The roots of the game National Competitions
Rugby developed like a lot of team games from ‘mob The first county championship was won by Yorkshire in
football’ games. The games spread to public schools 1889 and whilst this was the only nationwide
and different versions of the games developed. One competition at the time many of the northern clubs had
major difference in the rules were whether the ball begun to organise league competitions.
could be carried (such as at schools like Rugby,
Cheltenham, Shrewsbury and Marlborough) or kicked
(Winchester, Eton, Harrow, Charterhouse and
FIND OUT: When did nationwide competition
Westminster). The ‘old boys’ founded clubs at
begin in your chosen sport?
Universities and these began to spread through
society.
Professionalism/Amateurism
FIND OUT: What influence did public
By the 1880s the game had become increasingly
schools have in the development of your chosen
popular in the North of England. Whilst this was a sign
team sport? of the game’s growth it also caused a problem for the
RFU as many of the clubs begun to believe in ‘broken-
time payments’ to pay for players who needed to be
National Governing Body
paid to for taking time off work. This went against the
RFU’s love of the amateur ethos and a split was
The ‘Cambridge Rules’ which did not allow players to
inevitable. The Northern Union (Rugby League) was
‘run with the ball’ effectively resulted in the split
formed and Rugby Union continued along its path of
between Association Football and Rugby Football. The
amateurism.
Rugby Football Union (RFU) was founded in 1871 and
the codification of the game was well underway.
FIND OUT: What were the views of your
NGB towards professionalism?
FIND OUT: In what year did your chosen
team sport form a National Governing Body?
60 Sport IQ : September 2008
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