Rugby

Pronunciation

• US IPA: /ˈɹʌgbi/

Alternative forms

• Rugby

Origin

1823: Named after Rugby School in Warwickshire where William Webb Ellis ‘with a fine disregard for the rules of football as played in his time, first took the ball in his arms and ran with it, thus originating the distinctive feature of the rugby game’. From the plaque at the school.

Full definition of rugby

Noun

1. A sport where players can hold or kick an ovoid ball. The ball cannot be handled forwards and points are scored by touching the ball to the ground in the area past their opponent’s territory or kicking the ball between goalposts and over a crossbar.The scrum is a distinctive element of rugby.

Synonyms

• rugby football, rugger

Derived terms