Webb Ellis Rugby Football Museum facts for kids
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The Webb Ellis Rugby Football Museum is a cool place to visit in Rugby, England. It's a museum all about the game of rugby football. The museum is named after William Webb Ellis. Many people believe he invented rugby football. The museum is located close to Rugby School, where the game is said to have started.
Contents
History of the Building
The building where the museum is located is quite old. It was built way back in 1842. For many years, it was home to the Gilbert company. This company was famous for making rugby footballs. It was started by William Gilbert and his nephew, James.
From Factory to Museum
In 1983, a former England rugby player named Rodney Webb took over the Gilbert company. He had a great idea. At that time, there was no museum in Britain just for rugby. So, Rodney decided to turn the old factory into a museum. The Webb Ellis Rugby Football Museum first opened its doors to visitors in April 1987.
What You Can See at the Museum
The museum is full of interesting items from rugby history. You can see old Gilbert footballs, just like the ones used at Rugby School long ago. One special ball was even shown at the first World's Fair in London. There is also an original brass hand pump. This pump was used by Richard Lindon, who invented the rubber bladder inside rugby balls. You can still see traditional rugby balls being made by hand at the museum today.
See also
In Spanish: Museo de Rugby Webb Ellis para niños
- Rugby Museum (disambiguation page)
External links
- Webb Ellis Rugby Football Museum on Rugby Borough Council site
