England rugby union try record progression

The England rugby union try record progression charts the record number of tries scored for the England national rugby union team by individual players, or rugby footballers as they are still sometimes referred to.

Cyril Lowe, England's record try scorer from 1920 to 1989, tackled by Dedet in 1913 vs France

Early years

The progression begins with Reg Birkett's try, scored in the first international rugby match of any code in 1871 when England succumbed to Scotland at Raeburn Place. When Birkett's try was scored, it was not worth any points in itself, but rather afforded the opportunity of the scoring side to kick a goal, or a "try at goal", which England failed to convert. Birkett, who also played association football for England, was for a short time during the match the joint international record holder as well, matching Angus Buchanan's earlier effort for Scotland.[1] Despite the record being but a single try, Birkett's mark of one try for England stood for almost six years, although this equated at the time to just ten matches. In that time, at least a further eleven players matched the feat of scoring a try for England before William Hutchinson scored his second try of the match and his career in the eleventh England match on 5 February 1877.[2] Hutchinson set a mark that was to last for exactly four years when Henry Taylor, who had already equalled the record, scored three times against Ireland on 5 February 1881. Taylor played in the same side as another prolific scorer of tries, George Burton. Burton equalled the mark of five tries in England's comprehensive victory over Wales in the latter's first international. In that match, on 19 February 1881, of the thirteen tries scored, Taylor scored once but Burton scored four times, which was in itself a record haul for one match that was to last until 1907.[3] The tries scored in this match brought both players to six apiece, but as to which of these players reached that mark first is unclear. It was not until 1885 that another pairing of prolific try scorers, Wilfred Bolton and Charles Wade, both equalled the haul of six tries. Wade went on to hold the record outright for over fifteen years after he scored his seventh try on 2 January 1886 against Wales. It was Tot Robinson that was to break this record on 9 March 1901 with his mark of eight tries and no one challenged this until Arthur Hudson equalled and then broke it at Parc des Princes when England defeated France on 3 March 1910. For the third time, England was fielding a pairing of prolific try scorers, and alongside Hudson was John Birkett. John Birkett was the son of England's first try scorer, Reg Birkett and had scored the first try at Twickenham Stadium. He went on to set the England record with ten tries on 8 April 1912.

Lowe's sixty-seven year record

As Birkett's career finished, the young winger, Cyril Lowe, began his. Lowe was selected to play for England whilst still at university in 1913 and despite a six-year break due to the First World War when he flew as a fighter pilot in the Royal Flying Corps, returned to international duty and resumed scoring tries. Lowe scored eighteen times in twenty four appearances, and set the record for the most tries scored in a single Five Nations Championship when he scored eight in 1914, a record only matched by Ian Smith of Scotland, and never surpassed, even in the Six Nations era with its greater number of matches. Despite living until the age of 91, Lowe's mark of eighteen tries, set on 10 February 1923, outlasted him and was not broken until another RAF fighter pilot, Rory Underwood, scored his nineteenth try almost sixty-seven years later on 20 January 1990. Underwood had taken thirty-eight matches to reach this mark, compared to Lowe's twenty-four. Before Lowe, other try scorers had had better scoring ratios, amongst them record holders Burton scoring six in six, Wade seven in eight, Tot Robinson eight in eight, and Hudson, nine in eight. Daniel Lambert had also scored eight tries in a career of seven appearances.[4] Lowe's achievement has been singled out as being all the more remarkable due to the almost six year pause in the middle of his career.

Underwood's unchallenged record

Underwood went on to score thirty more tries for England over a career spanning twelve years and eighty-five matches, eventually setting a mark of forty-nine tries. He also scored once for the British Lions, bringing his career total of international tries to fifty. Lowe's total of eighteen has been surpassed by a further six players, all playing in an era of many more internationals, and when tries are worth more points relative to other scoring methods and therefore where there is more emphasis on scoring tries. Underwood's mark, however, has never been challenged, the next closest for England being Will Greenwood and Ben Cohen on 31 each.

International tries

Try recordPlayerOpposing teamLocationVenueCompetitionDateResultReferences
/Notes
1Reg Birkett ScotlandEdinburgh, ScotlandRaeburn PlaceHome nations friendly27 March 1871Lost[4]
Francis d'Aguilar ScotlandLondon, EnglandKennington OvalHome nations friendly5 February 1872Won[4]
Stephen Finney ScotlandLondon, EnglandKennington OvalHome nations friendly5 February 1872Won[4]
Alfred St. George Hamersley ScotlandLondon, EnglandKennington OvalHome nations friendly5 February 1872Won[4]
Ernest Cheston IrelandLondon, EnglandKennington OvalHome nations friendly15 February 1875Won[4]
Arthur Michell IrelandLondon, EnglandKennington OvalHome nations friendly15 February 1875Won[4]
Charles Clark IrelandDublin, IrelandLeinster Cricket GroundHome nations friendly13 December 1875Won[4]
Edward Kewley IrelandDublin, IrelandLeinster Cricket GroundHome nations friendly13 December 1875Won[4]
William Collins ScotlandLondon, EnglandKennington OvalHome nations friendly6 March 1876Won[4]
Frederic Lee ScotlandLondon, EnglandKennington OvalHome nations friendly6 March 1876Won[4]
William Hutchinson IrelandLondon, EnglandKennington OvalHome nations friendly5 February 1877Won[4][5]
Monkey Hornby IrelandLondon, EnglandKennington OvalHome nations friendly5 February 1877Won[4]
Frank Reginald Adams IrelandLondon, EnglandKennington OvalHome nations friendly5 February 1877Won[2][4]
2William Hutchinson IrelandLondon, EnglandKennington OvalHome nations friendly5 February 1877Won[4][5]
Frank Reginald Adams IrelandLondon, EnglandKennington OvalHome nations friendly24 March 1879Won[2][4]
George Burton ScotlandManchester, EnglandWhalley RangeHome nations friendly28 February 1880Won[4]
Henry Taylor ScotlandManchester, EnglandWhalley RangeHome nations friendly28 February 1880Won[4][6]
3 IrelandManchester, EnglandWhalley Range1880–81 Home Nations rugby union matches5 February 1881Won[4][6]
4 IrelandManchester, EnglandWhalley Range1880–81 Home Nations rugby union matches5 February 1881Won[4]
5 IrelandManchester, EnglandWhalley Range1880–81 Home Nations rugby union matches5 February 1881Won[4]
George Burton WalesLondon, EnglandRichardson's Field, Blackheath1880–81 Home Nations rugby union matches19 February 1881Won[4][7]
6Henry Taylor WalesLondon, EnglandRichardson's Field, Blackheath1880–81 Home Nations rugby union matches19 February 1881Won[4][7]
George Burton WalesLondon, EnglandRichardson's Field, Blackheath1880–81 Home Nations rugby union matches19 February 1881Won[4][7]
Charles Wade WalesSwansea, WalesSt. Helen's Rugby and Cricket GroundHome Nations Championship3 January 1885Won[4]
Wilfred Bolton IrelandManchester, EnglandWhalley RangeHome Nations Championship7 February 1885Won[4]
7Charles Wade WalesLondon, EnglandRectory Field, BlackheathHome Nations Championship2 January 1886Won[4]
Tot Robinson IrelandDublin, IrelandLansdowne RoadHome Nations Championship9 February 1901Lost[4]
8 ScotlandLondon, EnglandRectory Field, BlackheathHome Nations Championship9 March 1901Lost[4]
Arthur Hudson FranceParis, FranceParc des PrincesFive Nations Championship3 March 1910Won[4]
9 FranceParis, FranceParc des PrincesFive Nations Championship3 March 1910Won[4]
John Birkett IrelandTwickenham, EnglandTwickenhamFive Nations Championship10 February 1912Won[4]
10 FranceParis, FranceParc des PrincesFive Nations Championship8 April 1912Won[4]
Cyril Lowe ScotlandTwickenham, EnglandTwickenhamFive Nations Championship20 March 1920Won[4]
11 WalesTwickenham, EnglandTwickenhamFive Nations Championship15 January 1921Won[4]
12 IrelandTwickenham, EnglandTwickenhamFive Nations Championship12 February 1921Won[4]
13 FranceColombes near Paris, FranceStade du MatinFive Nations Championship28 March 1921Won[4]
14 WalesCardiff, WalesCardiff Arms ParkFive Nations Championship21 January 1922Lost[4]
15 IrelandDublin, IrelandLansdowne RoadFive Nations Championship11 February 1922Won[4]
16 ScotlandTwickenham, EnglandTwickenhamFive Nations Championship18 March 1922Won[4]
17 ScotlandTwickenham, EnglandTwickenhamFive Nations Championship18 March 1922Won[4]
18 IrelandLeicester, EnglandWelford Road StadiumFive Nations Championship10 February 1923Won[4]
Rory Underwood FijiTwickenham, EnglandTwickenhamTest match (1989 Fiji rugby union tour of Europe)4 November 1989won[4]
19 IrelandTwickenham, EnglandTwickenhamFive Nations Championship20 January 1990won[4]
20 FranceParis, FranceParc des PrincesFive Nations Championship3 February 1990won[4]
21 WalesTwickenham, EnglandTwickenhamFive Nations Championship17 February 1990won[4]
22 WalesTwickenham, EnglandTwickenhamFive Nations Championship17 February 1990won[4]
23 ArgentinaTwickenham, EnglandTwickenhamTest match (1990 Argentina rugby union tour of British Isles)3 November 1990won[4]
24 ArgentinaTwickenham, EnglandTwickenhamTest match (1990 Argentina rugby union tour of British Isles)3 November 1990won[4]
25 ArgentinaTwickenham, EnglandTwickenhamTest match (1990 Argentina rugby union tour of British Isles)3 November 1990won[4]
26 IrelandDublin, IrelandLansdowne RoadFive Nations Championship2 March 1991won[4]
27 FranceTwickenham, EnglandTwickenhamFive Nations Championship16 March 1991won[4]
28 FijiSuva, FijiNational Stadium, SuvaSummer Tour20 July 1991won[4]
29 ItalyTwickenham, EnglandTwickenhamRugby World Cup8 October 1991won[4]
30 United StatesTwickenham, EnglandTwickenhamRugby World Cup11 October 1991won[4]
31 United StatesTwickenham, EnglandTwickenhamRugby World Cup11 October 1991won[4]
32 FranceParis, FranceParc des PrincesRugby World Cup19 October 1991won[4]
33 ScotlandEdinburgh, ScotlandMurrayfieldFive Nations Championship18 January 1992won[4]
34 IrelandTwickenham, EnglandTwickenhamFive Nations Championship1 February 1992won[4]
35 FranceParis, FranceParc des PrincesFive Nations Championship15 February 1992won[4]
36 ScotlandTwickenham, EnglandTwickenhamFive Nations Championship6 March 1993won[4]
37 WalesTwickenham, EnglandTwickenhamFive Nations Championship19 March 1994won[4]
38 RomaniaTwickenham, EnglandTwickenhamAutumn Internationals12 November 1994won[4]
39 CanadaTwickenham, EnglandTwickenhamTest Match (1994 Canada rugby union tour of England and France)10 December 1994won[4]
40 CanadaTwickenham, EnglandTwickenhamTest Match (1994 Canada rugby union tour of England and France)10 December 1994won[4]
41 WalesCardiff, WalesCardiff Arms ParkFive Nations Championship18 February 1995won[4]
42 WalesCardiff, WalesCardiff Arms ParkFive Nations Championship18 February 1995won[4]
43 ItalyDurban, South AfricaKings Park StadiumRugby World Cup31 May 1995won[4]
44 Western SamoaDurban, South AfricaKings Park StadiumRugby World Cup4 June 1995won[4]
45 Western SamoaDurban, South AfricaKings Park StadiumRugby World Cup4 June 1995won[4]
46 New ZealandCape Town, South AfricaNewlands StadiumRugby World Cup18 June 1995lost[4]
47 New ZealandCape Town, South AfricaNewlands StadiumRugby World Cup18 June 1995lost[4]
48 Western SamoaTwickenham, EnglandTwickenhamTest Match (1995 Samoa rugby union tour of Great Britain)16 December 1995won[4]
49 WalesTwickenham, EnglandTwickenhamFive Nations Championship3 February 1996won[4]

See also

Notes and references

  1. Bath, Richard (ed.) The Scotland Rugby Miscellany (Vision Sports Publishing Ltd, 2007 ISBN 1-905326-24-6, p37
  2. It is not clear when Frank Reginald Adams scored his try on 5 February 1877. If it was before Hutchinson's second try then for a short time he equalled the try scoring record of just one try. One source, Francis Marshall's Football, The Rugby Union Game, does not acknowledge that Adams scored at all in February 1877. This would then put in doubt if his try on 24 March 1879 was his second or first for England.
  3. Barry Bowker, England Rugby - A History of the National Side, 1871-1978, p190, 1976 (Cassel Ltd)
  4. Espn scrum.com England player records
  5. Hutchinson scored twice in the match on 5 February 1877
  6. Taylor scored twice in the match on 28 February 1880
  7. Burton scored four times in the match on 19 February 1881. If Burton scored three of his four tries before Taylor scored his try, then Burton equalled the then record of five tries, having already scored twice prior to the match. However, if Taylor scored before Burton for his third of the match, then Taylor would have extended his record to six tries, before Burton equalled the record. If Burton scored his fourth try before Taylor scored, then Burton would have set the new record of six tries, and Taylor would have equalled this record in the same match, if not then Burton would have equalled a new record set by Taylor.
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