Rugby...what?

Apparently in medieval times a game that resembles the modern day games of rugby and football was played across our great nation.

The first recorded game was played in London in 1170. It did not bear to much resemblance to the game that is played nowadays, although I am sure that any ball boy deliberately holding the ball would be likely to get an arrow through his eye.

http://www.artistsharbour.com/catalog/images/products/artist_unknown/futbal_poster.jpg

A match would be quickly organised and could last days, deaths were common. It was called football, or foteball, but the rules allowed players to pick up the ball and run with it. The pitches could be miles in length between villages with each village fielding a team.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QekjU1j1RB8

 

King Edward II banned the game in 1314 because it was distracting the young men from learning the art of archery, an important skill to ensure that the population could be called on to fight.

http://us.123rf.com/400wm/400/400/vikkisixx/vikkisixx1106/vikkisixx110600004/9828585-3d-render-of-the-6-participating-nations-in-the-six-nations-rugby-tournament.jpg

Researchers found seven recorded deaths between 1500 and 1575, two of which were accidentally stabbed with a knife whist tackling an opponent; surely a penalty.

The game of rugby evolved out of these kind of games and the rules of rugby football were laid down in Rugby school between 1820 and 1830 with the written rules being finalised in August 1845.

When I started secondary school some 140 years later I was introduced to this game. I found it bizarre. I found that if I picked up the ball I would get hurt as a mob of young men, all bigger than me piled in pushing my body into the ground and filling my mouth with mud and grass. I learnt quite early on to throw the ball away if ever it landed in my hands, however you had to ensure that the ball was thrown away behind you for some reason.

Then there were the scrums and line-outs and one of my class received a broken leg - it was a learning curve to say the least and seemed to favour the boys who passed through puberty first.

Today saw the beginning of the six nations rugby championship. I didn't watch. I don't really understand the rules. As a youngster I could never fathom them out as my ears were always full of mud and I couldn't wear my glasses so I had no idea what was going on. At least that stopped me growing up with missing teeth, a broken nose and cauliflower ears.

 

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