The Rugby World Cup

The World Cup Returns This Fall!

Note: Make sure to see the 3 awesome 
Promo Videos at the end of this article!

"The Rugby World Cup" ...  a name that has quieted down to an anticipatory whisper over the last Four years (since Rugby's last World Cup that took place in 2011), is now, once again, a name that is sweeping throughout the Nations from household to household, over News outlets and Dining tables alike, in a contagious, almost tangible, frenzy-like atmosphere!

An International Rugby tournament to end all tournaments, The World Cup only takes place every Four years and remains, without a doubt, the Sport of Rugby's most prestigious and highly-anticipated affair.

International Teams from all around the World that were lucky (and good) enough to have made the final cut of the 20 Teams that will be competing in this exciting event, will stand off against each other in a series of Test Matches for a chance to win Rugby's highest honor, The William Webb Ellis Cup (or, the "Webb Ellis Cup").

Rugby's 8th World Cup is set to premiere this Fall, on the 18th of September, 2015, and will conclude on October 31st.

It will take place in England, which won The Bid to host the tournament against fellow bidding-contenders, South Africa, Japan, and Italy.

See the 3 videos below:

An exciting RWC 2015 Promo from the RugbyWorldCup channel on YouTube!

AND another from YouTube's channel, Gilbert Rugby:

AND, finally, an Epic 2015 RWC Promo from YT channel, World Rugby:

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!