The game of rugby is believed to have begun in 1823 after Rugby School pupil William Webb Ellis picked up the ball during a game of football and ran with it.
Since then the game has taken many strange twist and turns, some of which you possibly haven’t heard of. Below are 7 facts about the game of rugby that you probably didn’t know:
1. Ever wonder why rugby balls are oval? Hope you’re food’s digested for this one. The first ever rugby balls were made by a Richard Lindon who fashioned it out of hand stitched leather casing and pigs’ bladders. Apparently, pigs’ bladders naturally take on an oval shape. Hmm, so does that make it edible? The trademark oval ball only took over from the spherical ball they’d originally used in 1892.
