Definitions

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A sport where players can hold or kick an ovoid ball. The ball cannot be handled forwards and points are scored by touching the ball to the ground in the area past their opponent’s territory or kicking the ball between goalposts and over a crossbar.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

1823: Named after Rugby School in Warwickshire where William Webb Ellis ‘with a fine disregard for the rules of football as played in his time, first took the ball in his arms and ran with it, thus originating the distinctive feature of the rugby game’. From the plaque at the school.

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word rugby.

Examples

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.