Rugby vs Football: Which Sport Came First?

Ever wondered whether the scrum‑filled battles of Rugby history predate the global phenomenon of football? The short answer is yes - rugby, in its recognizable form, appeared a few decades before modern association football was codified. But the story isn’t just about dates; it’s about schools, rules, and the people who turned a chaotic pastime into two distinct worlds.

Quick Takeaways

• Rugby’s earliest documented match took place at Rugby School in 1823.
• Association football’s first official rules were drafted in 1863 by the Football Association (FA).
• The Rugby Football Union (RFU) was formed in 1871, eight years after the FA.
• Both sports share a common ancestor: 19th‑century English public‑school football games.
• Today, World Rugby and FIFA govern the modern versions of each sport.

Early Roots of Rugby and Football

When you trace the genealogy of today’s ball games, you end up in English public schools during the early 1800s. At that time, each school had its own set of loosely‑defined “football” rules, allowing both kicking and handling.

At Rugby Schoola prestigious boarding school in Warwickshire, England, a student named William Webb Ellis allegedly grabbed the ball during a match in 1823 and ran with it. While the legend is likely embellished, the incident marks the first recorded instance of a handling‑based football game that would later be called Rugby.

Meanwhile, in the southern towns of England, schools like Eton and Harrow favored a kicking‑only version. By the 1840s, these variations coexisted without a universal rulebook.

Key Codifications and Governing Bodies

The chaotic landscape changed when two groups sought to formalise the games.

In 1863, representatives from several London clubs gathered at the Freemasons' Tavern and created the Football Associationthe governing body for association football in England. Their “Cambridge Rules” prohibited handling the ball, cementing the sport now known simply as football (or soccer).

Eight years later, clubs that preferred handling convened at the Pall Mall Restaurant and founded the Rugby Football Unionthe official board for rugby union in England in 1871. The RFU adopted a code that allowed carrying the ball, tackling, and scoring tries.

Both organisations later spawned global authorities: the FIFAthe international federation governing association football in 1904 and World Rugbythe worldwide governing body for rugby union in 1886 (originally the International Rugby Football Board).

Timeline Comparison

How the Games Evolved

Both sports retained core elements from their school‑yard ancestors but diverged sharply after codification.

Rugby kept the ability to run with the ball, introduced the try (grounding the ball for points), and developed set pieces like scrums and line‑outs. Over the 20th century, rugby split into two main codes - union and league - each with its own professional pathways.

Football (association) continued to emphasize footwork, dribbling, and goal‑scoring without handling (except for the goalkeeper). The introduction of the off‑side rule, penalty kicks, and later the back‑pass rule shaped its modern tactical landscape.

Both games benefitted from the spread of the British Empire. Rugby found a foothold in NewZealand, South Africa, and the Pacific Islands, while football became the world’s most popular sport, driven by FIFA’s World Cup and massive club competitions.

Fun Facts Cheat Sheet

• Rugby’s original name was “Rugby football” until the two codes separated in the 1890s.
• The first televised rugby match aired in 1938; the first live football broadcast was in 1937.
• Both sports use a “ball” that originally resembled a pig’s bladder, later replaced by leather.
• Rugby’s world governing body, World Rugby, still references the 1823 Rugby School incident in its heritage section.
• FIFA’s headquarters sit in Zürich, while World Rugby is based in Dublin.