Rugby Chronology
Public schools (including Harrow, Winchester, Eton & Rugby) play their own versions of ‘football’. Boys from Rugby School gradually develop and shape the game that will become famous world wide.
‘Running in’ (try scoring in modern terminology) becomes an accepted feature of the Rugby School game due to the prowess of pupil Jem Mackie.
Albert Pell, former Rugby School pupil, organises ‘football’ matches at Cambridge University. Everyone plays by their school rules (including Rugby School football rules) and so a compromise set of rules are produced. This attempt to form one set of football rules would eventually lead to the publication of the ‘Cambridge Rules’ (see 1863).
Running with the ball is formally adopted and accepted by the boys of Rugby School for the first time.
Three boys at Rugby School publish their first set of written rules. These are the first written rules for any form of ‘football’ and are one of the reasons why Rugby’s game flourished whilst others died out.
Trinity College, Dublin is the first rugby club to be formed in Ireland.
Edinburgh Academicals is the first rugby club to be formed in Scotland.
Montevideo Cricket Club, Uruguay, is the first club outside Europe to play rugby.
The ‘Cambridge Rules’ are published. These rules are an amalgamation of the various forms of ‘football’ – including elements of Rugby School football.
26 October – Football Association (FA) formed at the Freemason’s Tavern, Great Queen Street, Lincoln Inn Fields, London.
“The original object of the Association was to frame a code of laws that would embrace the best and most acceptable points of all the various methods of play under the one heading of ‘football’” (The History of the Football Association by Geoffrey Green – 1953).
Clubs attending the first meeting include Blackheath and Blackheath Proprietary School.
10 November – 2nd FA meeting.
Although some public schools reply to the letters sent out by the FA offering membership, Rugby School does not. Rules are discussed. At this point it is still the intention to merge the Rugby School rules into the FA’s national football rules with everyone else’s.
14 November – 4th FA meeting.
The proposed rules for ‘football’ are read out. F. W. Campbell (Blackheath) asserts that they were “worthy of consideration”. Handling the ball is allowed, but other aspects of Rugby School rules, such as hacking (kicking) and hacking over (tripping over), are forbidden.
1 December – 5th FA meeting.
Campbell believes that hacking is an essential element of the ‘football’ game that his club (Blackheath) wants to play. To eliminate hacking would “do away with all the courage and pluck from the game, and I will be bound over to bring over a lot of Frenchmen who would beat you with a week’s practice”.
8 December – 6th FA meeting.
Campbell informs the meeting that the laws that the FA wants to adopt would destroy the game and all interest in it. He then removes Blackheath from membership of the FA.
Other rugby clubs follow this lead and do not join the Football Association. Without the participation of these clubs many of the Rugby School football influences are dropped from the FA’s laws and the brand new football game (soccer) will become an almost exclusively dribbling sport.
Sydney University is the first rugby club to be formed in Australia.
‘Alcocks Football Annual’ lists approximately 75 clubs playing Rugby School football rules. These different clubs have different interpretations of the laws as played at Rugby School.
Nelson club of New Zealand starts to play Rugby School rules, the first club in that country to do so.
November - an anonymous surgeon writes to ‘The Times’ complaining that Rugby football is dangerous. The need is felt to form a body to regulate the laws.
26 January – Rugby Football Union (RFU) founded at the Pall Mall Restaurant, No.1 Cockspur Street, London near Trafalgar Square.
21 clubs are present: Blackheath, Richmond, Ravenscourt Park, West Kent, Marlborough Nomads, Wimbledon Hornets, Gipsies, Civil Service, Law Club, Wellington College, Guy’s Hospital, Flamingoes, Clapham Rovers, Harlequins, King’s College, St Paul’s School, Queen’s House, Lausanne, Addison, Mohicans, Belsize Park.
Algernon Rutter (Richmond) is elected president. A committee is selected to produce a definitive national set of rugby football laws.
27 March – first ever international fixture. Scotland (Scottish members of the RFU) defeats England (English members of the RFU) by 1 goal & 1 try to 1 try at Raeburn Place, Edinburgh. The match is played by teams of 20-a-side and the game lasts for 50 minutes each way.
First match between Oxford and Cambridge Universities. Oxford wins by 1 goal to nil. This fixture will become known as the ‘Varsity’ match.
Scottish Rugby Football Union founded.
Two rugby unions formed in Ireland. The Irish Football Union represents players from Munster, Leinster and Connaught. The Northern Football Union of Ireland represents players from Ulster. They agree to select a number of players each for Ireland’s international fixtures.
15 February - Ireland’s first international fixture, played against England at the Oval, London. England win by 1 goal, 1 drop goal & 1 try to nil.
13 December – Oxford and Cambridge are the first to reduce their teams from 20 to 15-a-side.
Two clubs, Hamilton and Villagers, are formed in South Africa. Both lay claim to being the oldest clubs in that country.
5 February – England and Ireland meet at The Oval, London to contest the first international match played between teams of 15-a-side. England wins by 2 goals & 2 tries to nil.
RFU is offered a cup from the disbanded Calcutta Club of India as a trophy for a knock-out club competition. Soccer’s FA Cup is proving very popular at the time and they envisage a rugby equivalent. The RFU refuses to accept it for this purpose (since they believe that ‘competitiveness’ runs against the amateur ethos) but does accept it for use in fixtures against Scotland.
The two Irish unions combine to form the Irish Rugby Football Union.
10 March – 1st Calcutta Cup match ends in a draw.
28 February – England become the first winners of the Calcutta Cup when they defeat Scotland by 2 goals & 3 tries to 1 goal.
19 February – Wales’ first international fixture is played, against England. The match is played three weeks before the formation of the Welsh Rugby Union. The team is organised by Richard Mullock, who will become the first honorary secretary and treasurer of the WRU. The match is played at Richardson’s Field, Blackheath and England win by 7 goals, 1 drop goal & 6 tries to nil.
Welsh Rugby Union founded.
First ever overseas tour, when New South Wales travel to New Zealand. Even though the tourists expect to win all of their seven games, they underestimate the strength of the New Zealanders and only win four.
First New Zealand tour, to New South Wales (Australia). The tourists do not play any tests, but win all of their matches.
For the first time, referees are given a whistle and umpires given sticks (later flags).
The International Rugby Football Board (IRFB) is formed by Scotland, Ireland and Wales. England declines to join since they believe they should have greater representation on the board for having a greater number of clubs. They also refuse to accept that the IRFB should be the recognised law maker of the game. The IRFB agrees that the member countries will not play England until the RFU agrees to join.
Points for scoring adopted by IRFB.
The ‘broken time’ issue starts to be discussed in Lancashire, where soccer and cricket players can be recompensed by their clubs for time taken off work to play sport, whilst rugby players can not.
A privately financed team of British players organised by two Cricket promoters tours New Zealand and Australia. Although there are rumours that the players have been paid expenses for their clothes, Jack Clowes of Halifax is the only player to admit to it. He is declared a professional by the RFU and banned from playing rugby.
New Zealand Native team tours Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand. On the longest tour ever, they play 107 matches, winning 78, drawing 6 and losing 23. The tour lasts for over a year.
South African RFU founded.
England becomes a member of the IRFB.
South Africa’s first international fixture. They lose 4-0 against the touring British Isles team in Port Elizabeth. This was also the first time a British team had toured South Africa. Under the captaincy of W. E. Maclagen, they win all 20 matches of the tour, conceding only one point. They remain the only British Isles side to win every game on a tour.
New Zealand Rugby Football Union founded.
Issue of “broken time” payments reaches boiling point at the RFU’s AGM. Hornby – a true amateur – argues for broken time payments because “the so-called amateur sides ask for large guarantees, publish no balance sheets and distribute expenses far larger than would be paid to a professional player”.
Yorkshire complain that, although there are more rugby clubs in the North of England than in the South, more Southerners than Northerners populate the RFU Committee. Also, Committee meetings are held in London at times that are not suitable for northern folk to attend.
29 August - At a meeting at the George Hotel, Huddersfield, twenty clubs from Yorkshire, Lancashire and Cheshire decided to resign from the RFU and form the Northern Rugby Football Union (from 1922 it would be known as Rugby League).
Zimbabwe RFU founded (known as Rhodesia RFU until 1980)
Australia’s first international fixture. They defeat the touring British Isles side 13-3 at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
The first Irish team to tour overseas. They tour Canada playing 11 games. They win 10 and lose one but do not play any tests.
Argentinean Rugby Union founded.
Rugby is played at the Olympic Games for the first time. Only two countries enter and France defeats Germany 25-16.
New Zealand’s first international fixture. They defeat Australia 22-3 at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
The New Zealand ‘Originals’ tour the British Isles, France and America playing 35 matches. They win 34 games, losing only one - to Wales.
First Australia tour, to New Zealand. Even with the strongest New Zealand players touring on the other side of the world, the Australians only win three of the seven games they play.
South Africa tour the British Isles and France for the first time. They play 28 games, winning 25, drawing one and losing two.
Australia tour the British Isles for the first time. They play 31 matches, winning 25, drawing one and losing five. The Australian team receives three shillings a day for out-of-pocket expenses and Scotland refuse to play the team, claiming that paying them makes them professionals. Scotland’s fears are justified because when the Australians return home 13 players immediately join up to the newly formed Rugby League.
Rugby is played at Olympic Games for the second time and only two countries enter. Australia defeat Great Britain 32-3.
The Five Nations Championship begins. This is the first year that England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales and France play each other in the same season. Even though the Championship is not formally recognised for many years to come, England are the first champions after winning three and drawing one of their four games.
A British Isles side visits Argentina for the first time. They play six games and win them all.
Fijian Rugby Union founded.
4 August – Nine days after the outbreak of World War I, a RFU circular advises all players to join the armed forces. 133 international players from the British Isles, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, France and Romania will die during the conflict.
French Rugby Federation founded.
Rugby is played at the Olympics for the third time and only two countries enter. USA defeat France 8-0.
Spanish Rugby Federation founded.
USA rugby team tours Britain to ‘warm up’ for the Olympic Games.
Rugby is played at the Olympics for the last time. Three countries enter and the USA win the gold by defeating the other two nations - Romania and France. After these games, the International Olympic Committee decides to discontinue events, such as rugby, which have attracted minimal entrants.
The New Zealand ‘Invincibles’ tour the British Isles, France and Canada. They play 32 matches and win them all.
Italian Rugby Federation founded.
Italy’s first international fixture. They lose 9-0 to Spain.
All future matches are to be played under the laws of the IRFB.
Ten French Clubs attempt to break away from the French Federation to form their own union. The Home Unions, concerned about alleged illegal payments to players and foul play in the French game, agree to suspend relations with the French Federation until they can prove that they have control over the game in their country.
Romanian Rugby Federation founded.
Federation Internationale de Rugby Amateur (FIRA) is formed at the instigation of the French. It is designed to organise the game outside of the major rugby playing nations. The founding members are France, Italy, Germany, Portugal, Sweden, Romania, Catalonia (Spain), Holland and Czechoslovakia.
France is invited to rejoin the Five Nations Championship for the following season, but war is declared and international rugby is suspended. 88 international players from the British Isles, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, France, Germany and Romania are killed during the conflict.
The ban on Rugby League players is temporarily lifted by the RFU. Many play in the eight Services Internationals played between England and Scotland during the war years.
France plays its first Five Nations games since 1931 as the championship restarts after the war.
Australia, New Zealand and South Africa become members of the IRFB.
Australian Rugby Union founded.
First France tour, to Argentina. The tourists win all nine games, including the two test matches.
Uruguay Rugby Union founded.
To celebrate the fact that England has won all of their Five Nations games that year, The Times uses the expression ‘Grand Slam’. This is possibly the first time the expression is used in this context.
First Scotland tour, to South Africa. This is the first ever short international tour. Even though the tourists lose the test, the tour itself is seen as a success and, in the way in which it is set up and conducted, sets the standard to follow.
Cote d’Ivoire Rugby Federation founded.
First England tour, to New Zealand and Australia. The tourists play three tests in eleven days and lose them all.
First Wales tour, to South Africa. The tourists win the majority of their games but the only test sees them suffer their biggest test defeat in forty years.
Georgian Rugby Union founded.
Canadian Rugby Union founded.
United States of America Rugby Union founded.
France becomes a member of the IRFB.
First Italy tour, to New Zealand. The tourists win two of the five matches and do not play any tests.
Anti Apartheid demonstrations lead to the disruption of the South African tour of New Zealand. Games are cancelled and, in the final test, a plane drops flour bombs and pamphlets onto the pitch whilst the game is in progress.
First women's international match between France and the Netherlands in Utrecht.
Formation of the Womens’ Rugby Football Union covering the countries of the British Isles.
New Zealand ‘Cavaliers’ travel for an illegal and unofficial tour of South Africa. This leads to the players having a ban imposed on them by the NZRFU when they return home. Allegations that they had received payment for playing are never proven.
Canada becomes a member of the IRFB.
First women's international for Great Britain against France at Richmond Athletic Park.
First Rugby World Cup tournament is held in Australia and New Zealand. New Zealand defeats France in the final 29-9 at Eden Park, Auckland.
Argentina, Fiji, Italy, Japan, Romania, Tonga, USA and Zimbabwe become members of the IRFB.
First women's international matches for England and Wales.
Cote d’Ivoire, Spain and Samoa become members of the IRFB.
Uruguay becomes a member of the IRFB.
Namibian Rugby Union founded.
Namibia becomes a member of the IRFB.
Second Rugby World Cup tournament is held in the British Isles and France. Australia defeats England in the final 12-6 at Twickenham, London.
First women's Rugby World up competition in Cardiff.
USA beat England 19-6 in the final.
South Africa plays its first international fixture since 1984 after their racial Apartheid policies are repealed. They lose to New Zealand 27-24.
Georgia becomes a member of the IRFB.
Rugby Football Union for Women formed.
Second Women's Rugby World Cup in Edinburgh, Scotland.
England beat USA 38-23 in the final.
Third Rugby World Cup tournament is held in South Africa. South Africa defeats New Zealand in the final 15-12 at Ellis Park, Johannesburg (after extra time).
26 August – After years of revision to the amateur regulations of the game, the IRFB concludes that the only way to keep control of rugby is to declare the game ‘open’. The regulations relating to amateurism are replaced by regulations relating to the game. Therefore there are no longer any restrictions on payments or benefits to those connected to rugby union.
The Tri-Nations Tournament involving Australia, New Zealand and South Africa begins. Played on a home and away basis, New Zealand wins all of their four matches and become the inaugural champions.
White Card and ‘Sin-Bin’ introduced by laws committee to discourage the ‘professional foul’. These will later become yellow and red cards.
The International Rugby Football Board drops the ‘F’ to become the IRB.
First official IRB sanctioned Women's Rugby World Cup held in Amsterdam.
New Zealand beat USA 44-12 in the final.
Scotland is the last winner of the Five Nations Championship.
Fourth Rugby World Cup tournament is held in the British Isles and France. Australia defeats France in the final 35-12 at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff.
First women's Five Nations Championship.
The Five Nations becomes Six when Italy joins. They win the first game of the new championship by defeating Scotland 34-20 in Rome.
6 April – France become the first team to win a ‘Grand Slam’ in the Six Nations Championship.
France win first women's Six Nations Championship.
Women's Rugby World Cup in Barcelona, Spain.
New Zealand beat England 19-9 in the final.
Fifth Rugby World Cup tournament is held in Australia. England defeats Australia in the final 20-17 at Stadium Australia, Sydney.
Women's Rugby World Cup at Edmonton in Canada.
New Zealand beat England in the final.
South Africa win the sixth, and their second, Rugby World Cup by defeating England 15-6 in the Stade de France, Paris.
