Whose Legend Is Said to Have Started Rugby?
Quick Answer
Rugby is traditionally linked to William Webb Ellis, a pupil at Rugby School said to have picked up the ball and run with it in 1823, though historians doubt the story.
The Full Story
According to legend, William Webb Ellis ignored the rules of football at Rugby School in 1823 by catching the ball and running with it. The story was first published in 1876 by a former pupil, Matthew Bloxam, several years after Webb Ellis had died. An 1895 investigation by old boys of the school found no firm evidence to support it. Nevertheless, the Rugby World Cup trophy is named the Webb Ellis Cup. The sport's rules developed at Rugby School and elsewhere, and the Rugby Football Union was founded in 1871.
Key Facts
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