Webb Ellis Rugby Football Museum facts for kids
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The Webb Ellis Rugby Football Museum is a special place in the town of Rugby, England. It's a museum all about rugby football. The museum is named after William Webb Ellis, who many believe invented the game of rugby football. It's located close to Rugby School, where the game first began.
The Museum's Story
The building where the museum is now standing was built 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.
In 1983, a former England rugby player named Rodney Webb took over the Gilbert company. He had a great idea: to turn the building into a museum. At that time, there wasn't any museum in Britain just for rugby. So, the Webb Ellis Rugby Football Museum opened its doors to visitors in April 1987.
What You Can See Inside
The museum is full of amazing rugby items. You can see many pieces of rugby history there. One special item is a Gilbert football. This type of ball was used at Rugby School long ago. It was even shown at the very first World's Fair, called the Great Exhibition, in London.
You can also see the original brass hand pump. This pump was used by Richard Lindon, who invented the rubber bladder inside rugby balls. Today, you can still watch traditional rugby balls being made by hand at the museum.
See also
- Rugby Museum (other places named Rugby Museum)
- In Spanish: Museo de Rugby Webb Ellis para niños
