▁the ▁th ir teen ▁original ▁committee ▁members . ▁ ▁The ▁First ▁International ▁The ▁first ▁international ▁rugby ▁match ▁was ▁played ▁between ▁Scotland ▁and ▁England ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 1 ▁and ▁The ▁Gi ps ies ▁played ▁a ▁role ▁in ▁both ▁its ▁in ception ▁and ▁in ▁providing ▁certain ▁team ▁members . ▁It ▁had ▁come ▁about ▁following ▁certain ▁of ▁the ▁leading ▁Scottish ▁football ▁clubs ▁ref using ▁to ▁recogn ise ▁the ▁England ▁v . ▁Scotland ▁match ▁under ▁Association ▁rules ▁at ▁the ▁O val ▁as ▁an ▁International ▁meeting ▁because ▁they ▁felt ▁the ▁d rib bling ▁game ▁was ▁less ▁well ▁known ▁north ▁of ▁the ▁Twe ed . ▁They ▁published ▁a ▁challenge ▁in ▁Bell ' s ▁Life ▁to ▁play ▁a ▁picked ▁twenty ▁of ▁England ▁under ▁Rugby ▁School ▁laws , ▁during ▁the ▁winter ▁of ▁ 1 8 7 0 - 7 1 . ▁This ▁challenge ▁was ▁received ▁just ▁a ▁few ▁weeks ▁before ▁the ▁Rugby ▁Football ▁Union ▁was ▁founded . ▁At ▁the ▁fore front ▁of ▁those ▁wanting ▁to ▁take ▁up ▁the ▁challenge ▁was ▁Francis ▁L us com be , ▁" the ▁ener get ic ▁captain ▁of ▁the ▁Gi ps ies , ▁who ▁was ▁" sp o iling ▁for ▁a ▁fight , ". ▁However , ▁he ▁felt ▁that ▁Black he ath , ▁being ▁the ▁oldest ▁of ▁the ▁clubs ▁on ▁point ▁of ▁foundation , ▁ought ▁to ▁take ▁the ▁lead , ▁and ▁expressed ▁this ▁to ▁Frederick ▁Sto kes ▁the ▁captain ▁of ▁that ▁club . ▁So on ▁after , ▁B . ▁H . ▁Burn s , ▁the ▁Black he ath ▁secretary , ▁prompt ly ▁wrote ▁accepting