Army Navy Match
| Location | London |
|---|---|
| Teams | |
| First meeting | 13 February 1878 (Annually since 6 March 1909) |
| Latest meeting | 04 May 2024 Army 43-42 |
| Next meeting | 03 May 2025 |
| Broadcasters | BFBS |
| Stadiums | Twickenham Stadium |
| Trophy | The Babcock Trophy |
| Statistics | |
| All-time series (Inter-Service Championship only) | Army 63, Navy 38, Draws 4 (1939, 1969 1980 and 2016) |
| Largest victory | Army, 50–7 (2009) |
| Smallest victory | Navy 11–10 (1921), Navy 9–8 (1948), Navy 17–16 (1978), Army 10–9 (1983), Army 43-42 (2024) |
| The above statistics do not include the matches before the first official match in 1907. 1907 was the first official Army Navy match played after the formation of the Army Rugby Union in 1906. The Royal Navy Rugby Union did not form until the 1907/08 season. | |
| Other information | |
| Current sponsor | Babcock International |
The Army Navy Match is the annual pilgrimage of service personnel, veterans and armed forces supporters for the annual rugby union match played between the senior XV teams of the Royal Navy and British Army. It is the most viewed and anticipated match of the Inter-Service Championship, with the winner being awarded The Babcock Trophy. Since 1914 it has been held at the Allianz Stadium, Twickenham.
The first meeting of the teams was a match played between the officers of the British Army and the officers of the Royal Navy on 13 February 1878, it was not until 1907 that the Army Navy Match became an annual fixture, For the first fixture the match Secretary was Surg Lt George Levick RN. From 1909 it was jointly administered by the newly formed Royal Navy Rugby Union and the Army Rugby Union. In 1920 service personnel who were not Officers were allowed to play for the first time. Since then it has been played every season, with the exception of during the world wars (1914–19 and 1940–45) and COVID-19 pandemic when the matches were suspended.