William Webb Ellis

The only known illustration by William Webb Ellis, published in the Illustrated London News in 1857

Grave in Menton

William Webb Ellis (born November 24, 1806 in Salford , Lancashire , † February 24, 1872 in Menton ) is said to have invented the sport of rugby in 1823 . The veracity of this claim is widely questioned, but Webb Ellis has achieved almost mythical significance as a kind of "founding father" in the history of rugby. His name lives on in the Webb Ellis Cup , the trophy given to the winners of the Rugby Union World Cup .

Even if it were true that Webb Ellis was the first to pick up a ball and run away with it to score, it did not cause the division between rugby and football . This finally happened around 40 years later.

biography

Statue of Webb Ellis in front of the rugby school

William Webb Ellis was born to James Ellis, an officer in the Dragoon Guards , and his Exeter- born wife, Ann Webb. The place of birth is not clear; some sources name Salford , others the neighboring city of Manchester (William Webb Ellis himself stated in the 1851 census that he was born in Manchester). After the father in 1812 in Spain in the Battle of Albuera had fallen, the family moved to the city of Rugby in the county of Warwickshire to.

Together with his older brother Thomas, William Webb Ellis received his training at rugby school ; since they lived within 10 miles of the city, they could attend this prestigious boarding school for free. William Webb Ellis was enrolled here from 1816 to 1825. Teachers called him a good student, but noted that he tended to "take an unfair advantage" in cricket. The incident in which he took the ball in his hands during a soccer game and ran away with it is said to have occurred in the second half of 1823.

In 1826 Webb Ellis went to Oxford University , where he studied theology and played on the cricket team at Brasenose College . After completing his studies he became chaplain of the parish of St George on Albemarle Street in London , later parish priest of St Clement Danes on the beach , also in London. In 1855 he took over a village parish in Essex County . The only known illustration of Ellis appeared in Illustrated London News in 1857 after delivering a particularly disturbing sermon on the Crimean War . He died in the south of France at the age of 65. His grave in Menton was rediscovered by Ross McWhirter in 1958 and then renovated.

The legend

origin

The claim that Webb Ellis started the sport of rugby goes back to Matthew Bloxam, an antique dealer and former student of rugby school. In October 1876 he wrote the school newspaper The Meteor that he had learned from an unnamed source that the change from a kicking to a throwing game was due to William Webb Ellis. In December 1880 he embellished this version in another letter to the Meteor :

"A boy of the name Ellis - William Webb Ellis - a town boy and a foundationer, ... whilst playing Bigside at football in that half-year [1823], caught the ball in his arms. This being so, according to the then rules, he ought to have retired back as far as he pleased, without parting with the ball, for the combatants on the opposite side could only advance to the spot where he had caught the ball, and were unable to rush forward till he had either punted it or had placed it for some one else to kick, for it was by means of these placed kicks that most of the goals were kicked in those days, but the moment the ball touched the ground the opposite side might rush on. Ellis, for the first time, disregarded this rule, and on catching the ball, instead of retiring backwards, rushed forwards with the ball in his hands towards the opposite goal, with what result as to the game I know not, neither do I know how this infringement of a well-known rule was followed up, or when it became, as it is now, a standing rule. "

“A boy named Ellis - William Webb Ellis - a local and an external student, ... took the ball into his hands at a soccer game on the Bigside that half year (1823). Because of this, according to the rules of the time, he was able to go back as far as he liked without being separated from the ball. The opposing team's players could only advance to where they had captured the ball and were unable to rush forward until he had knocked the ball out of his hand or put it down for a teammate to kick; Most of the goals were scored by those placed kicks, but the moment the ball hit the ground, the opposing team could rush forward. Ellis was the first to break this rule, and after catching the ball instead of throwing it back, he stormed forward to the opposing goal with the ball in his hands. I don't know how this affected the outcome of the game, nor do I know how this disregard of a well-known rule was received or how it developed into the fixed rule that exists today. "

examination

The claim that Webb Ellis invented the game of rugby wasn't spread until four years after his death. Since 1895 at the latest, there have been doubts when the event was first investigated by the Old Rugbeian Society, the association of former rugby students. Among the witnesses interviewed were Thomas Harris and his brother John, who had left rugby school in 1828 and 1832, respectively. They said it was strictly forbidden to hold the ball in their hands. The writer Thomas Hughes was asked how the game was played during his school days (1834–1842). He said: "In my first year, 1834, was the race to the ball to the settling inside the gate one attempt to achieve, basically not prohibited, but at that time had a jury of Rugby students certainly on 'justifiable homicide' pleads if a boy was killed trying to stop the opponent. "

controversy

Some sources claim that Webb Ellis was actually performing a sport known as caid , an ancient Irish game that bears similarities to rugby. It is speculated that Webb Ellis learned about this game in his youth when his father was stationed in Ireland . The Romans already knew a similar game called harpastum , which arouses the suspicion that Webb Ellis could not be the inventor of rugby in principle. In addition, in 1823 a game called "cnapan" was still popular. Up to 1000 players took part on each side, and it included elements with a lot of physical contact that are similar to today's rugby games of a crowd and alley . The ball was not kicked because it was made of wood and was lubricated with sebum to make it slippery. Chances are some rugby school students knew this game.

There is also a lack of clarity as to which rules applied to football in the rugby school (these were not standardized at the time and sometimes very different from place to place). It is reported that the rules were constantly changed and adapted to new circumstances. Shortly before rugby split into the two competing variants rugby union and rugby league , the association rugby football union tried to present the first variant as the only correct one by simply declaring the already dubious story of William Webb Ellis and the former student to be true the rugby school into a kind of "founding father".

Aftermath

Plaque

Webb Ellis Cup

A plaque on the rugby school grounds reads as follows:

THIS STONE COMMEMORATES THE EXPLOIT OF WILLIAM WEBB ELLIS WHO 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 A.D. 1823

“This stone is reminiscent of the feat of William Webb Ellis, who in 1823 was the first to take the ball in his hands and run away with it in subtle disregard for the rules of football as it was played in his day, and thus the defining characteristic of rugby reasoned. "

A plaque of the same name can be found on Ellis' grave in the cemetery in Menton.

Despite the unsolved question of whether he really picked up the ball during the race and whether he really was the inventor of the rugby game, William Webb Ellis has almost legendary and mythical status in the history of rugby. The Webb Ellis Cup , the winner's trophy of the Rugby Union World Cup , which was held for the first time in 1987 , was named after him for this reason.

Web links

• The William Webb Ellis Myth
• The subtle disregard for the rules