Rugby Origin
The code was originally known simply as rugby football.
Rugby origin. Both rugby union and rugby league have their origins in the style of football played at rugby school in england. The romans played a ball game called harpastum a word derived from the greek word seize the implication of the name being that somebody actually carried or handled the ball. According to the sports lore in 1823 william webb ellis a pupil at rugby school defied the conventions of the day that the ball may only be kicked forward to pick up the ball and run with it in a game thus creating the distinct handling game. Rugby n type of football 1864 after rugby public school where the game was played from city of rugby in warwickshire central england.
The place name is rocheberie 1086 probably fortified place of a man called hroca with second element from old english burh dative byrig replaced by 13c. The first set of written rules in 1845 the blackheath club s decision to leave the football association in 1863 and the formation of the rugby football union in 1871. With old norse by village due to the influence of danish settlers.