The game of rugby probably started in 1823 at Rugby School in England, when William Webb Ellis picked up a football and ran with it. The first rules were drawn up in 1848 and the Rugby Football Union (RFU) was formed by Edwin Ash in 1871. Today’s game of Rugby Union is played between two teams of 15 players. The two biggest events are International Championship and the World Cup. The International Championship began in 1884 and was originally played by four teams: England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. France joined in 1910 and Italy in 2000, making it a six – nation tournament. The Rugby World Cup was launched in 1987 and has been held every four years since then. In 2007, 20 teams took part and over 2.25 million people watched the 48 live matches at an average of 47,150 per game. Rugby league is now played in Australia, New Zealand, France, Russia and some pacific nations, as well as in Britain.
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