Rugby History Part1

Many believe that rugby was born in 1823 when William Webb Ellis "with fine disregard for the rules of football (note that football was yet to split into the various codes) as played in his time at Rugby school, first took the ball in his arms and ran with it, thus originating the distinctive feature of the Rugby game".

Although this is in fact apocryphal, since there is little in the way of evidence to substantiate this view, it is however the popular view. So much so in fact that the international committee named the Rugby world cup the "William Webb Ellis Trophy".

The towns first public commemoration of the game of Rugby was unveiled by Jeremy Guscott on 26th September 1997. The bronze statue, by Graham Ibbeson and modeled after his own son, cost £40,000 which was raised by a public appeal. The bronze statue of a boy running with a Rugby ball, cast using the lost wax technique, now stands at the junction of Lawrence Sheriff Street and Dunchurch Road, beside the school and opposite what is now called the Webb Ellis museum.

On bronze plaque beneath statue:

'THE LOCAL BOY WHO INSPIRED THE GAME OF RUGBY FOOTBALL ON THE CLOSE AT RUGBY SCHOOL IN 1823. SCULPTOR: GRAHAM IBBSEON 1997'


Source: Rugbyfootbalhistory