Rugby is a sport that has its origins in England. The game was first played in 1823 at Rugby School, and it quickly became popular among the school’s students. The game soon spread to other schools, and by the 1860s, it had become one of the most popular sports in England.
Rugby quickly became a professional sport, and the first rugby clubs were founded in the 1870s. The first professional rugby match was played in 1876 between England and Scotland. The English national team won the match, which helped increase the popularity of the sport even further within its home country.
Rugby Union, the most popular form of rugby, was founded in 1871. The sport quickly spread to other countries, including Wales, Ireland, and New Zealand. Rugby union became a professional sport in the 1890s, although it was nearly 100 more years until we saw the first rugby union World Cup, which was held in 1987 and played across Australia and New Zealand.
The other major form of rugby is rugby league. Rugby league was founded in 1895 in England, and it quickly spread to Australia and New Zealand. The sport has remained popular in these countries ever since. Rugby league is also played professionally in England, France, and other countries. The Rugby League World Cup was first held in 1954, and it is now held every four years.
Rugby has been played at the Olympic Games on two occasions: in 1900 and 1908. The sport then returned to the Olympics in 2020 (played in 2021) for the first time in over a century.
One of the most popular rugby union tournaments in the world is the Six Nations. The Six Nations rugby tournament is an annual event that takes place between the top European rugby nations. The tournament includes England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales.
Each team plays the other five teams once during the tournament, meaning that a total of 15 matches are played over the course of six weeks. The team with the most points at the end of the tournament is crowned the winner.
The Six Nations rugby tournament is a very prestigious event and is one of the highlights of the European rugby calendar. It is a great opportunity for fans to see some of the best teams in the world go head to head. In the 2022 tournament, Ireland were pipped to the post by eventual champions France who won their first title in 12 long years, which became their 10th grand slam win. Those two clubs, France and Ireland, currently sit atop the world rankings, although it is South Africa and New Zealand who are most often considered the best international rugby union team of all time. Have a look at the latest New Zealand rugby news to see why!
Rugby is a popular sport all over the world, and its popularity looks set to continue growing in the years to come. Thanks for reading this brief history of the game of rugby!
