Rugby is a sport that has been around for centuries. Though its exact origins are unknown, it is believed to have originated in England in the early 1800s. Rugby quickly spread to other parts of the world, and today it is enjoyed by millions of people all over the globe. What is rugby, where did rugby originate and when was rugby invented? We will answer all these questions and we will take a brief look at the history of rugby and discuss how the sport involved into what we enjoy today.
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What is rugby?
Rugby is a team sport that is played with an oval-shaped ball. The game is played on a field between two teams of fifteen players each. The object of the game is to score more points than the other team by carrying the ball across the opponent’s goal line and touching it down to the ground.
When was rugby invented?
The exact origins of rugby are unknown, but it is believed to have originated in England in the early 1800s. The legend goes that in 1823, during a football game at the Rugby School in England, a student named William Webb Ellis decided to go against the rules and instead of kicking the ball he picked it up and ran. This act is said to be the birth of rugby and the game of rugby owes its name to the school.
In memory of the inventor of the sport of rugby, the trophy awarded to the winner of the Rugby World Cup in our days is called the Webb Ellis Cup.
Modernization of rugby
First rugby rules
In its beginnings the sport of rugby was not formalized, but played more like a variation of football, so in 1845 at the Rugby School in England, the first written rugby rules were created.
However, these rules were not widely adopted until 1871 when members of leading English rugby clubs met to form the Rugby Football Union (RFU). The RFU became the governing body for the sport of rugby and standardized the rules of the game which led to a raise in the popularity and spread of the sport.
The schism – Rugby union vs rugby league
As the game started to spread across the country a significant issues started to be felt as the game was played by wealthy elites in the south and by the working-class in the north.
The clubs in the north started to ask for compensations for the time away from work while touring and for injuries incurred while representing their team. However, the Rugby Football Union authorities responded that if the players couldn’t afford to play, then they shouldn’t play at all.
In response, the Northern England clubs broke away from the Rugby Football Union and created their own league, the Northern Rugby Football Union. This moment marks the schism between rugby union and rugby league.
The new body formed, which later in 1922 became known as Rugby League, allowed professional players to be paid. As a result of this, rugby league became a more popular sport than rugby union in England, especially in the north of the country.
Slowly, rugby league started to separate themselves even more from the rugby union, adopting a separate set of rules for the game.
Internationalization of rugby
The first international rugby match was played on March 27, 1871 between England and Scotland in Edinburgh. The match ended with a win for Scotland, who scored two tries and a goal to England’s single try.
Rugby quickly spread to other parts of the world, and by the early 1900s, it was being played in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada and Wales. In 1987, the first Rugby World Cup was held in New Zealand and Australia, with New Zealand winning the competition. The Rugby World Cup developed to be the biggest rugby tournament in the world, which is held every four years and features teams from all over the globe. The trophy of the Rugby World Cup is called the Webb Ellis Cup, in memory of the inventor of rugby.
Future of rugby
Since its creation, rugby has evolved and changed significantly, growing in popularity and being enjoyed by millions of spectators all around the globe.
The future of rugby looks promising, with the sport set to grow even more in popularity. Like many other industries and aspects of life, rugby is bound to be impacted by technology. Did you know that many sports facilities around the world use robots to paint their rugby fields? The Turf Tank robot automates the line marking process, saves turf managers time and ensures rugby fields are painted with maximum accuracy, following regulations of the governing bodies. Who knows what the future will reserve for this beautiful sport!
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