William Webb Ellis
England
Full name William Webb Ellis
Born November 24, 1806, Salford, Lancashire
Died January 24, 1872, Menton, France (aged 65 years 61 days)
Profile

William Webb Ellis is known as the man who is alleged to have invented rugby when he "picked up the ball and ran" during a football practice at Rugby School in 1823. The story is almost certainly apocryphal, and Webb Ellis himself knew nothing about it as it wasn't mentioned until 1876, four years after his death.

After coming down from Oxford, Webb Ellis entered the Church and became chaplain of St George's, Albemarle Street, London and then rector of St Clement Danes in the Strand. In 1855 he became rector of Laver Magdalen in Essex. He died in the south of France in 1872 and he is buried at Menton.
Martin Williamson


Latest Photos
Jun 4, 2007
A statue of William Webb Ellis at Rugby School
A statue of William Webb Ellis at Rugby School
©  Getty Images

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