story has it that he refused to speak to His Majesty for the rest of the afternoon.

Numbers, it is believed, were first used in 1897 in Brisbane when the New Zealanders
played Queensland. "As an experiment to assist spectators, a number will be placed on
each player's back."

When they were brought to Sydney in 1904 players objected because it was too
convenient a way for referees to identify miscreants.

On 21 January 1922 numbers were used in a Five Nations match for the first time -
when England played Wales at Cardiff Arms Park. It rained. Wales won 28-6.

The Springboks wore numbers on the 1906-07 tour, though not against Scotland. Their
opponents sometimes wore numbers, e.g. Yorkshire, Middlesex, Newport, East
Midlands. The Springboks wore tour numbers. That means that the player always
played in the number given him for the tour. 29 could play next to 3. This was common
practice till well after World War II.

It would seem that the 1905-06 All Blacks did not wear numbers.

The International Rugby Board first discussed the numbering of players in 1921 when
Wales and England let it be known that they intended to number their players. "The