RNRU Royal Navy Rugby Union

The recent games against the Marine Nationale saw six players awarded their prestigious Royal Navy Rugby Union cap by President Vice Admiral Sir Philip Jones.  For the Women it was the first occasion that the match against the French was given cap status.  For the men, when Edd Pascoe took the field late in the match it took to 718 the number of players who have been awarded caps since the first capped match against the Army in 1907.

The Women are naturally some way behind the Men in terms of the total number of capped players.  However Alice Kightley became the 23^rd player to be awarded a cap since Vic Pervical won the first RN Women’s cap in 2011.

The Women have to play a minimum of four qualifying games to receive their cap with the added criteria that for the games to count they must have been since 2008.  This was only recently changed from a qualifying number of six matches.  For both Kirsty Marlor and Andrea Marshall their caps were particularly welcome as having missed last season through operational commitments they fell between the two qualifying criteria.  With both coming on as replacements; Kirsty became the 24^th capped player, with Andrea being the 25^th.

With over a hundred years of playing history the ‘Silver Tie’ club of Royal Navy players is now over seven hundred with more than twenty five players having won at least fifteen caps.  Scott Puleston, as the starting blindside flanker, was the first of the three men to win their caps on the night, becoming the RNRU’s 716^th capped player.   Then midway through the second half, Josh Jones, and finally Edd Pascoe earned their caps from the replacement’s bench.

All six players were presented with their caps at the after match meal by Royal Navy Rugby Union President, Vice Admiral Sir Philip Jones KCB. 

Alligin Photography / © Geraint Ashton Jones  & © Crown Copyright