The Penguin International Rugby Football Club, usually called the Penguins, is an invitational rugby union team based in Britain but with international players. It was founded in 1959 and has played in 71 countries, claiming to be the most travelled sports club in the world.[1] The motto is "On court le ballon à la main" (One runs with the ball in hand).[2]
There is also a charity, The Penguin International Rugby Football Trust, registered with the UK Charity Commission under Charity No 1081047, founded 1999, to promote the training of young people in Rugby throughout the world, and which is active in 17 countries apart from the UK.[3]
It has annual matches against the universities of Oxford and Cambridge. The 1988 one against Oxford was in memory of Peter Robbins, an alumnus.[4]
Penguin Rugby was founded in 1959 by the late Tony Mason (left for the club house in the sky in 2004) and Alan Wright, both players for Sidcup RFC, who subsequently became Vice Presidents of Sidcup RFC and Kent County RFU.
The Penguins are recognised as the premier touring club in the UK, having played in or against teams or coached from no less than 80 countries. Indeed, they are the most travelled rugby club in the world.
The principal objective of the Club has been to foster, by coaching and playing, the development, goodwill and camaraderie of Rugby Union worldwide. The Club’s coaching and educational programme is organised by the Penguin International Rugby Coaching Academy, and this work is part-funded by the UK-registered charity the Penguin International Rugby Football Trust. The Club’s committee is drawn from 17 nations, all under the leadership of President Richard Bennett (Rosslyn Park and Kowloon).
Eminent past Presidents have included Field Marshall Sir Claude Auchinleck, GCB, CGIE, CSI, DSO, OBE, LLD (Commander-in-Chief of the 8th Army and Indian Army); Group Captain Sir Douglas Bader, CBE, DSO, DFC, FRAcS, DL (Britain’s greatest ace fighter in World War II); Sir Robert Lawrence, CBE, ERD; D.H. Harrison, CBE (President, RFU 1966/1967); Air Commodore R.H.G. Weighill, CBE, DFC (Secretary, RFU 1973/1986); Sir Peter Yarranton (President, RFU 1991/1992) and club co-founder Alan Wright.
Although starting with XVs, the club has played a lot of 10s and 7s rugby as well. The club's first recorded abbreviated tournament was the Esher 7s in 1960. The club has played in all parts of the world, covering the Americas, Africa, Europe and Asia.
Over the years the club has competed in many tournaments and has recorded famous wins in the Hong Kong FC Tens, COBRA Tens in Malaysia, Middlesex 7s (the only time Waisale Servi and Eric Rush played together), the Italian 7s, the Stockholm 10s, the Nordic 7s, the Thai RU International 7s, The Grand Prix of Europe 7s, the Mexican RU International 10s, the Royal Kedah International 7s, the Borneo Invitational 10s, the Singapore Cricket Club 7s, and the London 10s. Also, the Club made the semi-finals of the famous Hong Kong 7s twice, losing both times to the All Blacks.
The Clubs Coaching Academy was formed in 2003 by Alan Wright and Craig Brown and undertook its first engagement in 2004 in Hong Kong. Since the Academy has travelled to many places delivering a mix of player development, coach development and general development of the game. The focus has been on children and youth rugby. We have also delivered many World Rugby formal coach and official courses around the world.
The club's women’s team (the Rockhoppers) was formed in 2019, but we had to wait until 2022 before they took to the field. The first match was at the Benidorm 7s, and the first-ever Rockhopper point scorer was Emma Hennessy with a try.
The Club's veterans team, the King Penguins, was formed in 2009 when the Penguins were lucky enough to play the Houses of Commons and Lords at Twickenham. Since this outing, the King Penguins are frequent tourists and always include a coaching, charity or community element in their itinerary. John Kerr is the current King Penguin President.
The international playing membership of the Club has been drawn from no less than 34 countries, and distinguished captains have included Waisale Serevi (Fiji), Bill Calcraft (Australia), Rob Wainwright (Scotland), and Fergus Slattery, one of Ireland’s most notable players. Recent famous players include Beauden Barret (All Blacks), Nehe Milner-Skudder (All Blacks), Owen Farrell (England), Megan Gaffney (Scotland), Joe Webber (All Black 7s), Tim Mikkleson (All Black 7s), Scott Waldrom (All Blacks, All Black 7s), Thomas Waldrom (England), and Jeff Williams (England 7s) and Dan Norton (England 7s).[8]
Club Fixtures and Tours
International Tours
The Penguins have toured all over the world since 1959, with their first to Denmark, Sweden and Holland.[9]
1950-1959
Year
Opposition
Captain
1959
Denmark, Sweden and Holland
Tony Mason
1960-1969
Year
Opposition
Captain
1961
Denmark
Tony Mason
1963
France and Switzerland
N. Mee
1964
Belgium, Denmark and Sweden
Tony Mason
1965
Germany and Belgium
Archie Hendrickses
1966
Portugal
Joe Armstrong
1967
Malta
Tony Mason
1968
Zambia
Bill Redwood
1969
Denmark and Germany
David Powell
1970-1979
Year
Opposition
Captain
1970
U.S.A. (California)
Colin MacFadyean
1972
Zambia
Derek Morgan
1973
Rhodesia and South Africa
Fergus Slattery
1974
Bermuda
Jim Flynn
Jersey
John Frame
Ireland
Martyn Davies
1975
Portugal
Ally Black
1976
Scotland
Ian McLaughlan
1977
U.S.S.R. (Eastern European Inter-Nations Championship)
Bob Wilkinson
1978
Bermuda
John Frame
1979
Sri Lanka
Mickey Quinn
Jersey
Jacko Page
1980-1989
Year
Opposition
Captain
1980
Argentina
Nick Martin
1982
Zambia
John Cantrell
1983
Kenya
Vince Cannon
1984
Brazil
Nick Martin
1985
Jersey
David Pickering
Scotland - Jed Forest 7s
1986
Bermuda
Micky Quinn
1987
Hong Kong 7s
Bill Calcraft
1988
Hong Kong 7s
Bill Calcraft
Wales
David Pickering
1989
Kenya
Peter Steven
1990-1999
Year
Opposition
Captain
1990
India (including the British Airways Calcutta Cup Centenary)
Kevin Rafferty
Belgium
Bill Calcraft
1991
Italian RU International 7s
David Millard
1992
Ireland - Irish RFU Aer Lingus International 7s
Colin Laity
Indonesia, Singapore, Hong Kong
Peter Cook
1993
Malaysian RU-COBRA International 10s
David Pickering
Ireland
Paul Alston
Italian RU International 7s
Chris Sheasby
Malaysia and Singapore
Peter Cook
Dubai 7s
Phil Pask
1994
Malaysian RU-COBRA International 10s
Craig Brown
Sweden & Denmark
Rob Wainwright
Italian RU International 7s
Craig Brown
1995
Uruguay Sevens
Craig Brown
Malaysian RU-COBRA International 10s
John Kerr
1996
Malaysian RU-COBRA International 10s
Craig Brown
1997
Czech Republic and Hungary
Brent Pope
Singapore CC 50th International Rugby 7s Tournament
Nick Penny
1998
Croatia
Richard Kinsey
Brazil and Chile
Brent Pope
Singapore C.C. International Rugby 7s Tournament
Craig Brown
1999
Croatia
Richard Kinsey
Czech Republic and Poland
Brian Cusack
Thai RU's 1st International 7s Tournament
Cameron Pither
2000-2009
Year
Opposition
Captain
2000
People's Republic of China
Brian Cusack
Malaysia RU-COBRA International 10s
Sailosi Nawavu
2001
Germany and Argentina
Andre Fox
Grand Prix of Europe 7s, Germany
Mike Friday
Thailand - King's Cup International 7s Tournament
Alan Bunting
2002
Portuguese Rugby Federation International 7s
Waisale Serevi
USA and Canada
Mark Denney
2003
Malaysian RU-COBRA International 10s
David Gorrie
2004
Hong Kong
Craig Degoldi
Mexico
David Gorrie
Malaysian RU-COBRA International 10s
Howard Graham
2005
Malta International XVs
Gareth Taylor
Malaysian RU-COBRA International 10s
Howard Graham
2006
Paris Tour
Rod Moore
Malaysia Tour (HSBC COBRA 10s & Royal Kedah 7s)
Uale Mai
2007
Hong Kong Football Club 10s
Craig Degoldi
Orkney RFC 40th Anniversity XVs Tournament
Paul Beal
Malaysia Tour (HSBC COBRA 10s and Borneo 10s)
Scott Waldrom
2008
Hong Kong Football Club 10s
Craig Degoldi
Rome 7s
Marc Camburn
Malaysia Tour (HSBC COBRA 10s and Borneo 10s)
Jordan Smiler
2009
Hong Kong Football Club 10s
James Afoa
HSBC COBRA 10s
Tony Penn
2010-2019
Year
Opposition
Captain
2010
Hong Kong Football Club 10s
Nick Collins
Portugal
Marcus Dirollo
King Penguins v Australian Parliament (Sydney)
Craig Brown
Singapore Cricket Club 7s
Nafi Tuitavake
HSBC COBRA 10s
Shane Christie
2011
Hong Kong Football Club 10s
Jordan Smiler
King Penguins at Kowloon 10s
John Kerr
Singapore Cricket Club 7s and HSBC COBRA 10s
Willie Walker
2012
Hong Kong Football Club 10s
Willie Walker
Sweden Tour
Hugh Hogan
King Penguins tour to Sweden
Brian Cusack
Singapore Cricket Club 7s
Karl Bryson
HSBC COBRA 10s
Chris Smith
2013
Hong Kong Football Club 10s
Reece Robinson
Rugby Rocks 7s - Edinburgh and Penguin Scottish Dinner
Stephen Hamilton
King Penguins v Australian Parliament (Sydney)
Tony Penn
Singapore Cricket Club 7s
Daniel Caprice
HSBC COBRA 10s
Kieron Fonotia
2014
Hong Kong Football Club 10s
Willie Walker
King Penguins - Rwanda
Tony Penn
Singapore Cricket Club 7s
Harry Bergelin
2015
Hong Kong Football Club 10s
Willie Walker
Germany Tour
Hugh Hogan
Singapore Cricket Club 7s
Willy Hafu
COBRA 10s
Kylem O'Donnell
2016
Hong Kong Football Club 10s
Kylem O'Donnell Antonio Kiri Kiri
King Penguins - France
Adam Buchanan-Smith
Singapore Cricket Club 7s
Gareth Bautz
COBRA 10s
Sam Christie
Orkney
Simon Best
2017
Hong Kong Football Club 10s
Johan Bardoul Shalom Suniula
King Penguins - Malta
Ben Breeze
2018
Czech Republic
Matt Price
Hong Kong Football Club 10s
Anthony Kiri Kiri
Uruguay and Argentina
Lewis Gjaltema
King Penguins - Slovakia
Neil Young
King Penguins vs Boroughmuir Reprobates
Iain Sinclair
King Penguins at Doddie Weir tournament at Mackie FP RFC
Marcus DiRollo
Philippines
Chris Walker
2019
Hong Kong Football Club 10s
Thomas Waldrom
Finland
Chris Walker
King Penguins - Gibraltar
Neil Young
2020-2029
Year
Opposition
Captain
2022
Benidorm - Mens Team
Ruairi Campbell
Benidorm - Womens Team
Holly Thorpe
2023
Amsterdam - Mens Team
Billy McQueeney
Amsterdam - Women's Team
Anna Caplice
2024
Lisbon - Mens Team
Toby Arnold
Lisbon - Women's Team
Megan Gaffney
Lisbon - King Penguins
Bruce Fair
Malaysia - COBRA 10s
Pele Cowley
2025
Bologna - Mens Team
Bologna - Women's Team
England Based Matches
The Penguins have successfully played all over England since 1960.[10]
1960-1969
Year
Opposition
Captain
1960
Esher Sevens
1967
Twickenham RFC Centenary Match
Archie Hendrickses
1967
Belgrano (on tour from Argentina)
Archie Hendrickses
1968
Bridgewater & Albion
1969
Bridgewater & Albion
1970-1979
Year
Opposition
Captain
1970
Bridgewater & Albion
1970
Bedford Athletic
Archie Hendrickses
1979
Worthing RFC
1980-1989
Year
Opposition
Captain
1980
Lewes RFC 50th Anniversary Match
1981
Kent County Rugby Union Centenary Match
Hugh Burry
1983
Sidcup Centenary Game
Simon Halliday
1984
Chipstead 25th Anniversity Match
Nick Martin
1987
Cambridge University
1988
Oxford University
1988
Cambridge University Volvo International 7s
A Woodhouse
1990-1999
Year
Opposition
Captain
1991
Cambridge University
1995
Oxford University
Tim Ewington
1997
Oxford University
Craig Brown
1998
Cambridge University
Crawford Henderson
1998
Oxford University
Crawford Henderson
1999
Oxford University
Paul Burke
1999
Cambridge University
Richard Kinsey
1999
Mosley - 125th Anniversary Match
Richard Kinsey
1999
Middlesex Charity Sevens, Twickenham
Waisale Serevi
2000-2009
Year
Opposition
Captain
2000
Middlesex Charity Sevens, Twickenham
Waisale Serevi
Coventry
2001
Oxford University
2002
British Universities
Tim O'Brien
Oxford University
2003
Oxford University
2004
Cambridge University
David Gorrie
Oxford University
David Gorrie
2005
Oxford University
Pat Howard
Cambridge University
2006
Cambridge University
Oxford University
2007
Oxford University
Howard Graham
Cambridge University
Arthur Brenton
Falklands Taskforce Team
Howard Graham
2008
Cambridge University
Oxford University
Sidcup (125th Anniversary Match)
Peter Clarke
Bedford Athletic (100th Anniversary Match)
Jon Phillips
2009
Oxford University
Howard Graham
Cambridge University
Match cancelled - frozen pitch
Houses of Lords and Commons RFC (PIRFC 50th anniversay and HL&C RFC 25th annversary)
Tyson, Dick (20 June 2013). The History of The Penguin International RFC. JJG Publishing. ISBN978-1899163991.
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