Defence Blacks team preparing for upcoming European tour

Above: two of the players joining the Defence Blacks for their tour of Europe and the United Kingdom to compete in the International Defence Force Rugby World Cup, captain and Old Boys University club midfielder Logan Vaughan and Upper Hutt Rams club wing Tafa Tafa.

The NZDF Rugby Team, known as the “Defence Blacks” will tour Europe and the United Kingdom from 25 September to 4 November. The team plays two matches in Europe before competing in the International Defence Force Rugby World Cup (IDRC) in England, which coincides with the Rugby World Cup.

The first part of the tour will honour the soldiers of the First World War with a fixture in Paris against a French Selection, commemorating a match in 1917 where the New Zealand Division played a French military side in front of a 60,000-strong crowd and a match against the Belgian national team in retro 1917 style jerseys.

The IDRC tournament in England sees the New Zealand team up against 12 sides from 10 countries including the host nation, France, Australia, South Africa and the South Pacific sides.

The final is being played at the Twickenham Stoop ground, during the week of the Rugby World Cup final. The Defence Blacks are pooled with Japan, The Royal Navy and Fiji. Their first game is against Japan on 8 October.

The new Defence Blacks name for the team acknowledges the long-standing rugby tradition of the Defence Force, with the first recorded match involving New Zealand troops in December 1914. It is estimated that 20,000-30,000 rugby players and officials served with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the First World War. Of the 50 All Blacks who went to war, 13 did not return.

The Chief of Defence Force, Lieutenant General Tim Keating, said the new name for the rugby team is a fitting acknowledgement of the heritage between the Defence Force and the All Blacks.

“We have a long history with rugby. Down the years it has helped contribute to our military effectiveness, teaching important values and skills and serving as a valuable respite for those on active duty.

“After the end of the First World War, New Zealand soldiers won what is now recognised as one of the first international rugby tournaments, fielding 13 former or future All Blacks.

“It is fitting that the NZDF rugby team returns to Great Britain as part of the New Zealand Rugby family as the Defence Blacks.”

While in Europe the team will also take part in a number of services to acknowledge the sacrifice of 700 New Zealand soldiers who died in the 1917 Battle of Messines.

The Defence Blacks team includes two Wellington club rugby players, Tafa Tafa and Logan Vaughan, who are both in the Army.

Tafa Tafa plays for the Upper Hutt Rams on the wing and at fullback. Despite the demands of completing his course to become a Military Policeman he was able to play most of the season including the Rams’ Wellington Premier 2 Hardham Cup victory. The Lance Corporal said his work were very supportive all year. This allowed him to play for the Defence Blacks in Australia in April while his course was on and catch up on his work when he got back. He has been in the Defence Blacks for two seasons.

Logan Vaughan plays for Old Boys University in the midfield. An infantry officer, he missed several games due to being in Australia on exercise and in Vanuatu during the cyclone relief. But on returning home he said he was very privileged to play in the Goats’ Wellington club rugby Jubilee Cup victory which was the highlight of his season. Vaughan said the Army paying him to keep fit and supporting sports in general has been a huge factor in being able to play a bit longer than most after being first selected for the Defence Blacks in 2005.

Both Tafa and Vaughan were part of the Army team that won the inter-services rugby competition this year and the Defence Blacks team that defeated their Australian counterparts in the Anzac 100 years test in Canberra.

The tour would not be possible without the support of the Auckland and Christchurch RSAs, Rolls Royce, NEC, Datacom, Vodafone, Work Wear, and BLK.

The Defence Blacks Team to tour Europe and play in the International Defence Force World Cup is:

North Harbour:
B. ACHILLES (VICE CAPTAIN) Navy, North Shore
M. DAVYS, Navy, North Shore
S. HOLLIS, Navy, North Shore
K. FUREY, Navy, North Shore
C. THOMPSON, Navy, North Shore
H. PYNE, Navy, North Shore
S. MCDONELL, Navy, North Shore
D. MOTUTERE, Navy, North Shore
C WRIGHT, Army, North Shore
C. WAAKA, Air Force, Marist
 
Thames Valley:
M. ABRAHAM, Army, Thames Rugby and Sports Club

Manawatu:
B. WYNESS, Air Force, Fielding Yellows
L. BROUGHTON, Army, Linton
J. BERGHAN, Army, Linton
J. BAILEY, Army, Linton
T. OLIVER, Army, Linton
N. COOPER, Army, Linton

Horowhenua-Kapiti:
S. WOODMASS, Army, Shannon
R. BROUGHTON, Army, Shannon
A. WHITE, Army, Shannon
F. WOODMASS, Army, Shannon
D. WANOA, Air Force, Shannon
 
Wellington:
L. VAUGHAN (Captain), Army, Old Boys University
T. TAFA, Army, Upper Hutt Rams
 
Canterbury:
C. TOGIA, Army, Burnham
P. FILIPO, Army, Burnham
B. TE KANI, Army, Burnham
S. PROSSER, Army, Burnham
J. DEAL, Army, Burnham

Southland:
G. BALLAM, Army, Star

Some additional information about their tour

 The Defence Blacks will play two matches in Europe, these being against:

• A French selection in Paris, on 29 September, to commemorate a match in 1917 when the NZ Division played a French military side. (They played nine games out of the front lines and won all of them). The Cup they won this day was known as the Somme Cup. Tom French played this day and was never to play again. He was wounded and lost an arm at Passchendaele. The Tom French Cup is awarded to the Best Maori player at the NZRFU awards each year.

• The Belgium national team, on 3 October, as part of the Dave Gallaher Memorial Tournament at Zonnebeke. On 4 October, members will attend a commemoration at  s’ Gravenstafel in Belgium where, on that day in 1917, some 320 New Zealanders lost their lives. They included Dave Gallaher, the captain of the 1905/06 All Blacks, whose grave they will visit. They will also visit the French town of Arras, where New Zealand tunnellers worked during the war.

In the United Kingdom on 8 October they will play their first match in the International Defence Force Rugby World Cup against the Japanese Self Defence Force team. On 12 October they play the Royal Navy, and on 15 October they play Fiji. The quarter finals are on 19 October.

Also:

• The Hardham Cup is named after Major William Hardham VC and is the only sporting cup in NZ named after a recipient of the nation’s highest military honour.
• The Moascar Cup was competed for by the NZ, British and Australian soldiers who were left in the Middle East to await transport home. The cup is mounted on part of a propeller of a downed German aircraft and as the New Zealand team won it, it’s now home and played for by First XVs.
• The Dave Gallaher Trophy has been played in international rugby between the All Blacks and France since 1906. It is based on a challenge system, the holding union must defend the trophy in challenge matches. It is not up for grabs in Rugby World Cup matches.

To read more about the IDRC tournament and to view the draw, visit the tournament website here