Rugby Legends Bob Scott and Stan Young at the Army Museum

The story of New Zealand’s wartime rugby playing hereos was the focus of exhibition, “Khaki & Black – New Zealand’s Rugby Supremacy in Times of War”.

Who better to open such an exhibition than two of the four remaining members of the famous 1945-46 “Kiwis” Army Rugby Team, rugby great Stan Young and All Black legend Bob Scott.

Bob Scott, arguably one of New Zealand’s best fullbacks to have worn the All Black jersey true to history took off his shoes and socks and together with Stan Young, a forward they both kicked a goal to open the exhibition.

Rugby legends, Stan Young and Bob Scott outside the National Army Museum’s Khaki & Black exhibition.

At the end of the war in 1945, a rugby team was selected from the battlefields of North Africa and Europe following a series of trials. The team played with determination and pride in the ‘silver fern’ on their jerseys and soon became known as “The Kiwis”. Freyberg fostered the idea of playing a brand of attacking rugby that thrilled the crowds and raised morale in war-torn Europe, and thus the Kiwis created a renewed interest in the great game of rugby.

It was both an honour and a pleasure to meet these 2 gentlemen who were very entertaining, providing staff at the Museum with not only some great stories of the rugby and war years but also plenty of laughs. Special thanks to Stan, Bob and Bob’s son Bruce.