Rugby union was supposedly invented by William Webb Ellis in 1823, when he reputedly broke the rules by picking up the ball and running with it during a football game at Rugby School in Warwickshire, England.

The story is now widely accepted as apocryphal, but Ellis's name continues to resonate throughout the game. Even the World Cup trophy bears his name.

Various games resembling rugby football can be traced back deep into history. The modern game, however, came into being in the mid-19th century. The first set of written rules were drafted in 1845 before the sport split in 1863, effectively leading to the creation of rugby on the one hand and soccer on the other, over whether 'hacking' - tackling an opponent by kicking him in the shins - should be permitted.

The Rugby Football Union was formed in 1871. The new code was known as 'rugby football' but became known as 'rugby union' after a further split in 1895 over the issue of amateurism, this second major schism also paving the way to the sister sport of rugby league.

Rugby union's world governing and law-making body, the International Rugby Board (IRB), was founded in 1886. Initially known as the International Rugby Football Board, it was made up of the unions of Ireland, Scotland and Wales. England originally refused to take part but joined in 1890.

Rugby union officially remained an amateur sport until 1995 when the sport was declared open, allowing players to be paid.