World Rugby Museum facts for kids
The "Sport of Empire and the World" gallery
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| Established | 1996 |
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| Location | Twickenham Stadium, Richmond upon Thames |
The World Rugby Museum is a cool sports museum located inside Twickenham Stadium in London, England. It's packed with over 37,000 items related to rugby! You can find old rugby balls, jerseys, boots, tickets, books, and lots of other interesting things.
The museum first opened in 1996 as "The Museum of Rugby." It changed its name to the World Rugby Museum in 2007 and then reopened in February 2018 after some updates.
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Explore Rugby History: Exhibitions
The World Rugby Museum has different areas where they show off items from their huge collection. They often change what's on display, so there's always something new to see! They also have special exhibitions that focus on different parts of rugby history.
Some past special shows have included "HQ at 100," which looked at 100 years of rugby at Twickenham. Another was "More Than A Tour," about the famous 1905 All-Blacks team. They also had exhibits on the Women's Rugby World Cup and rugby during the First World War.
There are also parts of the museum that are always there. These include "The 1871 Room," which shows how rugby started. You can also learn about "Amateurs and Professionals" in rugby, and see how "Wartime Rugby" was played. Don't miss the "6-Nations Gallery" and the "Rugby World Cup" area. There's even an "Interactive Gallery" where you can find out "What Kind of Rugby Player Are You?"
Learn and Play: Education Programs
The World Rugby Museum offers special programs for schools and groups. These include "Workshops and Seminars" that help you learn about rugby in a fun, hands-on way.
In the workshops, you can do activities like "Rugby Strips & Textiles," where you learn about rugby uniforms. You can also try "What Kind of Rugby Player Are You?" to see your rugby strengths. Another fun one is "Stadium Director," where you get to imagine running a big stadium!
Seminars are talks given by experts from the Rugby Football Union. They cover topics like how Twickenham Stadium is controlled and the history of rugby. These programs have won awards for being great ways to learn about heritage.
Amazing Rugby Collections
The World Rugby Museum has the biggest collection of rugby items in the world! It has over 25,000 objects, plus thousands of old documents and photos.
This huge collection includes items from the Rugby Football Union (RFU), the Harry Langton Collection, and the RFU Rugby Archive.
Some of the most special items you can see are the Calcutta Cup (a famous trophy). They also have the 2003 Rugby World Cup trophy! You can even see a very old England Jersey and Cap from 1871. There's also a jersey and cap from an Anglo-Australian Tour in 1888. The museum collects items from all over the world, showing rugby's global history.
The Rugby Archive
The Rugby Archive is a special part of the museum. It holds over 7,000 old documents. These include books, match programs, and histories of different rugby clubs.
Some really important items in the archive are the Rugby Football Union's meeting notes from 1871 to 1949. You can also see the original papers for Twickenham Stadium from 1907. There's even a photo album from the first British and Irish Lions Tour to South Africa in 1891. The archive also has the original "Football Rules" from Rugby School in 1845. Plus, you can see the Rugby Football Union's "Proposed Laws of the Game" from 1871.
You can't borrow items from the archive. But if you're a student or researcher, you can make an appointment to look at the materials there.
Tour Twickenham Stadium
The World Rugby Museum also runs tours of Twickenham Stadium. This is the national rugby stadium for England. On these tours, you get to go behind the scenes! You can see areas that are usually only for players and officials. It's a great way to experience the stadium up close.
Images for kids
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The "Sport of Empire and the World" gallery
See also
- Webb Ellis Rugby Football Museum - a rugby museum in the town of Rugby in Warwickshire.
- Rugby Art Gallery, Museum & Library – also in Rugby; physical home of the World Rugby Hall of Fame
- New Zealand Rugby Museum - a rugby museum in Palmerston, New Zealand
