rugby team pose for a last photograph just months before being called up to fight in the First World War where seven of them would perish | Mail Online
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
Of the 15 men in the photo, seven of them would perish in the Great War.
The photo was taken just before their 16-15 win against arch-rivals Scotland.
Now, almost 100 years after the war began, a unique sporting project celebrating the lives and deaths of these men, along with every Rugby Union player killed during the First World War, will be published.
In the image one of the country's finest players Lt Ronald Poulton-Palmer can be seen crossing his arms in the front row.
The England captain led an unbeaten side in the two years preceding the war, including a Grand Slam-winning victory in the 1914 Five Nations Championship.
He was killed within six weeks by a sniper on the Western Front, near to the Belgium border. It is reported he said 'I will never play at Twickenham again' as he died.
Qualified surgeon James 'Bungy' Watson was part of the Royal Navy and posted to HMS Hawke.
In September 1914 the ship was blown up and sunk in eight minutes by a German submarine while on patrol with sister ship HMS Thesesus. 500 men, including the player, perished.
Another five of the team would also perish.
In total, 140 men from nine international Rugby Union teams perished in the conflict. As well as those who played for England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, there were also those who played for other teams within the British Empire, such as Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, and also the USA and France.
The lives and deaths of all 140 men will feature in new book Into Touch: Rugby Internationals Killed In The Great War, which will be published by Pen and Sword early next year.
Pictured: The England rugby team pose for a last photograph just months before being called up to fight in the First World War where seven of them would perish
Lives of every Rugby Union player who perished in WW1 to be honoured
Includes flanker who died at the Somme and forward in Zeebrugge Raid
Screenwriter Nigel McCrery spent two years researching the men
Found over 140 players from nine teams died in the war by combing archives
Next year marks 100-year anniversary of the Great War, which killed millions
By Lizzie Edmonds
30 December 2013
Daily Mail
This remarkable photograph is of the 1914 England rugby team - taken months before they were called up to fight in the Great War.
The team went on to win the match against rivals Scotland 16-15, but within months most of them were called up to join the war effort - and many of them died before the end of the conflict.
Now, 100 years after the war began, a unique sporting project celebrating the lives and deaths of these men, along with every Rugby Union player killed during the First World War, will be published.
England team: Back row, left to right: Alfred Maynard, Arthur Dingle, Bungy Watson, Cyril Lowe, Sidney Smart, G Ward, Joseph Brunton, JE Greenwood. Front row, left to right: William Johnston, Cherry Pillman, HC Harrison, Ronald Poulton-Palmer, Bruno Brown, Francis Oakeley, WJA 'Dave' Davies
In the image one of the country's finest players Lt Ronald Poulton-Palmer can be seen crossing his arms in the front row.
The captain led an unbeaten side in the two years preceding the war, including a Grand Slam- winning victory in Five Nations Championship, April 1914.
He was killed within six weeks by a sniper on the Western Front, near to the Belgium border. It is reported he said 'I will never play at Twickenham again' as he died.
Qualified surgeon James 'Bungy' Watson was part of the Royal Navy and posted to HMS Hawke.
In September 1914 the ship was blown up and sunk in eight minutes by a German submarine while on patrol with sister ship HMS Thesesus. 500 men, including the player, perished.
Arthur 'Mud' Dingle and his men were ordered to take Scimitar Hill for the second time in 1915.
The mission was a disaster and the captain was assumed dead on 22 August, but his body was never found.
Forward Arthur Harrison had a prolific career as a Lieutenant Commander in the navy.
He fought in the 1914 Heligoland Bight battle plus Jutland and Dogger Bank in 1915, before dying in the 1918 Zeebrugge Raid - during which all of his men were either killed or wounded.
He was given a Victoria Cross for his service and his mother received it in 1967.
Lieutenant Alfred Frederick Maynard died on the first day of the Battle of the Ancre 1916, having survived being shot in the leg at Gallipoli.
Captain Robert Pillman - a flanker - died during the infamous Battle of the Somme in 1916. He was shot on a German parapet while trying to get his men away during a night raid.
He didn't die instantly, but after several hours he succumbed to his wounds.
Lieutenant Francis Eckley Oakeley played as a scrum half. He died on HMS D2 submarine when the vessel was rammed and sunk by a German patrol boat in 1914.
Silent Witness screenwriter Nigel McCrery spent two years piecing together information on the lives of the team, as well as every international who defended their country.
In action: England's Francis Oakeley (centre) tries to break down the wing, with support from teammates Alfred Maynard (left), Sidney Smart (second right) and Ronald Poulton-Palmer (right)
By painstakingly combing archives, the rugby fan first identified each player from every country involved in the war, before looking in to where the player fought.
Mr McCrery found a total of 140 players from nine teams who gave their lives to the effort by searching through piles of sporting and historical records.
He found information about internationals who played for France and the USA, as well as those from Allied sides, including all British countries, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand.
Killed: 'Bungy' Watson was posted to HMS Hawke (pictured). In September 1914 the ship was blown up and sunk in eight minutes by a German submarine, killing 500
Mr McCrery discovered some of the international players sadly died of disease, while others committed suicide following the trauma of war.
The writer said he discovered some of the other team members who survived the war went on to fight in the Second World War. Others, he said, live on into old age.
The lives and deaths of all 140 men will feature in Into Touch: Rugby Internationals Killed In The Great War, which will be published by Pen and Sword early next year.
The book covers a history of international rugby up to the First World War. It also includes biographies - including how each man died and where they were buried - and photographs of each player.
Notorious: Captain Pillman died on the parapet of German trench during the infamous Battle of the Somme in 1916, in which the British Empire and France defeated Germany. Over 1 million men were killed or injured, making it one of the bloodiest battles in history. (pictured)
Speaking today Mr McCrery said: 'I have a real interest in the Great War and Rugby Union - both inherited from my father.
'I think it would be a tragedy if, after 100 years, these great men are forgotten.'
'I want people who read it to realise the effects of war. These were exceptional people - not only great players, but intelligent men and members of the community who were tragically lost.'
Some estimates suggest almost 70 million men from around the world died in the conflict, which lasted between July 1914 and November 1918.
1914 ENGLAND TEAM: THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LIVES AND WHERE
Lt Alfred Frederick Maynard: Hooker. Died on the first day of Battle of Ancre 1916, having survived being shot in Gallipoli.
Captain Arthur James Dingle: Wing. Killed during disastrous second attack at Scimitar Hill 1915. His body was never found.
Surgeon James Henry-Digby 'Bungy' Watson: Centre. Died when the HMS Hawke was sunk by a German submarine in 1914. 500 men perished in attack.
Captain Robert Pillman: Flanker. Died on parapet of German trench during Battle of the Somme 1916. He was attempting to get his men away from a night raid.
Lt Commander Arthur Harrison: Forward. Was killed during 1918 Zeebrugge Raid - where all of his men were either shot or killed. His mother picked up his Victoria Cross in 1967.
Lt Ronald Poulton-Palmer: Captain. Died on the Western Front, close to Belgium border in 1914. Reportedly said he would 'never play at Twickenham again' as he died.
Lieutenant Francis Eckley Oakeley: Scrum half. Died on HMS D2 submarine when the vessel was rammed and sunk in 1914.
Into Touch: Rugby Internationals Killed In The War will be published By Pen and Sword in January.
Read more: Pictured: The England rugby team pose for a last photograph just months before being called up to fight in the First World War where seven of them would perish | Mail Online
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