Overseas Unions rugby union team

Not to be confused with President's Overseas XV.

Overseas Unions^[a]

Unions	International Rugby Board
First match
Overseas Unions 32 - 13 Five Nations XV
Largest win
Overseas Unions 32 - 13 Five Nations XV
Largest defeat
None

The Overseas Unions rugby union team was set up to commemorate the centenary of the International Rugby Football Board (IRFB), which would shortly afterwards become the IRB or International Rugby Board. It consisted of players from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

They played one match against a combined Five Nations XV on Saturday, 19 April 1986 ^[1], and beat them 32-15.^[2]

Team members

Coaching team

•  New Zealand - Brian Lochore (Coach)
•  Australia - Robert Ian Templeton (Manager)

Players

• Roger Gould^[2][3]
• John Kirwan^[2][3]
• Danie Gerber^[2][3]
• Warwick Taylor^[3]
• Carel du Plessis^[3]
• Naas Botha^[2][3][4]
• Dave Loveridge^[2][3]
• Steve Tuynman^[2][3]
• Simon Poidevin^[2][3]
• Mark Shaw^[2][3]
• Andy Haden^[2][3]
• Steve Cutler^[3]
• Gary Knight^[3] (van der Merwe had been named in starting line-up in programme instead of Knight)
• Andy Dalton (Captain)^[3]
• Topo Rodriguez^[2][3][4]

• Bench
  • Andrew Slack^[3] (not named in programme, but Wayne Smith of New Zealand was)
  • Michael Lynagh^[3]
  • Nick Farr-Jones^[3]
  • Murray Mexted^[3]
  • Schalk Burger snr^[3]
  • Flippie van der Merwe^[3] (named in starting line-up in programme instead of Knight)
  • Tom Lawton^[3]

The match

Unlike the first celebratory match 3 days earlier in a wet Cardiff Arms Park, this game was played in ideal conditions at Twickenham.^[5] At the time, there were only eight Unions affiliated to the Board, thus only players from those unions were chosen.

April 19, 1986	Five Nations	13 – 32	Overseas Unions	Twickenham Stadium, London Referee: D I H Burnett (Ireland)
	Try: Ringland (2) Con: Blanco Penalty Goal: Kiernan		Try: Gerber (2) Kirwan du Plessis Rodriguez Shaw Con: Botha Penalty Goal: Botha (2)

Five Nations: Serge Blanco ( France); Trevor Ringland ( Ireland), Philippe Sella ( France), Mike Kiernan ( Ireland), Rory Underwood ( England); Malcolm Dacey ( Wales), Richard Hill ( England); Jeff Whitefoot ( Wales), Steve Brain ( England), Iain Milne ( Scotland), Jean Condom ( France), Donal Lenihan ( Ireland) (captain), John Jeffrey ( Scotland), Iain Paxton ( Scotland), Laurent Rodriguez ( France)

Overseas Unions: R G Gould ( Australia); J J Kirwan ( New Zealand), D M Gerber ( South Africa), W T Taylor ( New Zealand), C J du Plessis ( South Africa); H E Botha ( South Africa), D S Loveridge ( New Zealand); E E Rodriguez ( Australia), A G Dalton ( New Zealand) (captain), P R van der Merwe ( South Africa), SAG Cutler ( Australia), A M Haden ( New Zealand), S P Poidevin ( Australia), S N Tuynman ( Australia), M W Shaw ( New Zealand)

See also

• World XV
• Rest of the World XV
• President's Overseas XV
• Four Home Unions XV
• Rest of Europe XV

References

• Starmer-Smith, Nigel (ed) Rugby - A Way of Life, An Illustrated History of Rugby (Lennard Books, 1986 ISBN 0 7126 2662 X)

1. ^ Starmer-Smith, p184, image of programme
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k} Starmer-Smith, p186
3. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v} Jim Webster, For Love Not Money - The Simon Poidevin Story {ABC:1 Jan 1990)(ISBN 0733300499)
4. ^ ^{a b} Starmer-Smith, p185
5. ^ Scrum.com match summary