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

by The Week team

September 7, 2015

.polaris__post-meta--date { display: none; } .polaris__post-meta--date.no-script { display: block; padding-left: 45px } September 7, 2015

A plaque dedicated to William Web Ellis at Rugby School.

(REUTERS/Neil Hall)

Students at Rugby School, which was founded in 1567, hundreds of years before rugby was born.

(REUTERS/Neil Hall)

A statue of William Webb Ellis.

(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

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5a5 { display: none !important; }

(REUTERS/Neil Hall)

REUTERS

(REUTERS/Neil Hall)

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5ac { display: none !important; }

(REUTERS/Neil Hall)

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5ah { display: none !important; }

(REUTERS/Neil Hall)

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5ak { display: none !important; }

(REUTERS/Neil Hall)

Recommended

Max Scherzer.

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5b9 { display: none !important; }

Talking Points

MLB trades sticky stuff for pantless pitchers

Carl Nassib.

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5bb { display: none !important; }

coming out

Raiders' Carl Nassib becomes 1st active NFL player to come out as gay

Denmark football team celebrates win over Russia.

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5bd { display: none !important; }

Why we watch sports

Denmark rallies to advance in Euros after Eriksen's health scare

Christina Clemons.

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5bf { display: none !important; }

snack queen

A runner just qualified for the Olympics while wearing Cool Ranch Doritos earrings

Olympians.

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5bh { display: none !important; }

Opinion

Gen Z goes to the Olympics

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5bj { display: none !important; }

more to come?

Brett Kavanaugh may have set the stage for upending the NCAA model

Most Popular

Britney Spears.

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5cz { display: none !important; }

#FreeBritney

Britney Spears' father reportedly living in RV despite conservator salary

Matthew Calamari

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5d1 { display: none !important; }

Trump Trouble

Trump's ex-bodyguard Matthew Calamari lawyers up

Tim Cook

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5d3 { display: none !important; }

mr. cook calls washington

Cook called Pelosi with 'warning' about antitrust bills

Political Cartoon.

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5d5 { display: none !important; }

Feature

7 toons about the Dems' Joe Manchin problem

Jerry Seinfeld

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5d7 { display: none !important; }

why not?

Seinfeld announces a 'crazy comedy movie' about Pop-Tarts

Loki

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5d9 { display: none !important; }

canon

Loki director: 'Important' to confirm character is bisexual

Greg Abbott

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5db { display: none !important; }

Woof

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott vetoes bipartisan anti-cruelty bill for dogs

Donald Trump, Allen Weisselberg, and Donald Trump Jr.

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5dd { display: none !important; }

legal drama

Report: Prosecutors frustrated by lack of cooperation from Trump finance chief

Stephen Colbert

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5df { display: none !important; }

Last Night on Late Night

Late night hosts goof on Matthew Calamari, Trump's proposed late-night crackdown

Donald Trump

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5dh { display: none !important; }

'Hopefully COVID takes out John'

Trump reportedly joked about COVID-19, mocked people who got sick

Gitmo Tourists

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5dj { display: none !important; }

Last Night on Late Night

Stephen Colbert chides Catholic bishops for 'Holy Ghosting" Biden

Mitch McConnell.

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5dl { display: none !important; }

It's a no from me

McConnell defends GOP voting rights filibuster

John McAfee.

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5dn { display: none !important; }

conspiracy trolling

John McAfee's social media team appears to conduct QAnon 'stunt' after reports of his death in prison

Matthew McConaughey.

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5dp { display: none !important; }

Governor McConaughey

Matthew McConaughey ranked favorably as potential Texas gubernatorial challenger

Buffalo, New York

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5dr { display: none !important; }

2021 elections

Buffalo apparently elects socialist mayor over 4-term incumbent

Bernie Sanders.

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5dt { display: none !important; }

Sounds dope

Bernie Sanders wants to know if cannabis reporter is 'stoned' right now

Britney Spears.

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5dv { display: none !important; }

#FreeBritney

Spears calls conservatorship 'abusive,' wants to be able to get married and have a baby

Joe Biden.

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5dx { display: none !important; }

where were you?

Progressives lament Biden's approach to the For The People Act

Chuck Schumer.

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5dz { display: none !important; }

winging it

'Abundantly clear' Democrats never had a plan to pass election reform bill, former Obama aide says

Supreme Court.

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5e1 { display: none !important; }

5, 6, 7, 8

What SCOTUS' 'cursing cheerleader' decision means for free speech

Sheldon Whitehouse

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5e3 { display: none !important; }

Old Money

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse says family's private beach club isn't all-white

Drake Bell

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5e5 { display: none !important; }

how do you plead?

Drake Bell pleads guilty to attempted child endangerment

T-Pain.

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5e7 { display: none !important; }

confessions

T-Pain recalls Usher waking him up on a flight to tell him he ruined music

Trump rally.

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5e9 { display: none !important; }

The big lie

Georgia election workers reportedly received a 'torrent' of threats

India Walton.

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5eb { display: none !important; }

Phone home

Listen to India Walton's post-victory call to her mother

A mask.

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5ed { display: none !important; }

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5ee { display: none !important; }

In-between days

Detroit election workers

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5eg { display: none !important; }

'willful ignorance'

Michigan GOP investigation finds no voter fraud evidence

Supreme Court building.

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5ei { display: none !important; }

organized labor

Supreme Court conservatives just 'undid one of César Chávez's greatest accomplishments'

Chuck Schumer.

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5ek { display: none !important; }

fightin words

Schumer says GOP 'afraid' to debate voting reform bill as Manchin sticks with Democrats

Kyrsten Sinema.

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5em { display: none !important; }

filibuster debate

Why Sinema's fears about a post-filibuster GOP may be exaggerated

Rioters inside the Capitol on Jan. 6.

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5eo { display: none !important; }

Jan. 6 aftermath

'Ashamed' Capitol rioter gets probation after guilty plea

A Houston Methodist hospital.

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5eq { display: none !important; }

consequences

Texas hospital system: 153 workers resigned or were fired after refusing vaccine

Mark Milley

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5es { display: none !important; }

critical race theory

Gen. Mark Milley defends a military interest in critical race theory

A customer looks at a customized AR-15.

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5eu { display: none !important; }

gun laws

Appeals court blocks ruling overturning California's assault weapons ban

Coronavirus vaccine.

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5ew { display: none !important; }

solving covid

Why perpetual COVID-19 vaccine boosting 'isn't an ideal option'

Jamal Khashoggi

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5ey { display: none !important; }

Jamal Khashoggi Murder

Jamal Khashoggi's Saudi killers got paramilitary training in U.S.

For sale sign.

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5f0 { display: none !important; }

sellers' market

Median home price in America tops $350,000 for first time

Harrison Ford

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5f2 { display: none !important; }

get well soon

Harrison Ford injured on Indiana Jones 5

The Supreme Court.

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5f4 { display: none !important; }

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5f5 { display: none !important; }

The court's unfashionable defense of free speech

Sexy Beasts

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5f7 { display: none !important; }

fantastic beasts and where to date them

Twitter explodes over trailer for Netflix dating show

The American flag.

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5f9 { display: none !important; }

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5fa { display: none !important; }

W. James Antle III

Beyond critical race theory

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5fc { display: none !important; }

'partisan blockade'

Senate Republicans block debate on voting rights legislation

Liz Cheney.

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5fe { display: none !important; }

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5ff { display: none !important; }

Liz Cheney earns her exile

Cara Delevingne.

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5fh { display: none !important; }

"I'm gonna show you where this lovely labia leads"

Cara Delevingne's house has a 'vagina tunnel'

Joe Manchin

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5fj { display: none !important; }

Voting Rights

What will Democrats do now on voting rights?

Vice President Kamala Harris.

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5fl { display: none !important; }

voting rights

Harris says the right to vote is 'an American concern,' not partisan

Joe Biden.

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5fn { display: none !important; }

Full send

Biden strengthens support of For The People Act after progressive criticism

Stephen Bannon.

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5fp { display: none !important; }

critical race theory

Bannon thinks GOP could gain 50 House seats if they focus on critical race theory

Masks

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_1ln9uoqkqaxk5fr { display: none !important; }

the coronavirus crisis

U.S. COVID-19 deaths drop to lowest level since March 2020