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 an exciting sports museum. You can find it inside Twickenham Stadium in London, England. It's a special place for anyone who loves rugby!
The museum has a huge collection of over 37,000 items. These include old rugby boots, balls, famous jerseys, and match tickets. You can also see many books and other cool rugby stuff.
This museum first opened its doors in 1996. Back then, it was called The Museum of Rugby. In 2007, it changed its name to the World Rugby Museum. It got a fresh new look and re-opened in February 2018.
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Explore Rugby History: Museum Exhibitions
The World Rugby Museum has different areas where it shows off its amazing collection. They often change what's on display. This means there's always something new to see! They also have special exhibitions that focus on different rugby stories.
Some past special shows have included "HQ at 100," which celebrated 100 years of Twickenham. Another was "More Than A Tour," about the famous 1905 All-Blacks team. There was also "Brave Blossoms," which explored the history of rugby in Japan.
The museum also has permanent exhibitions you can always visit. These include "The 1871 Room" and "Amateurs and Professionals." You can learn about rugby during wartime and explore the "6-Nations Gallery." There's also a section on the Rugby World Cup. Don't miss the "What Kind of Rugby Player Are You" interactive gallery!
Learn and Play: Education Programs
The World Rugby Museum offers fun education programs. These are mostly workshops and seminars. They are designed to help you learn about rugby in an active way.
Workshops are hands-on sessions. You might learn about rugby jerseys and textiles. Or you could try the "What Kind of Rugby Player Are You?" activity. There's even a "Stadium Director" workshop where you can pretend to run the stadium!
Seminars are talks given by experts from the Rugby Football Union. You can learn about how Twickenham Stadium is controlled. Or you might discover the business side of rugby. They also teach about the history of rugby and football in Britain.
These education programs are really good! They have won the Sandford Award for Heritage Education three times. They received it in 2010, 2015, and again in 2020.
Amazing Rugby Collections
The World Rugby Museum has the biggest collection of rugby items anywhere! It holds over 25,000 objects. Plus, there are 7,000 pieces of old documents and 7,000 to 8,000 photographs.
This huge collection includes items from the RFU (Rugby Football Union). It also has the Harry Langton Collection and the RFU Rugby Archive.
Some of the most famous items are the Calcutta Cup. This is a special trophy played between England and Scotland. You can also see the 2003 Rugby World Cup trophy! Other cool items include an England jersey and cap from 1871. There's also a jersey and cap from the 1888 Anglo-Australian Tour.
The World Rugby Museum shows the history of rugby from all over the world. It has objects from many different countries.
The Rugby Archive: Old Documents
The Rugby Archive is a special part of the collection. It has over 7,000 old documents. These include books, match programs, and club histories.
Some very important items are the Rugby Football Union meeting notes from 1871 to 1949. You can also see the original deeds 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 holds the original "Football Rules" from Rugby School in 1845. And you can see the Rugby Football Union's "Proposed Laws of the Game" from 1871.
You can't borrow items from the archive. But students and researchers can make an appointment to use them.
Twickenham Stadium Tours
The World Rugby Museum also runs tours of Twickenham Stadium. This is the national rugby stadium for England. On these tours, you get to see special areas of the stadium. Areas that are usually only for players and officials!
Supporting Rugby: Rugby Football Foundation
The World Rugby Museum is part of the Rugby Football Foundation. This is a charity set up by the Rugby Football Union. It helps support rugby in many ways.
Other Rugby Museums to Visit
- 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
