Who to Thank For Rugby

Who To Thank For Rugby.

Like Christopher Columbus we believe he sailed across the sea and became the first to discovered America. In history books we read of accomplishment about people, but is it in fact true. In recent discoveries many other generations previously set sail and discovered America before Christopher Columbus did. Some in fact walked from Asia to America and settled. Empires had already existed and passed before the claimed first foot to reach these American grounds.

As all the rugby world has heard the crediting story to who first created rugby. A young English school boy playing on ground of a boarding school in Rugby, Warwickshire, England. In 1923, a 17 year old boy by the name of Webb Ellis. The rugby world credits Webb Ellis with his action of playing a soccer-like game and catches the ball in his arms and then continued to run forward.

It took scholars years to figure the credit to who invented this game. Crediting to Webb after he passed in 1872 did Old Rugbeian Society in 1895 investigate. May the truth be unknown?

It is also unknown when the Olympic Games first started. It is estimated that the game ended near 400 A.D. when the Roman gained power and influence in Greece. Governments and religions dampened sport gathering in Europe.

Many sports across the world involved carrying a ball and running around and through people. Many countries commonly played an individual rough game of keep away with a ball with no goals but to only bring the ball home.  Some in entire towns in United Kingdom played Shrovetide. A game of one-half town versus the other one-half town fighting over a large ball to two points of town over a 3 mile distance. This has been known to go on for days with thousands of people participating all over town. On Shrove Day the town shuts down till the game is over. But Religions and governments discouraged the Shrovetide game to be played. Except for one town of Ashbourne in the United Kingdom.

It was known Webb Ellis’s father was in the military on campaigns to many countries to hold the peace in the UK when Webb was a school boy.

Did Webb Ellis’s father teach him to run with the ball? The like traits of today’s rugby.

On a school ground Webb Ellis picks up a ball and runs. Confined into the yards of a playground sets limits of boundaries a ball carrier can be chased to. Adopting a new idea of a game from Shrovetide but a game with closer goals and a shorter distance and can be played every day.

Surrounding schools yards practiced the trend of play and accepted competition each other. Wide spread of ability of a physical competition among school caused popularity. With gained interest thousands of spectators came to witness a school sanctioned sport. By popular demand communities of rugby players came together for form a union of mens clubs all across England to form a league of rugby competition.

War and conflict spread many European countries military into Australia and New Zealand. As well as immigration to the United States.

In 1963 The Football Association formed. An unconnection game of playing with the ball with hands using feet only. Using rugby football’s network of union competition clubs.

In 1981 Basket was invented by James Naismith, a sports coach, college professor and innovator. Designed a game for rugby players to practice in the off-season. Also invented the football helmet.

In 1896 International Olympic Committee (IOC) forms to coordinate an international competition of games.

In 1906 Theodore Roosevelt changes the rugby football game rules America to modern football more seen today because of his son was enrolling freshman into college joining the rugby team and the violence was averaging 8 deaths and 180 serious injuries per year. Roosevelt’s committee eventually formed what is known today as the NCAA.

In 1920 and 1924 United States wins gold in rugby, the last time rugby is an Olympic game.

Today Australia, New Zealand, England and France dominate the International rugby board rankings as the best rugby countries in the world including. Republic of Africa that credits Nelson Mandela and the game of rugby that made a nation.

Who Do We Give The Greatest Appreciation To For Giving Us All Of This?

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