Webb Ellis is considered to be the founder of rugby. As a student at a school in Rugby, England, he grabbed the ball with his hands during a football match and ran to the opponent’s scoring area. At that time, there were several varieties of football, and the rules of that match allowed him to touch the ball with his hand, but he was not allowed to move with the ball. It is worth noting that this hypothesis has no evidence, but it has taken root in rugby culture, and Webb Ellis has become one of the game’s symbols.
- In 1845, the first attempt to formulate the rules of rugby was made by students, and in 1848, students of Cambridge University released their own set of rules, which was used as the regulations for subsequent matches.
- In 1863, the first Blackheath rugby club appeared, consisting of members of the English Football Association, and anyone could join it.
- In 1871, the Rugby Union of England was established. The game itself was called Rugby Football at that time.
- In the late 19th century, the English rugby community split. This was due to the fact that some clubs from the northern part of the country were actively lagging behind in their right to pay players monetary compensation, as many players were forced to miss work because of matches. While the game had an amateur status, no payments could be made. The confrontation resulted in the withdrawal of some teams from the union, their modification of the rugby rules, and the creation of a new game, rugby league.
- On March 27, 1871, the first internationally recognized match between England and Scotland took place. Later, Ireland and Wales formed their own national teams, and the Home Nations Cup was created with them. In 1888, the British Isles team visited Australia and New Zealand.
- In 1886, the International Rugby Board (IRB) was established, which became truly global only by the end of the 20th century.
- Since 1905, a series of tours of the strongest rugby teams to the United States and European countries have been held.
- Since 1987, the Rugby World Cup has been held, and the geography of the game has expanded significantly. The first winner of the World Cup was a team from New Zealand.
- In 1995, a decision was made to grant rugby a “free” status and lift restrictions on athletes’ salaries.
