A Brief History of the Sport of Rugby

William Webb Ellis,

The Inventor of Rugby:

William Webb Ellis, an English Clergyman who lived from 1806-1872, is a man widely and gratefully recognized around the world as the inventor of the game of Rugby.

William Webb Ellis

Legend has it, this now-famous Sport first began to take shape in the year 1823, during a routine game of Football ...

Following the untimely death of William's Father, James Ellis, who served as an Officer in England's Dragoon Guards, William's Mother, Ann Ellis, elected to move with her two sons, William and his older brother, Thomas, to Rugby, Warwickshire, England to afford her two children a proper and Free education, as any pupil living within a 10-mile radius of the Rugby Clock Tower was allowed to attend Rugby School completely free of charge.

Whilst attending School from 1816-1825, William was noted as being a fine Scholar and Cricketer, though it was noted that he was "rather inclined to take unfair advantage at Cricket".

One fateful day while taking part in game of Football with some fellow Classmates, William, rather unconsciously, made worldwide history when, upon catching the ball in his arms, cheated by rushing forward with the ball still cradled in his arms towards the opposite goal line, instead of retiring backwards, as he ought, for a Punt or setup Kick.

Upon reflection of this intriguing turn of events, students of the Rugby School met together excitedly to set certain rules and standards to characterize this unique and thrilling new Sport that would eventually be named for the School where it was invented ... and so the game of Rugby was born.

These fateful events were then commemorated in stone, some 172 years later, on a Rugby School plaque (erected in 1995) that bears the following inscription:

"THIS STONE COMMEMORATES THE 

EXPLOIT OF WILLIAM WEBB ELLIS 

WHO WITH FINE DISREGARD FOR THE 

RULES OF FOOTBALL AS PLAYED IN HIS 

TIME FIRST TOOK THE BALL AND RAN 

WITH IT THUS ORIGINATING THE 

DISTINCTIVE FEATURE OF 

THE RUGBY GAME A.D. 1823".

Picture of the plaque at Rugby school

To honor the Inventor of this beloved pastime, The Rugby World Cup trophy was dutifully named The William Webb Ellis Cup, which stands to this day as the highest achievement that can be attained by a Nation's International Rugby Team.

2011 Rugby World Cup Champions,
The All Backs!