Arthur George Guillemard (18 December 1845 – 7 August 1909)
espn.co.uk, accessed March 2021. was an English

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

fullback who represented for

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

in the world's first rugby international in 1871. Guillemard was also a notable sporting administrator and one of the most important early international rugby referees.

Rugby career

Arthur George Guillemard was born 18 December 1845 in

Lewisham Lewisham ( ) is an area of southeast London, England, south of Charing Cross. It is the principal area of the London Borough of Lewisham, and was within the Historic counties of England, historic county of Kent until 1889. It is identified in ...

, London. He was a founder member of an early cricket club at

Rugby School Rugby School is a Public school (United Kingdom), private boarding school for pupils aged 13–18, located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire in England. Founded in 1567 as a free grammar school for local boys, it is one of the oldest independ ...

.Butterflies Cricket Club
, butterfliescc.com, accessed March 2009 Guillemard played club rugby for

West Kent Kent is a traditional county in South East England with long-established human occupation. Prehistoric Kent Recent excavations and radiometric dating at a Lower Palaeolithic site at the West Gravel Pit, Fordwich, near Canterbury confirmed the ...

, and in 1871 he was selected for the England team as a fullback in the very first international rugby match on 27 March 1871 played against

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

. He also served as a referee. Guillemard was president of the

Rugby Football Union The Rugby Football Union (RFU) is the Sports governing body, national governing body for rugby union in England. It was founded in 1871, and was the sport's international governing body prior to the formation of what is now known as World Rugby ...

from 1878 to 1882. He died 7 August 1909 aged 63 years in Lewisham. EnglandRugby1871WestKent

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Guillemard, Arthur G 1845 births 1909 deaths England international rugby union players English rugby union players English rugby union referees Rugby union fullbacks People from Greenwich Rugby union players from the Royal Borough of Greenwich People educated at Rugby School