A MAGYAR RÖGBI FOTÓ- DOKUMENTUM ÉS VIDEÓ GYŰJTEMÉNYE
The British Connection

 

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29 March, 1997
Kecskemét, Széktói stadium
Easter International Tournament
1. Hungarian National Team 2. Heusenstamm RFC (German) 3. Fehérvár és Kecskemét Nass 5. Budapest Exiles és Mill Hill RFC (English) 7. Esztergomi Vitézek és Coctail Mix
The English and German sides at the opening:


Millhill at the banquette:






1996. summer
Budapest Exiles those days with their coach, Mark O'Driscoll in Székesfehérvár:




1-2 June, 1996
Qualification Round for HK Sevens WC, Lisbon - Portugal
Norway - Hungary    10-19
Ireland - Hungary      80-0
New Zealand - Hungary   0-89
National 7s coaches: Mr. Mark O'Driscoll and Mr. Zoltán Adamik
Players: M. Fehér, Gy. Bartók, Gy. Ivánffy, G. Makai, A. Kardos (c), A. Novák, B. Kiss, J. Molnár, P. Virágos Kis, J. Donaldson, Z. Boross, Zs. Jéga-Szabó
The Hungarian team with the New Zealanders:





1 May, 1996 - Saturday
FIRA B4 group match
16.00 Hungary - Slovenia 34-11

The new national teams' coach, Mark O'Driscoll handles an award to a Slovenien player. At the background: Mr. Béla Körmöczi, Mr. Gyula Magyarovics Gyula President and Mrs Ria Ispánné Gen Sec.


28 April, 1996
11.30 Gyöngyös Váltógyári pitch - a friendly game
Gyöngyösi Farkasok - Gentlemen (English) 12-7 (7-7) referee: Mr. Zsolt Fekete



7 April, 1996
Sondex Cup - international Easter tournament
Teams: Hungarian national team, Battai Bátor Bulldogok, Budapest Exiles, Coctail - Mixed Team, Vienna Celtic, Kecskemét Gamf RC, Erdington RFC, Old Haleyburians RFC, Ronneby RFC


.

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26 March, 1996
We had a guest referee this weekend. Hugh Gill (RIP 2021.) arrived from Jersey Island and whistled a championship game in Székesfehérvár.







8-10 September 1995
Bjezelsko, Slovenia - 2nd International 7s Tournament
1. Ljubljana (Slovenia) 2. New Zealand Kiwis (New Zealand ) 3. Zagreb (Croatia)
4. Green Dragons (Slovenia) 5. Impalas (the UK) 6. Dreher Esztergomi Vitézek (Hungary)




25 August 1995 - Orfű, Termesz Cup
Two exiles in Hungary, Niel Thompson from the Szentes team and Andi from the Kecskemét side:




10 June 1995
Nelson Mandela and Will Carling in the Hungarian national sports daily:




Mr Peter Richmond from Oxfordshire was in Hungary again. He visited sevral clubs holding training courses.





8 June 1995
Fax from the HRU Office to Mill Hill RFC




27 May 1995 - South Africa
Mr Gyula Magyarovics, HRU President, takes part in the starting RWC 1995.


20 April 1995 - Thursday
Kecskemét - Witney RFC



The tour T-shirt






14-15 April 1995. Budapest Easter Rugby Tournament
Friday
15.00 Kispesti Elefántok - Mende (French) 12-0
17.00 Érdi Ártatlanok - Hitchin RFC (English) 10-13

Saturday
13.00 Sub Rosa - Old Edwardien (English) 41-8
15.00 Sondex Miskolci Keselyűk - Ljubljana (Slovenian) 118-0

15.00 Kecskemét, GAMF pitch - Kecskemét Gathering of Rugbypeople
Witney Rugby Football Club (English)-GAMF 32-2
Érdi Ártatlanok-Witney Rugby Football Club 17-16
Witney Rugby Football Club-Battai Bátor Bulldogok 43-19


Brian Kentish (RIP - 9 January 2022) and his family from Oxfordshire in Kecskeméten:



Sunday
Budapest Easter Rugby Tournament
1. csoport. Budapest, Zugló
11.00 Kispesti Elefántok - Hitchin RFC (angol) 12-17
13.00 Érdi Artatlanok - Mende (francia)
2. csoport. Budapest, Orczy kert
14.00 Sub Rosa - Ljubljana (szlovén) 20-50
16.00 Sondex Miskolci Keselyűk - Old Edwardien (angol)

Kispesti Elefántok vs. Hitchin RFC:






30 November 1994 - Wednesday
10.00 HRU Office
Two Hungarian rugby referees, Mr Csaba Lukács and Mr Attila Kardos (RIP), are leaving to Oxfordshire to take part in a one week training. After previous December, it was the second session for Hungarian referees overthere.



20 November 1994
A guest from Oxfordshire - Mr. Brian Kentish





12 October 1994
Three guests from Witney RFC in Batta:





23 April 1994.
The Batta team travelled to an England tour.
They played against 3 teams, including their host, Whitney RFC.



1 April 1994 - Friday
15.00 GAMF pitch in Kecskemét - Haringey RFC London 14-59

2 April - Saturday
12.00 Kolping pitch: Esztergom - Brescia - Italian 3-0
14.00 Bregyó pitch in Székesfehérvár: FÁSE - Old Cranleighan RFC 16-17
15.00 Orczy Garden pitch: Zöld Sólymok (Green Falcons) - Haringey RFC 8-66
16.30 Orczy Garden pitch: Zöld Sólymok II. - Haringey RFC II. 8-52

An article about the Orczy Garden event:







4-16 March, 1994
As the guests of the Hungarian Rugby Union, Peter Richmond from the UK and the fromer fitness coach of the French national side, Fabrice Brochare stayed in Hungary. They held several several tranings all over Hungary for various clubs.

Fabrice Brochare, Miss Eszter Szőts - Union Secretary, Dr. Gyula Magyarovics - Member of the HRU Presidium, Mrs Ria Ispánné - General Secretary of the HRU and Peter Richmond





2-10 December, 1993
The Oxfordshire Rugby Football Referees Society hosted three Hungarian referees, driving form Hungary to England. They took part in trainings, refereed matches and socialized, as well as saw the varsity match in Twickenham.
Brian Kentish, Peter Richmond, Martin Blend and Bob Perkin did the major steak of the organization, including bad and meal for the extended week.
Detailed itenariry::







19 November 1993.
A Budapest Business Journal article about Hungarian rugby:





23 October, 1993 - Saturday
Hungarian Cup final
14.30 Budapest, Kőér street pitch:
Kispesti Elefántok - FASE 31-3
His Excellency, Donald Kingsmill, Australian Ambassador to Hungary watched the match and forwarded a set of jerseys as present from Canterbury Co.



12 April, 1993 - Monday
15.00 Bregyó lane: Székesfehérvár FÁSE - Civil Service 26-5 (7-0) Referee.: Szláva Kozmenko - Ukrainan
15.00 Orczy park: Budapest Exiles - London French RFC



10 April, 1993 - Saturday
15.00 Orczy park: Budapest Exiles - Civil Service 12-22 (0-15) Refere.: McKimmey
16.00 Bregyó köz: FÁSE - London French 13-46 (13-17) Referee.: Mr. Sándor Erdélyi Sándor - Budapest


9 April, 1993 - Friday
16.00 Kolping pitch: Esztergomi Vitézek - London French RFC 25-16 (12-6)



8 April, 1993 - Thursday
17.00 Orczypark: Budapest XV - Coventry juniort 3-6 (0-0) Referee.: O'Hara - Irish



April 1993
Mr Peter Richmond, from Oxfordshire, spent almost a month in Hungary (Oxfordshire Society of Rugby Referees)
Above trainings and referee coaching he refereed the Hungary - Germany U23 friendly national team match on 5 April.




13 Marc, 1993 - Saturday in Esztergom
10.00: Esztergom 7s i.e. Brittanica Cup
Patron: His Excellency John Birch - British Ambassador to Hungary



January 1993
Hungarian National Sports daily article about a US President who played rugby in Oxford:





18-22 November, 1992 - Bristol
Habóczky Gusztáv HRU President és Gacsal József HRU General Secretary took part in IRFB General Meeting.
The President hada visit to the RFU Presidentl, Sir Peter Yarranton.



5 October, 1992 - Budapest
Neil Currie, an English origin and referee of many matches lately, has organized a rugby team in Budapest, based on the foreign expatriots working in Budapest. The name of the side is Budapesti Sétálók, i.e. Budapest Walkers - presumably the predecessor of the current Budapest Exiles.
They played their first match against Százhalombatta RC. The Walkers won 20-12 (15-7).


Summer 1992
The European Rugby Association - FIRA, seated in France, admitted the Hungarian rugby Union as its member country.


13 July, 1992
First Hungary visit of Mr. Peter Richmond from Oxfordshire to support Hungarians in rugby methodology.
He came to hungary for years from then on.



25 May, 1992 - 17.00
Hungarian Rugby Referees body meeting
Energovill Rt. offices, Budapest, III. ker. Árpád fejedelem u. 53/a
A lecture held by: David Spyer RFU London Rugby Referees Society President (D O Spyer, President of LSRFUR: 1992 - 1995, passed in 2011( Life Vice President David Spyer, a Lensbury man, Middlesex Sevens archivist of many years, disciplinary panellist and long-standing member of the LSRFUR ) )



March, 1992
The Zöld Sólymok (Green Falcons) side in an England tour.
Mill Hill - Zöld Sólymok 10-7
Oxford Mixed - Zöld Sólymok 38-11
Blue Boar - Zöld Sólymok 30-6
Hungarians in the Millhill club - in a good mood:




22 March, 1992
Kecskemét - GAMF pitch
GAMF Kecskemét - Vienna Celtic



Winter 1991
Our IRFB - later IRB, now World Rugby - admisssion was accepted.



2 November, 1991
RWC final: Australia - England
An entrance ticket, used by the President of the Hungarian Rugby Union, Mr. Gusztáv Habóczki





2 September, 1991
Kecskemét, GAMF pitch 17.30
GAMF Kecskemét - Oxfordshire - Blue Boars RFC 18-46 (6-28)

The Oxfordshire team from Longworth was on its first Hungary tour.

7 September, 1991
14.00 BEAC Budapest - Oxfordshire-Blue Boars 9-20

The home of Blue Boars - a pub as of 1606 near Oxford, in Longworth. The Blue Boar was voted WINNER in the Traditional Pubs category at The Oxfordshire Restaurant Awards 2012.
A Blue Boar shield
Source: Website of the pub





July 1991 - estimated date
The rugby side of GAMF College Kecskemét had an England tour in the organisation of the twin town of kecskemét, Rüsselheim. They visited the town of Rugby and they played against Old Laurentian RFC.
Boros Zoli and Kovács Laci at the rugby memorial:




16 June, 1991 - Sunday in Vienna
Vienna International Tournament
Vienna Celtic - GAMF Kecskemét 22-16

Final ranking: 1. GAMF A 2. a Czech side 3. Vienna Celtic 4. a French side 5. GAMF B




April 1991
It is possible to order Even Better Rugby RFU training video via the Hungarian Rugby Union.



31 March, 1991 - Sunday
International friendly:
Gamf Kecskemét - Savdie 0-16
Gamf Kecskemét - Vienna Celtic 0-24



21 October, 1990
GAMF Kecskemét - Vienna Celtic 30-4




30 September, 1990
Érd-Ófalusi pitch
Energovill International Cup
Final ranking:: 1. Brno 2.Vienna Celtic 3. BEAC I. 4. Liget SE 5. Érd 6. BEAC II.



19-20 August, 1990 - Érd
6th International Rugby Tournament
Invited participants:
Vienna Celtic, Montpellier, Zbrojovka Brno, RAF Latvijas, Érd, FASE, Budapest Selection, Százhalombatta


15 March, 1990
1990. március 15.
16.30 In Érd, following an all day tournament dedicated to the 1848 revolution, the representatives of the clubs established the official Hungarian Rugby Union. During the communist regime it had been impossible to create the organisation.
16.30 Az érdi Március 15. Kupát követően a klubok képviselői hívatalosan is megalakítják a Magyar Rögbi Szövetséget. A kommunista rezsim alatt erre nem volt lehetőség.




28 October, 1989 - Vienna
11.00 Vienna Celtic A - BEAC


15 October, 1989 - Budapest
13.00 BEAC - Vienna Celtic B 10-4




2 April, 1989 - Győr 13.00
Győr - MÁVDAC pitch: BEAC - Vienna Celtic 20-19


Related article:





8 Oct. 1988, Vienna
Vienna Celtic 10 year old memorial tournament
Vienna-Kecskemét GAMF

Video is not available currently!




20 August, 1988 - Érd
'Rögbi Reál' Cup
Finals:
Fehérvár - Liget SE 6-16
Érdi VSE - Belluno 0-16
Hennigsdroff - BEAC 3-7
BRO Ffestiniog - Zbrojovka Brno 0-10
Final ranking: 1. Zbrojovka Brno 2. BRO Ffestiniog - Wales 3. BEAC






5 April, 1987 - Kecskemét 10.00 GAMF College pitch
GAMF Kecskemét - Vienna Celtic 0-18


Vida-Szűcs Lajos and Halász Tamás in heavy defence:








27 October, 1985 - 15.00 Esztergom
Labor MIM - Vienna Celtic - a friendly match


13 October, 1985 - Vienna
Vienna Celtic - GAMF Kecskemét


7 July, 1985. Érd
Érd Saint Stephens day Tournament preliminary - one of the planned participants: Vienna Celtics





15 May, 1985 - Győr
Győri Új Kalász RSE - Vienna Celtic 24-3
The recently established Győr team exploited the close proximity of the Celtic team from Vienna and they hosted them


Some photos of the Győr match:




















20 April, 1985 - Esztergom, 7 a side tournament in Győr with the cooperation of the British Embassy
Group A: Labor MIM A, OKGT, Győr, Botond
Group B: BEAC, GAMF, MGM, Labor MIM B


Award for one of the participant teams:








15-16 December, 1984 - GAMF College pitch, Kecskemét
7 a Side Winter Tournament
Final ranking: 1. Lokomitiv Olomouc - cseh 2. Dinamo Beográd - jugoszláv 3. Kecskemét 4. Vienna Celtic
5. GAMF A 6. BEAC Elte Budapest 7. GAMF B 8. Esztergom Labor MIM 9. OKGT 10. MGM Diósd

Celtic players on the ground





8. April, 1984 - Kecskemét, Gamf College pitch
GAMF - Vienna Celtic 18-42 (6-20)
B teams: 3-50 (3-24)



8 October 1983
12.00 Vienna Celtic B - GAMF Kecskemét B 12-30
13.30 Vienna Celtic A - GAMF Kecskemét A 20-21
The Kecskemét team had been toruing regularly to the Celtics for years, but this was the first time they could win as tourists.






26-28 August, 1983 - Czechoslovakia
GAMF Kecskemét and BEAC Budapest on the Olomouc International Tournament
German, French (US Villejeuf), Polish and British (Pennygroes RFC) sides took part in the tournament regularly.
Two pictures of the Budapest team matches:




20 March, 1983- Kecskemét - Gamf pitch 12.00
GAMF Kecskemét - Vienna Celtic 13-13 (13-6)
B teams from 10 am





19 September, 1982 - Vienna
Vienna Celtic - GAMF Kecskemét








7 May, 1982 - Győr
BEAC Budapest - Vienna Celtic 23-15


April 1982 - Kecskemét
GAMF - Vienna Celtic



4 October, 1981 - Vienna
The first visit of Kecskemét College - GAMF in Vienna
Vienna Celtic - GAMF Kecskemét 40-4
The local county daily's article report about the tour:





30 August, 1981 - Olomouc, Czechoslovakia
augusztus 30. Olmüc
BEAC RC first took part in the Olomouc Internationals where a Wales team also took part, namely Penygroes RFC.


The final ranking of the tournament:




2 May, 1981
16.00 Kecskemét, GAMF College pitch
GAMF RC - Vienna Celtic 9-47
B teams: 0-19
BEAC I. - Vienna Celtic 19-3
As of the late 70s early 80s start Vienna Celtic have regularly been plaing against the two major Hungarian teams those days.
Kecskemét regular agenda was to host the Celtics in spring and visit to Vienna in mid October.



19 October, 1980
Kecskemét, GAMF College pitch
11.00 GAMF Kecskemét - Vienna Celtic 10-38 (4-22)
9.30 B teams' match: 6-12

An article in the local county daily:



Some photos of the match:





The local Kecskemét team:
Source: John Skinner - Vienna Celtic





15 May, 1980 - 10.00 Budapest, BEAC pitch - 700 spectators
BEAC Budapest - Vienna Celtic RFC 12-14
BEAC ELTE jr. - Vienna Celtic B 19-10

An excerpt of the A teams match - Vienna Celtic in blue stripes:





An article in a Vienna newspaper about the Budapest match of Vienna Celtic.
In the middle one of the first Hungarian rugby plyers, today veterans, Mr. Sándor Erdélyi - started rugby in 1969.







7 October, 1979, MAFC pitch in Budapest
A small international tournament with the participation of Botond RC I. and II., Vienna Celtic and Ingstav Brno.
Botond - Vienna match excerpt:




20 May, 1979
The first Hungarian match of Vienna Celtic against Botond RC, in Budapest
The two teams after the match:




17 January, 1979
First contacting of Vienna Celtic to the Hungarian rugby from William Crisp. For probable conspiration reasons, the letter was posted in Ljubljana, in those days Yugoslavia.






September 1978
The newly established Vienna international rugby side started to build contacts to the rugby sides in the neighbouring countries. One of the founder, William Crisp, an American, talks about the first steps that later included a Hungarian initiation:
"Regarding our 1978-9 contacts in Czechoslovakia: I sent a letter to a sporting association in Bratislava, which didn’t have a rugby team. The letter got sent to Zbrojovka Brno. Then we got put in contact with Jerzi Kotlovi of the Gottwaldov Rugby Club. Celtic must have played  two matches on the very good Gottwaldov pitch in the spring of 1978 or 1979. Clearly, although we did not understand it at the time, rugby was much more established in Bohemia and Moravia than we realized. In fact, we were almost completely in the dark regarding rugby in the countries surrounding Austria."

"From Gottwaldov, we established contact with Milos Dobry of Rugby Club Olomouc, and this spread from Zbrovka to Ingstav, Brno. I have to say that the Zbrovoka pitch was iron hard, uh. But the other pitches were soft and comfortable. At that time, the ruling rugby club in Czechoslovakia was at Vyskov, north of Brno. Let’s face it, other than a sugar beet factory in the town, there wasn’t much else to do, so they organized an excellent rugby club."

"In the period 1978—79 we had several Americans on the Celtic club who were studying in Vienna. Frankly, this was a difficult time in East-West relations. The American boys were amazed and wide-eyed when crossing the “Iron Curtain” into Czechoslovakia. In fact, the tough Czech frontier guards at the Miskov, I think, crossing point looked at the boys’ passport photos, where they did not have beards, and said, ‘you’ve got beards now. If you want to come into our country, then shave off the beards.’ So the boys had to take one dull razor with cold water and shave off their beards, with much yelling and complaining. Most of these American boys are now successful executives, academics and fathers, but they always remember shaving off their beards on command of the Czech border guards at Miskov."



Spring 1969
The first series of rugby teams settled in Hungary to compete in a championship.



23 September 1958
The Hungarian National Sport Magazin's article about a Brit dilema: rugby or soccer at schools in Great Britain:






9 Augusztus 1933, Gödöllő - World Jamboree
An excerpt from the publication Jamboree Budapest-Gödöllő 1933 :
'The rugby match between England and South Africa was a real amazement for the public'

Source: Hungarian Scouts







10 April 1912, Wednesday: two English team introduces rugby at Millenáris during the Easter week.
In 1912 Rosslyn Park RFC, founded in 1879, toured to Central Europe to play in Prague, Budapest and Vienna. Their touring opponent was an Oxford-Camridge mixed side.
Rosslyn Park FC - Nomads 16-16 (12-5)
Millenáris pitch - 3000 néző - the location is the horse race centre in Budapest, but as of October 2019, the 50th anniversary of Hungarian rugby, the Budapest Rugby Centre has the seat there.

Source: Tolnai Világlapja

The touring teams:





11 April 1912 Thursday
Millenáris 5.00 pm: Rosslyn Park FC - Nomads repeated match due to the great interest of the public
Promotion in Pesti Hirlap, a daily newspaper:


The touring teams in Prague on the following days:
Source: Sportblatt, an Austrian daily. It had a detailed report about the tour in their 16/1912 issue.

A cartoon, related to the matches, in Kakas Márton satirical weekly:







September 1906, Fiume
In Fiume, part of the Hungarian Kingdom then, the crew of two British battleships fought a proper match. The crew of Queen won 6-0.
Source: National Sports, 28 March 1965
And a report from those days:

Source: Sports World, 9 September 1906






Late 1890s
An Englishman, certain Mr. Thompson, brought a rugby ball with rubber inner part to Hungary and his company kicked it at the three lombardy poplars in Liget, Budapest. Local boys returned them the ball.

Source: National Sports, 21 July 1929



in about 1875
During the last third of the 19th century employees of the British Embassy played some form of rugby in Szabadság Square in Budapest.