So many rugby players from both sides of the Channel having given their lives in the trenches of World War I, the Conseil Général de l’Aisne is creating a virtual trench for peace in remembrance of those who suffered or died during the Great War, naming it The Rugby Players’ Trench.

 

The weekend of events forms part of the Conseil Général’s World War I commemorative events which are planned to take place from now and will continue over the course of the next four years until 2018.

 

Often described as the region of the “forgotten war”, the Aisne was where trench warfare first developed with many of the first battles between Allied and German forces taking place there and where, from then-on, the subsequent entrenchment of the troops of all sides for the next four years which so characterised the horror of the Western Front across France.

 

The “Rugby Players Trench” connects the loss of Britain’s sportsmen, so early-on in a war, which at that point, was expected to be “over by Christmas”, with the horrors of what became a protracted and lengthy affair. 

 

The commemoration connects with local sites such as the “Chemin des Dames”, the “The Dragon’s Cave” the ruins of the village of Craonne and other local sites which were central to the campaign, with the idea of educating today's young generation of sportsmen, by honouring the fallen sportsmen of the past and giving the opportunity for French and English teams to meet, reflect and play sport in the spirit of “entente cordiale” and remembrance.

 

The programme also connects with a temporary exhibition running at the Museum at the Dragon’s Cave on the Chemin des Dames, entitled “Tommy on the Aisne” which profiles lives of persons who fought there, some who died, and some who lived-on. This is a theme which is central to the commemorations in remembering who those people were and what they did.

 

John Dennison, a member of Kent Referees Society, was invited by the Conseil Général de l’Aisne to be the UK Co-ordinator because of his rugby connections at RC Laon and with the RFU.

 

Among players killed in the early part of the war was the first international player to die, R F Simson, a Scottish international who had played for both London Scottish and Blackheath, and England international C E Wilson who played for Blackheath.

 

In May Blackheath and London Scottish played three commemorative matches at youth, adult and veterans level, each player wearing the name of a fallen player from their club.

 

During the weekend of 12/14 September, the clubs’ young players will cross the Channel to take part in a series of commemorative events, hosted by the Conseil Général de l’Aisne and the town of Laon in association with other rugby clubs in the region, culminating in a in a rugby tournament connecting with players of the past who gave their lives. Blackheath and London Scottish U15's will play a Flandres Select XV, organised by the Comite Departemental de Rugby de l’Aisne and the Comite de Rugby des Flandres, with the support of Laon Rugby Club. The next day will see the two main events: Blackheath U17s v Flandres Select XV, followed by London Scottish U18s v Racing Metro U18s.  Again all players will bear the name of a WWI player from their clubs.

 

London Scottish players will visit Simson’s grave in Moulins,  and Blackheath players will visit Wilson’s in Paissy, each laying wreaths. On Saturday morning 13 September they will be attend a commemorative service at the Basque Memorial, at Craonelle on the Chemin des Dames, on the site of the Front. This ceremony will be attended by the representatives and teams of both countries.

 

 They will then take part in a walk alongside serving soldiers from the British and French Armies, from Vendresse to Cerny en Laonnais, following in the footsteps 100 years to the day that many British lives were lost, in an attempt to take the plateau, on Sept 14th 1914.   At Vendresse there will be a short service where the names of the fallen of both clubs will be read.

 

At Cerny the final act of reconciliation will take place with the laying of wreaths in the British and German war cemeteries by the British and German Ambassadors.