WORLD RUGBY MUSEUM

THE ORIGIN OF RUGBY UNION - Rugby Union is a sport created by design on the 26 January 1871 by a group of Old Rugbeians and other footballers playing under the Rugby School Rules. The initial laws of Rugby Union which differed to those still being played at Rugby School were drawn up by L J Maton soon after the formation of the RFU.

RUGBY UNION RELATED SPORTS - Rugby Union is a direct descendent of Rugby Football and the parent sport of Rugby League (Several other sports need to be investigated to determine their relationship to Rugby Union, these include Association Football, American Football and Canadian Football)

THE ORIGIN OF RUGBY UNION CONFUSION

There is a general confusion which relates to the origin of Rugby Union. This derives from a publication titled "The Origin of Rugby Football" in which a group of Old Rugbeians deliberately mis-represent the origin of the sport. The publication states that that the origin belongs with the William Webb Ellis event in 1823. Our analysis of this origin theory proves that it is impossible that the William Webb Ellis Event in 1823 is the origin of Rugby Union.

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DESCENDENT SPORTS - RUGBY LEAGUE

Others not recorded yet