Rugby for the sub continentals

Today the main rugby method of scoring is called a try. If you are ‘merican and have wandered here by accident that would be called a ‘touchdown’ over the pond. When the game was first played, you had to score a try i.e. touch the ball in the other team’s goal area (the area from the try line/goal line to the dead ball line (the end line). A try included touching the ball on the ‘try’ line. The team scoring a try was now accorded the privilege of a try at kicking a goal, which would convert the try and score his team a goal. The team that kicked the most goals won. Goals could (and still can) also be kicked from penalties and from the hands in open play (a drop goal) where the ball is kicked as it makes contact with the ground.
The rules for Rugby swung like a pendulum starting with zero for a try and 1 point for kicking the goal conversion. Cut to 1992 where 5 points were now to be awarded for a try and 2 for a successful conversion goal kick. This was in order to encourage teams to play in a more visually appealing attack oriented manner by running with and passing the ball, rather than relying on kicking. There have been attempts since to increase the try points score to 7, 9 and so on – but they have been abandoned as hedonistic.

A try celebration is a thing. Here are some artists showing you how its done.

Rugby is really a town in Warwickshire – quite close to the unofficial capital of the sub-continent in the UK. This town received William Webb-Ellis, his brother and mum around 1816. They were doing that school catchment area move back then so the boys could go to the Rugby school for free.

Not much is known about the youthful character of William. Other than he was prone to taking unfair advantage at cricket and often football. During a football game in 1823, he is believed to have caught the ball in a goal save which was allowed. And instead of running backwards according to the rules, he ran forwards and made a goal at the opposite goal post. Which was also allowed. This little rebellion led to the foundation of the great game.

William Webb-Ellis after this promising initial notoriety, became an Anglican clergyman. He led a quiet life, managed to publish a sermon in a newspaper once, retired and died in the south of France, the French Rugby federation now carefully tend to his grave as he never married or had any children.

The four yearly Rugby World Cup Trophy is named after him and called the Web Ellis cup.

And yes that is a pineapple on top of the cup. Status symbol of the elite.