Although no one knows for sure, the game of Rugby Union is usually credited, some would say romantically, to William Webb Ellis who picked up the ball and ran with it whilst playing in a game of football at Rugby School in 1823. In recognition of this the Rugby World Cup winners are presented with the Webb Ellis Trophy.

International Rugby Union Highlights

Rugby was then played under varying rules of the game until 1871 when the Rugby Football Union (RFU) was formed leading to a standardisation of the rules. With the game spreading across the globe, the International Rugby Board (IRB) was formed in 1886 and is the world governing and law making body for rugby union.

Official RFU Tournament DVDs

In the 1890s there were tensions between the game of rugby played amongst working men in the north of England and those of the gentleman's game in the south, leading to the split in rugby and the formation of the Northern Rugby Football Union in 1895. A century later the IRB declared rugby union an 'open' game and the professional era had arrived.

The main international tournaments contested in rugby union are the Rugby World Cup, the Six Nations Championship and the Tri Nations Series. You can find a whole range of rugby history and memories available on skysportsdvd.co.uk.