Have you met my father? Chris Cracknell gets up close and personal with team-mate James Collins' dad © Getty Images

Enlarge

2010
Relegation time for Worcester as they went down following a 12-10 loss to fellow strugglers Leeds. It was a day to forget in other ways as well, as flanker Chris Cracknell was suspended by the club after dragging the father of team-mate James Collins over hoardings moments after the final whistle, while Collins was also cited for swearing at Cracknell's father. An RFU investigation handed the pair bans but also criticised their parents who had provoked the situation by fighting each other. "In the circumstances we accepted that [the players] reacted to extreme provocation and that the damage done to the image of the game was minimal. Indeed it is their parents who deserve the greater censure for their inappropriate behaviour," the RFU said. Both players left the club.

1926
Harlequins' mainly international VII won the first Middlesex Sevens tournament (organised on behalf of the Middlesex Hospital Reconstruction Fund) at Twickenham, beating St Mary's Hospital 26-3 in the final in front of 15,000 spectators. Before the final, there was a 500-a-side game between teams assembled from the crowd. In all, 49 sides entered meaning 16 received byes to the second round, with matches played the previous week. On the finals day itself not all games were played at Twickenham with some matches held at nearby grounds.

1976
The RFU Cup - sponsored for the first time (by John Player) - headed north. Gosforth scored four tries at Twickenham in their 23-14 extra-time triumph over Rosslyn Park, for whom Andy Ripley scored a rousing try. Rosslyn Park played all but ten minutes with 14 after England international Bob Mordell had been sent off for punching, the fifth of their players to be dismissed in the season.

1994
Swansea beat Aberavon 32-3 to win the Welsh title but the match was spoilt by regular outbreaks of fighting. "Aberavon came for a bruiser," wrote the Guardian, "and as well as two full-blooded fights there was so much off-the-ball punching and aggravation that it was hard to comprehend what the officials were seeing; they failed miserably."

1973
Pontypool brawn out-muscled London Welsh guile on the Exiles' Easter tour of South Wales. They ran out comfortable 22-3 winners against John Taylor's city slickers, despite going behind to a JPR Williams penalty goal early on.

1954
Jean Prat was in deadly form with his kicking boots, landing six conversions and two penalty goals in France's 39-12 defeat of Italy in Rome.

1998
Cardiff announced that they were ready to turn their backs on the Welsh RFU and look to play in England. "We have had enough in Wales," said club chairman Peter Thomas. "We are delighted with the response we have had from the English clubs, who recognise our potential on the field and off it."

1957
The Barbarians made history, leaving London by air to undertake their first overseas tour - a six-match visit to Canada.

1994
England's women won the World Cup, defeating USA Eagles 38-23 at the Edinburgh Academicals ground at Raeburn Place (where the first international match was played between Scotland and England in 1871). England defied the pre-match oracles to win by five tries and a penalty goal to four tries and a penalty goal, avenging their loss in the first competition three years earlier.