There is an legend that a pupil of Rugby school named William Webb Ellis first showed a “fine disregard for the rules of football” and “took the ball in his arms and ran with it thus originating the distinctive feature of the rugby game”, a claim attributed to a local antiquarian and former Rugbeian Matthew Bloxam. This story has since been discredited by both historians and Old Rugbeian Society, but still remains entrenched in Rugby lore. However, the real split between association football and rugby came over hacking. Even though ironically hacking is today removed from rugby and happens more in association football, it was this that caused the Rugby Football Union to be formed in 1870. The name came from the fact that the game was well-established in the Rugby School, located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England.

The game developed differently in the north and south of England, with the south clubs being more working-class while the northern clubs were more upper-class. This rift between the two brought changes to the game and a new code called rugby league formed, creating changes such as reducing the number of players on the field from 15 to 13, removal of rucking and mauling and line outs. Today the two codes of rugby still remain as separate football codes.

From Rugby to Australian Rules Football

Many believe that Australian football was created as a cross between Rugby football, an Irish game called caid and various aboriginal games. The first rules were first set up in Geelong, Australia but the Melbourne Rules become the dominant ones. It was a letter in Bell's Life in Victoria & Sporting Chronicle in 1858 which is thought to have been the basis of the establishment of Australian Football, as the letter called for a code of football to keep cricketeers fit during winter. Soon a meeting was hosted by Melbourne Cricket Club member Jerry Bryant to bring together a set of rules that would be widely distributed and promoted. These first simple 10 rules were greatly influenced by early football rules from England for example the “mark” rules was established and hacking was disallowed. The rugby rules of being able to hand the ball become a prominent aspect as well.

American and Canadian Football codes

There were football games being played in America as early as 1820, like the Old division Football played in New Hampshire. However modern American and Canadian football are based on Rugby football, and the first American football game is often listed as the 1874 match between McGill University of Canada and Harvard University of the USA. It was Harvard University that used its prestigious reputation to convince other schools to play the carrying-based football game instead of kicking-based football games.

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