You'll be familiar with sporting teams donning the poppy on the nearest weekend to Remembrance Day(November 11th), but we also hear you ask, why are England wearing poppies in March?
@ballsdotie I'm equally perplexed by England having Poppies on shirts in March. Daily Mail must be very proud.
— DisenchantedDub 🏰 x 🔥 x 3 (@tripledub) March 19, 2016
The answer is quite straightforward. With this being the last time England face France until this time in 2017, England are sporting the poppy to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme.
In July 1916, the armies of the British and French empires fought side by side against the Germans. Over one million people lost their lives, making it one of the bloodiest and most horrible battles in human history.
Hence today's poppy, despite it being March:
'On England shirts, the poppies grow' #somme100 https://t.co/7USW2hmDlf pic.twitter.com/K9vmFsNW10
— Stephen Cooper Author (@GreatWarRugby) March 18, 2016
The French, for their part, are wearing the Bleuet de France - the French equivalent of the Remembrance poppy.
Bravo l'équipe de France qui arbore le Bleuet de France @FFRugby @BleuetdeFrance #mémoire #rugby #Somme100 👏 pic.twitter.com/AtxnhzNnmg
— Ministère des Armées 🇫🇷 🇪🇺 (@Armees_Gouv) March 19, 2016
