General History of Rugby

Whether in legend or in fact, rugby is said to have originated in 1823 at the Rugby School in England. To this day, a stone marker at the gates of the school commemorates the event when "William Webb Ellis ... with fine disregard for the rules of football (soccer) as played in his time, first took the ball in his arms and ran with it."

Ellis and the rest of the world never looked back.

The craze grew in private schools and universities througout the British Isles, and in 1871 the first Rugby Union was founded in London. Soon the professional game came about when 22 rugby clubs in northern England called for compensation of lost wages for their players of Saturday matches in 1895. This led to the formation of a Rugby League which introduced a 13-player game with modified rules for professionals.

So from this time forward, there was a separation of the Rugby Union (amateur), and the Rugby League (professional). The rules vary slightly, but both are played on similar fields. The Rugby Football League (est. 1922) extends from England to Austrailla, New Zealand, France, and other countries. The World Cup tournament is the pinnacle of professional play.

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