History Of Rugby
The History of Rugby Union – It All Started in Rugby
The history of rugby goes back much farther than the sport of American football, which actually evolved from rugby. Most agree that rugby football’s roots arose in the 17th century when a game just slightly like what we now know as rugby was played with few of the rules we see today.
Although some question the facts, many credit William Webb Ellis with creating the game of rugby in the early 1800s, when he simply picked up a football and began running with it. He happened to be in Rugby School, in Rugby, England, and there the name of the sport was born.
The term rugby referred to a number of different football games when it originated, and laws and rules were not formally drawn up until 1845, giving birth to a more official form of rugby football as well as the term rugby union. Two other events solidified the creation of rugby union: in 1863, the Blackheath Club chose to leave the Football Association, and in 1871, the Rugby Football Union was formed.
The term rugby union came permanently into play after a split over amateurs and professionals separated the Football Association from Rugby Football in 1895. Rugby union kept its status in amateur rugby until turning professional 100 years later, in 1995.
Rugby is an international sport with teams and rugby associations all over the world. The first international game of rugby was played on March 27, 1871 in Edinburgh, Scotland. The International Rugby Football Board (IRFB) was formed in 1886, with the founding countries of Ireland, Scotland and Wales. England joined in 1890. The name was changed in 1997, and today this group is based in Dublin and known as the International Rugby Board (IRB).
The IRB established the rules and is the governing body of rugby union internationally. There are six regional rugby associations that are also members of the IRB, including:
> Confederation of African Rugby (CAR)
> Asian Rugby Football Union (ARFU)
> North American and West Indies Rugby Association (NAWIRA)
> FIRA-Association Europeenne de Rugby (FIRA-AER)
> Federation of Oceania Rugby Union (FORU)
> Confederacion Sudamericana de Rugby (CONSUR)
There are also national unions to manage the sport in their individual countries. They work with both the regional associations and the IRB.
There are five major international rugby competition: Rugby World Cup, Heineken Cup, Six Nations, Super 14 and Tri Nations. The most important of these tournaments is the Rugby World Cup, which is held every four years in a different location. The last Rugby World Cup was held in France in 2007, and the championship team is Springbok from Australia. The next Rugby World Cup is scheduled for 2011, and it will be held in New Zealand.
Rugby used to be an Olympic sport, but it has not been played at those games since 1924, when the United States won the gold.
…and that sums up the history of Rugby.