Flying the Union Jack at Lansdowne Road

Snickers Man

Came across the British Pathe website recently which has got some amazing clips from newsreels over the past century or so. Terrific way of gaining some pictorial insight into how things used to be.

Naturally enough I have been looking through the rugby clips which I would recommend to anyone with an interest in the game. With some clips dating back to the 1920s, you can really see the evolution of the stadium at Lansdowne Road over the decades.

One thing that caught my eye though is in the clip of the famous Ireland v New Zealand match of 1963. This is a match I am too young to have attended but I heard about it at my father's knee. He was there and remembers it as being the closest we ever came to beating the All Blacks, notwithstanding the 1973 drawn match (which we attended together) and more recent narrow defeats which are too painful to recollect.

However, have a look about 40 seconds into the clip linked to above. There is clearly a Union Jack flying proudly from the official flagpole at the Havelock Square end. That's not the New Zealand flag .What was it doing there?

I never remember seeing the Union Jack at Lansdowne Road and I've been going to internationals since 1972. Anybody even older than I who can remember seeing the Union Jack flying there? Was it a regular occurence? When did it stop?

Hell, in all that time we couldn't even play God Save the Queen when the English came. What was the deal with the flag?

Just curious.

Buer

We didn't play GSTQ? Surely that's incorrect?

former legend

Buer wrote: »

We didn't play GSTQ? Surely that's incorrect?

Very much incorrect.

I don't know but if I had to guess, I'd say the Union Jack became more of an issue after 1969.

McDook

Time for people to realize its only a flag. Its themselves who make an issue of seeing it.

Buer

McDook wrote: »

Time for people to realize its only a flag. Its themselves who make an issue of seeing it.

I think 99% of people are aware of that but it's interesting from a historical context.

[Jackass]

I would imagine it was either there as New Zealand being part of the common wealth or to represent the 6 counties of the North (as we used to fly a tri-colour but adopted the IRFU flag in recent years as well as Irelands call as the IRFU is an all Ireland union representing two countries).

Regarding not singing GSTQ, I don't know the time line exactly, but I seem to recall during the troubles Scotland, Wales etc. refused to play Ireland in Ireland and England were the only team who agreed to play us in Ireland, and for that they got a standing ovation for GSTQ and their team in Lansdowne Road.

But as pointed out above, it is only a flag and whilst we have a painful history, it's not really a big deal in todays context, I think for a couple of decades after bloody Sunday up to the 90's the tension grew back, but thankfully we are in a good place now.

awec

Sorry lads, no religion or politics in here and I think this falls into that category.