“The Rugby Union Lion,” Twickenham, by <p class="sculpture">

[Victorian Web Home —> Visual Arts —> Sculpture —> William Frederick Woodington]

The Rugby Union Lion

William Frederick Woodington (1806-1893)

1837

Coade stone

Approx. 120 (h) x 150cm (w)

Twickenham Rugby Football Ground, Twickenham

An inscription on a bronze plaque gives the history of this magnificent gilded lion, explaining that it was made of Coade stone, like the bigger one of Woodington's that stands on Westminster Bridge, and stood in front of the Lion Brewery in Lambeth from 1837 until the site was cleared for the Royal Festival Hall in 1948. Like the Westminster Bridge version, it was preserved "at the express wish of King George IV." [Commentary continues below.]

Setting: the whole gate

The larger lion on Westminster Bridge

Photograph and text by Jacqueline Banerjee, 2013.

You may use this image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the photographer and (2) link your document to this URL.

In April 1972, this lion was presented to the Rugby Football Union on behalf of the Greater London Council. The presentation marked the centenary of the Union, which was actually established in 1871, after the graduates of Rugby and other public schools had refused to be bound by the rules drawn up by the Football Association in 1863, about some of the key points of the game as they played it — about not handling the ball, for instance.

The lion itself is more aggressive-looking than the Westminster Bridge one, so makes a good mascot for a sport that was often thought too violent by the late Victorians. Its gilding and height make it particularly impressive, though the tall pier itself is more recent. The latter is dedicated to the memory of Sir George Rowland Hill, who became President of the Union in 1904 and was re-elected twice. The ensemble was relocated to this spot in 1994, after the stadium's redevelopment.

Bibliography

Crego, Robert. Sports and Games of the 18th and 19th Centuries. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 2003. Print.

"Mrs Coade's Stone." ntlworld.com. Viewed 17 May 2013. (Note though that this says the Rugby Union lion is the larger of the two” by Woodington, which is not the case.)

"Rugby Union Lion.". PMSA (Public Monuments & Sculpture Association). Web. 17 May 2013.

Weinreb, Ben et. al. The London Encyclopaedia. 3rd ed. London: Macmillan, 2008.

Last modified 17 May 2013