How Did The Game Of Rugby Develop In The Mid To Late 1800s?

The game of Rugby Football is said to have been invented and developed at Rugby School in England. The first set of written rules were published by pupils at the School in 1845. Before then, it is thought that various forms of football were played at the institution for as long as 200 years. Both teams at the start of a match would agree a set of rules. A Rugby based boot and shoemaker by the name of Richard Lindon is said to have invented the oval shaped ball, thus standardising the ball with which the modern day game is played.

By 1870 around 75 clubs played variations of the Rugby School game in Britain. Forms of the ever-popular game were also being played in Ireland, New Zealand, Australia and Canada. However, at this time, they had no commonly agreed sets of rules. In 1871, the Rugby Football Union was formed by 22 teams, thus standardising the game in England. Other countries began to establish unions until, in 1886, the International Rugby Board was founded, becoming the world governing body and law-making authority for Rugby Football.