Back in Roman times, the game of harpastum was played. This involved players throwing a small ball, their team members catching it and trying to keep it on their own side of the field for as long as possible by throwing it to each other.
Fast forward to Tudor times and the game was taking place over a rather ill-defined pitch, the ball being kicked, carried and driven through town and village streets over fields, hedges and streams. As you can imagine, injuries were not uncommon!
However, within a laid out and defined pitch in Rugby, Warwickshire in the Autumn of 1823, it was reported that “with a fine disregard for the rules of the game as played in his time, William Webb Ellis first took the ball in his arms and ran with it, thus originating the distinctive feature of the Rugby game.”
Many historians refute this, saying that it is purely a myth. Sadly, William died today, 24th February in 1872 at the age of just 65 and therefore can no longer have his say as to whether or not this is true.
Fast forward to Tudor times and the game was taking place over a rather ill-defined pitch, the ball being kicked, carried and driven through town and village streets over fields, hedges and streams. As you can imagine, injuries were not uncommon!
However, within a laid out and defined pitch in Rugby, Warwickshire in the Autumn of 1823, it was reported that “with a fine disregard for the rules of the game as played in his time, William Webb Ellis first took the ball in his arms and ran with it, thus originating the distinctive feature of the Rugby game.”
Many historians refute this, saying that it is purely a myth. Sadly, William died today, 24th February in 1872 at the age of just 65 and therefore can no longer have his say as to whether or not this is true.