William Webb Ellis

This British surname is barrelled, being made up of multiple names. It should be written as Webb Ellis, not Ellis.

The Reverend
William Webb Ellis
The only known contemporary image of Webb Ellis, published in the Illustrated London News, 1854
Born(1806-11-24)24 November 1806
Salford, Lancashire, England
Died24 February 1872(1872-02-24) (aged 65)
Menton, Alpes-Maritimes, France
EducationRugby School[1]
Alma materBrasenose College, Oxford
OccupationClergyman
OrganizationChurch of England

William Webb Ellis (24 November 1806 – 24 February 1872) was an English Anglican clergyman who, by tradition, has been credited as the inventor of rugby football while a pupil at Rugby School. According to legend, Webb Ellis picked up the ball and ran with it during a school football match in 1823, thus creating the "rugby" style of play. Although the story has become firmly entrenched in the sport's folklore, it is not supported by first-hand evidence, and is discounted by most rugby historians as an origin myth.

The Webb Ellis Cup is presented to the winners of the Rugby World Cup.[2][3]

  1. ^ "Rugby World Cup Facts". SPortycious. 4 April 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Davies10-08-07 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Dunning-Sheard2005 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).