ENGLAND RUGBY GRAND SLAM 1923 & 1924 BACK TO BACK

England Rugby Grand Slam victories of 1923 and 1924 inspired the design of our Rugby Shirt. The great teams of 1923 and 1924 led by Dave Davies and Wavell Wakefield. And in this article we look at some key players who helped England Rugby dominate the Five Nations Rugby Tournament.

England Rugby Grand Slam 1923

The England team was led by Dave Davies. He was born in Pembroke in Wales, but opted to play for England at rugby. He made his international debut on the 4th January 1913 against South Africa at Twickenham. The Springboks team defeated England by 9 points to 3. This turned out to be his only ever defeat wearing the England shirt.
He was also a talented Tennis Player and was offered the chance to play at Wimbledon. But, his commitment to rugby resulted in him declining the invitation.
He formed a notable international half-back partnership with his Royal Navy team-mate Cecil Kershaw. Kershaw was also a multi-talented athlete. As well as rugby, he represented Great Britain at two Olympic Games. In Antwerp in 1920 and in Paris in 1924.
With the half back partnership of Davies and Kershaw. In their 14 matches together for England they never finished on the losing side.
In total the talented Fly-Half was capped 22 times by England. This made him England’s most capped Outside Half until Rob Andrew overtook him. Davies led the team after World War 1 when the Championship restarted in 1920. This was a golden age for the England team and they were only beaten twice in a five year period.
He was captain when England won the Grand Slam in 1921. The team specialised in tactics based around the scrum. And the blend of youth and experience resulted in four easy wins. They beat Wales 18-3, Ireland 15-0 and Scotland 18-0 and completed the tournament with a 10-6 victory over France in Paris.
Coming into the 1923 season. England was once again favourites once again to win the Championship. They beat Wales 7-3, Ireland 23-5 and Scotland. Davies, then took time out from his honeymoon in Paris. He joined the England team for their Five Nations Grand Slam victory over France 12-3 at Stade Colombes.
This was Davies’s and Cecil Kershaw last Test match as both players bowed out of international rugby after the match.

Five Nations Grand Slam 1924

The legendary Wavell Wakefield took over the captaincy in 1924. He was already an established player with great leadership skills. And became one of England’s greatest ever Forward.
He played for Harlequins FC and came to the attention of England selectors in 1919. In 1920 he made his international debut against Ireland. And he celebrated the game by scoring a try in Dublin.
The natural heir to Dave Davies following his retirement. Wakefield was made captain in 1924. He immediately led his side to an unprecedented third Grand Slam in four seasons. They defeated Wales 17-9, Ireland 14-3, France 19-7 and then Scotland 19-0.
In addition to a respected leader, Wakefield was a modern loose wing-forward. He spent time at Number 8 and in the second row. He was also a thinker and introduced defensive set-plays in the scrum and in the loose. Also, scored the opening tries in the decisive games of the 1924 series to ensure England secured back-to-back Grand Slams.

The 1923 & 1924 Grand Slam Rugby Shirt by Ellis Rugby

The England Rugby 1923 Shirt 1924 Grand Slam rugby shirt is inspired by these outstanding England teams.

Manufactured from satin touch 100% cotton, the England Rugby 1923 Shirt 1924 Grand Slam features a detailed applique rose crest. Also, includes herringbone detail on vents and tape on the neck opening. In addition, a commemorative embroider of Grand Slam 1923 – 1924 on the collar stand.

We also offer the England Rugby 1991 Shirt 1992 Grand Slam and an England 1995 Shirt Polo Grand Slam top.

The available sizes are S – 5XL.