СИНГИДУНУМ

Historically, the beginnings of rugby as a sport were in 1823.The town of Rugby in Warwickshire in Middle England at that time (Victorian era) was known for its boarding school – college. Alongside of getting academic titles, this school was also very well known for its sporting activities. Parents who wanted to educate their children sent them to this school. One of the students was William Webb Ellis. His name went down in history of rugby as a founder of this sport.

William Webb Ellis was born on 24 November 1806 in Salford – Manchester. After his father had died while he was still very young, his mother sent him to a town of Rugby in 1816, to finish school. In the autumn of 1823 while playing some kind of ball game, he took the ball in his hands and run with it towards the opposing point line.

Element of the game in which the ball is carried, and points are made by putting the ball on the field in predetermined area was entirely new. In that time players were allowed to push the ball both with hands and feet but they couldn’t carry it. The fact that William Webb Ellis took the ball and carried it didn’t confuse his opponents; instead they tried to stop him by throwing him to the ground. Conservative English audience embraced the novelty, and from that moment since the history of rugby began. William Webb Ellis died in 1872. His grave was rediscovered at Menton cemetery in South of France.

The fact that Thomas Arnold, one of the biggest reformers of English school system, was the headmaster of this school speaks of the great importance of the college in town of Rugby. He put moral principles and Christian values, gentleman conduct, intellectual abilities and body development consecutively. This approach is incorporated in the very fundaments of rugby sport.