Rugby (England)

Rugby town (1991 pop. 59,039), Warwickshire, central England. An important railroad junction and engineering center, Rugby is the seat of one of England's most esteemed public schools. Rugby School was founded in 1567 under the terms of the will of Laurence Sheriff, a wealthy Rugby-born London merchant. Its present buildings date from the early 19th cent., when Rugby became well known under the headmastership of Thomas Arnold . His son Matthew Arnold wrote of the school in his poetry, and another Rugbeian, Thomas Hughes , wrote the schoolboy classic Tom Brown's School Days, which deals with life at Rugby. The sport of rugby originated at the school in 1823. Among the town's buildings is the war-memorial chapel, which commemorates the 682 residents who died in World War I.

Rugby. ‘Mouvement symphonique’ No.2 for orch. by Honegger, 1928. F.p. Paris 1928, f.p. in England, London 1929.

rugby Ball game for two teams in which an oval ball may be handled as well as kicked. There are two forms of the game, union and league, but the purpose in each is the same: to touch the ball down in the opposition in-goal area for a try, which allows a kick at the H-shaped goal (a conversion). Kicks must pass over the crossbar between the line of the posts. Players may not pass the ball forwards or knock it forwards when attempting to catch it. The field of play is rectangular, 100m (330ft) long and 55–68m (180–225ft) wide. Play consists of two 40-minute halves. Rugby union is a 15-a-side game, which used to be restricted to amateurs. It is most popular in Britain, France, South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia. Rugby league is a 13-a-side game for professionals and amateurs, played mostly in England, Australia, New Zealand, and France. Recent development are bringing about a closer affinity between the two codes.