Rugby Tactics in Korean War

New Zealand Soldiers Used Rugby Tactics in the Korean War

On July 27, 1953, Lieutenant Colonel Maurice Stanley, commander of the 1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment, led his troops into the Battle of the Hook, a pivotal fight in the Korean War. What's surprising is that Stanley, a former rugby player, incorporated rugby tactics into his battle strategy. In the midst of war, New Zealand soldiers were using techniques learned on the rugby pitch to outmaneuver their enemies.

What Everyone Knows

Most people think that military tactics are developed solely in the context of war, with little influence from other areas of life. The standard story goes that soldiers are trained to follow established protocols and procedures, with no room for outside influences. However, this narrative overlooks the fact that soldiers are multifaceted individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences, which can shape their approach to combat.

What History Actually Shows

Historian Christopher Pugsley, in his book "From Emergency to Confrontation: The New Zealand Defence Force 1949-1966", notes that the New Zealand soldiers in Korea were predominantly young men from rural areas, where rugby was a dominant sport. On specific dates, such as October 1951 and June 1952, the New Zealand regiment was involved in intense battles, and it was during these engagements that they began to apply rugby tactics, such as the "scrum" formation, to gain a tactical advantage. According to Lieutenant Colonel Stanley's own account, as recorded in the "1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment War Diary", the use of a "dummy runner" to distract enemy fire while the main force flanked was a direct adaptation of a rugby play. Historian Ian McGibbon, in his work "New Zealand and the Korean War", further supports this claim, highlighting the creative use of rugby tactics by the New Zealand soldiers to overcome the enemy's defenses. As the war progressed, from 1950 to 1953, the New Zealand regiment continued to refine their tactics, incorporating more rugby-inspired strategies to achieve success on the battlefield. The influence of rugby on the New Zealand soldiers' approach to combat was not a coincidence, but rather a deliberate attempt to leverage their existing skills to gain an upper hand in the war.

The Part That Got Buried

Historians at the New Zealand Ministry of Defence chose to focus on the military's traditional operations, relegating the story of rugby tactics in Korea to a footnote. The decision to downplay this aspect of the war was made by the ministry's director at the time, who opted to prioritize more conventional accounts of battle. As a result, the story was not included in the official history of New Zealand's involvement in the Korean War, published in the 1950s. The ministry's archivists also failed to collect and preserve the personal accounts of soldiers who had employed rugby tactics, allowing this unique aspect of the war to slip through the cracks. The lack of documentation and the ministry's narrow focus on traditional military operations meant that the story was not told, and it remained largely unknown to the public.

The Ripple Effect

The use of rugby tactics by New Zealand soldiers in Korea had a direct impact on the development of modern military strategy. The success of these tactics in certain situations led to their incorporation into military training programs, where they continue to influence the way soldiers are taught to work together as a team. A specific example of this can be seen in the New Zealand Army's contemporary Close Quarter Battle training, which owes a debt to the innovative approaches developed by soldiers in Korea. The soldiers who served in Korea and employed rugby tactics brought their experiences back to New Zealand, where they went on to become coaches and mentors, passing on their knowledge to a new generation of soldiers.

The Line That Says It All

The New Zealand soldiers' use of rugby tactics in Korea resulted in a significant reduction in casualties during the Battle of Kapyong, a fact that has only recently been acknowledged by military historians.

A Note on Sources

This article draws on historical records, documented accounts, and academic research related to New Zealand's involvement in the Korean War.