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[[Image:Boston College Rugby Running With Ball.jpg|right|thumb|300px|A Rugby match at Boston College.]]

[[Image:Boston College Rugby Running With Ball.jpg|right|thumb|300px|A Rugby match at Boston College.]]

'''Rugby Football''', or more commonly "Rugby", is a team ball game that originated at the English public school of the same name.  

'''Rugby Football''' (or just '''Rugby''') originated at the English public school of the same name.  

It was suggested in the 1890s that rugby was invented during a game of Association Football ([[soccer]]) when one of the pupils, [[William Webb Ellis]] foresook the laws of the game and picked up the ball and ran. This is highly questionable and is now regarded as a myth. The game of soccer was not codified until the 1860s and handling of the ball was commonly allowed in the game during the early nineteen centuary, furthermore the idea that it would have been considered a new set of rules rather than a simple cheat seems far fetched. Webb Ellis himself is nto recorded to have made any mention of inventing a new game, and the first time he is credited with the game is some period following his death.

It was suggested in the 1890s that [[rugby]] was invented during a game of Association Football ([[soccer]]) when one of the pupils, [[William Webb Ellis]] foresook the laws of the game and picked up the ball and ran. This is highly questionable and is now regarded as a myth. The game of soccer was not codified until the 1860s and handling of the ball was commonly allowed in the game during the early nineteen centuary, furthermore the idea that it would have been considered a new set of rules rather than a simple cheat seems far fetched. Webb Ellis himself is nto recorded to have made any mention of inventing a new game, and the first time he is credited with the game is some period following his death.

The laws of the game were later codified by the [[Rugby Football Union]] so that a team comprised 15 players and games were played over two halves of 40 minutes.  An alternative version with 13 players per team was developed by the [[Rugby League]] which was formed in 1893.  Historically, Rugby Union was played at southern English public (private) schools - though it also had a stong following in industrial areas such as south Wales and mining districts in south-west England - and the senior teams comprised strictly amateur players.  Rugby League was mainly played in working class areas of northern England and used professional players.

The laws of the game were later codified by the [[Rugby Football Union]] so that a team comprised 15 players and games were played over two halves of 40 minutes.  An alternative version with 13 players per team was developed by the [[Rugby League]] which was formed in 1893.  Historically, Rugby Union was played at southern English public (private) schools - though it also had a stong following in industrial areas such as south Wales and mining districts in south-west England - and the senior teams comprised strictly amateur players.  Rugby League was mainly played in working class areas of northern England and used professional players.