Where rugby was born

England's Rugby School is the spiritual home of rugby — but it existed long before the sport that bears its name

Sarah Eberspacher's avatar
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Boys practice on the fields at Rugby School, in England.
A plaque dedicated to William Web Ellis at Rugby School.
(Image credit: (REUTERS/Neil Hall))

Students at Rugby School, which was founded in 1567, hundreds of years before rugby was born.
(Image credit: (REUTERS/Neil Hall))

A statue of William Webb Ellis.
(Image credit: (REUTERS/Neil Hall)Rugby has changed a lot since Ellis first picked up a soccer ball and ran with it. The modern version of the rough-and-tumble game involves an oval ball that players on opp)

(REUTERS/Neil Hall)

(Image credit: REUTERS)

(REUTERS/Neil Hall)

(REUTERS/Neil Hall)

(REUTERS/Neil Hall)

(REUTERS/Neil Hall)

Sarah Eberspacher
Sarah Eberspacher

Sarah Eberspacher is an associate editor at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked as a sports reporter at The Livingston County Daily Press & Argus and The Arizona Republic. She graduated from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.