RFUEA Ground
Encyclopedia
The RFUEA Ground is a rugby union
stadium
located on the Ngong Road in Nairobi
, Kenya
. It was purpose built to be the home of the national team and to serve as the headquarters of the Rugby Football Union of Kenya (RFUK). Coincidentally, the RFUEA ground has another parallel with Twickenham Stadium
in the United Kingdom
in that it also serves as the home ground for the Kenya Harlequin Football Club
, just as their sister club the London Harlequins
once played at Twickenham.
Many internationally renowned teams have played here including the British Lions
(1955
& 1962
), the Barbarians
(1958), the Springboks
(1961) and (1964
). The 2009 IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy
took place on this site (with some games also being played on the neighbouring Impala RFC
ground). As the site for one of the largest and most prestigious annual sevens
tournaments in Africa
, the Safari Sevens
, the RFUEA ground has hosted matches between such diverse teams as Samoa
, Emerging Springboks
, Zimbabwe
, British Army
, Public School Wanderers, Bristol University and Université de Grenoble.
At an altitude
of 1650 metres (5,413.4 ft) above sea-level, it is higher than three of the four vaunted stadia of South Africa's highveld
; Loftus Versfeld Stadium
Pretoria
at 1214 metres (3,982.9 ft), the Free State Stadium
Bloemfontein
1400 metres (4,593.2 ft) and Royal Bafokeng Stadium
Rustenburg 1500 metres (4,921.3 ft). Only Ellis Park
in Johannesburg
at 1750 metres (5,741.5 ft) is higher.
) served as the venue. But by 1949 attendances for these sorts of events had swelled and other grounds had to be rented by the Union to facilitate them. The African Stadium (now Nairobi City Stadium
) was most frequently used, though Mitchell Park Stadium (now Jamhuri Park Stadium) was the venue for the match against the Combined (Oxford
and Cambridge
) Universities touring team of 1951.
It had been apparent to the RFUEA, almost from the outset, that renting facilities was not ideal. In the long term this solution would cost more money and provide fewer options than would ownership of a dedicated facility. Indeed the idea that East African rugby should have its own ground and headquarters was first put forward in 1930 and these early plans even went as far as finding and inspecting a piece of land in the Westlands
area of Nairobi
. This initial scheme never bore fruit, whether this was due to a lack of money, inappropriateness of the site or some other stumbling block is not apparent from the records.
By the beginning of the 1950s however, the required motivation, determination, expertise and good fortune were in conjunction and the Union were proved right in their analysis of the financial benefits of a dedicated home ground; the RFUEA had saved enough money that it was able, within ten years of the construction of the stadium, to begin loaning money to member clubs for the upgrading of their own grounds.
(RFU) after 40 members of the Rugby Patrons Society provided personal guarantees; ten guarantors provided surety for £300 and a further 30 for £100 each which, in 1951 when £300 was equivalent to average annual earnings in the UK, was a considerable statement of support.
This loan had been secured by D.M. Goldstein (then President of both the RFUEA and Kenya Harlequins
) whilst on leave in the United Kingdom. It was the first loan ever made by the RFU to an overseas union. There is an apocryphal story that it was paid off in three years by the simple expedient of taking out rain insurance with some London based companies; if more than an inch of rain fell in each year the policies would pay out. Not so much buying insurance as placing a bet, and in betting terms this would be a racing certainty. Unfortunately the story is not true, insurance companies have never been so naïve concerning weather conditions in tropical climes. In fact the loan and its interest was repaid entirely from the annual subscriptions of the members of the Rugby Patrons Society.
Kenya Harlequins
, the tenant club, and Impala RFC
, on the neighbouring ground, between them paid for the drilling of a bore-hole on the Impala grounds, the water from this well being used to irrigate the pitches on both grounds.
The Stadium was designed by John Tanner (Kenya Harlequins
and East Africa
) and the building works were carried out by a firm belonging to a member of the Rugby Patrons Society at a very reasonable cost. The stadium and the majority of the seating was placed on the western side of the ground such that in the early evening (when matches are normally played in East Africa) the spectators are not looking into the sun. The pavilion was designed for easy expansion; it consisted originally of two changing-rooms, showers, toilets, a small bar, seating for 200 and housing for the family of the custodian/bar-man. Within ten years it had been expanded to include a full-sized bar, committee-room, kitchen, seating for 3000 and a camera-tower/broadcasting-box on the roof of the main stand. In recent years the changing facilities have been further expanded.
On the eastern side of the ground an earthen mound runs along the length of the touch-line and there is a tier of five rows of simple stepped seats constructed from breeze-block material and concrete. This simple form of seating is replicated on the western touch-line and it is above this that the main stadium sits. The pavilion consists of three sections, the northern and southern sections, each approximately 30m wide, are larger than the central life-members' section which is approximately 10m wide. All three of these sections have seven rows of seating on wooden staging and are covered by corrugated asbestos roofing. Either side of the main pavilion are a further six rows of concrete benches which in recent years have been covered with a mabati (corrugated metal) roof.
versus the British Lions
on 28 September 1955. It attracted a gate (with borrowed seating) of 6000 and J.A.E. Siggins, the manager of the Lions, was given the honour of opening the ground in the presence of His Excellency Sir Evelyn Baring
, the Governor of Kenya.
1.2 million (equal to £10,600 or €11,800 or US$16,000) to the KRFU thus providing 60% of the funds required to sink a bore-hole in order to ensure that the pitch can be maintained in excellent condition. Then on 29 May 2010, the Safaricom
foundation gave KSh
13.2 million (equal to £123,000 or €143,000 or US$177,000) to the KRFU
for the rehabilitaion and expansion of the ground to seat an additional 1,500 people on a brand new terrace on the Ngong Road side of the ground. The Kenya Rugby Football Union
plans to purchase an adjacent plot, the Unga grounds, so that the stadium can be expanded to accommodate 20,000 people with state-of-the-art facilities. It is the intention of the Ground Development Committee to create a venue that will enable Kenya to host a major International Rugby Board
event in the near future.
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
stadium
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
located on the Ngong Road in Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. It was purpose built to be the home of the national team and to serve as the headquarters of the Rugby Football Union of Kenya (RFUK). Coincidentally, the RFUEA ground has another parallel with Twickenham Stadium
Twickenham Stadium
Twickenham Stadium is a stadium located in Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is the largest rugby union stadium in the United Kingdom and has recently been enlarged to seat 82,000...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in that it also serves as the home ground for the Kenya Harlequin Football Club
Kenya Harlequins
The Kenya Harlequin Football Club is a Kenyan rugby union team who play at the top level of Kenyan rugby, they are holders of the 2010 Kenya Cup and 2010 Enterprise Cup. Harlequin players make up the vast majority of the 2011 Kenya national rugby union team...
, just as their sister club the London Harlequins
Harlequin F.C.
The Harlequin Football Club is an English rugby union team who play in the top level of English rugby, the Aviva Premiership. Their ground in London is Twickenham Stoop...
once played at Twickenham.
Many internationally renowned teams have played here including the British Lions
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
(1955
1955 British Lions tour to South Africa
In 1955 the British Lions rugby union team toured Southern and Eastern Africa. The Lions drew the test series against , each team winning two of the four matches. They won the first test by a single point and the third by three points and lost the second and fourth matches by wider margins...
& 1962
1962 British Lions tour to South Africa
In 1962 the British Lions rugby union team toured Southern and Eastern Africa. Overall the tourists played twenty-five matches, winning sixteen, losing five and drawing four....
), the Barbarians
Barbarian F.C.
The Barbarian Football Club, usually referred to as the Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team based in Britain...
(1958), the Springboks
South Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
(1961) and (1964
1964 Wales rugby union tour
The 1964 Wales rugby union tour of Africa was a collection of friendly rugby union games undertaken by the Wales national rugby union team to Africa. The tour also took in five matches against African regional and invitational teams with one test against South Africa. This was the first official...
). The 2009 IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy
2009 IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy
The 2009 IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy is the second edition of the second-tier world championship for Under 20 national teams. The event is organised by rugby's governing body, the International Rugby Board . This competition, which is contested by eight men's junior national teams, was held in...
took place on this site (with some games also being played on the neighbouring Impala RFC
Impala RFC
Impala Rugby Football Club is a Kenyan rugby club based at the Impala Club . The club competes in the Kenya Cup as well as the Enterprise Cup...
ground). As the site for one of the largest and most prestigious annual sevens
Rugby sevens
Rugby sevens, also known as seven-a-side or VIIs, is a variant of rugby union in which teams are made up of seven players, instead of the usual 15, with shorter matches. Rugby sevens is administered by the International Rugby Board , the body responsible for rugby union worldwide...
tournaments in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, the Safari Sevens
Safari Sevens
The Safari Sevens, known as the Safaricom Sevens after main sponsors Safaricom is an annual rugby sevens tournament held in Kenya. The tournament is run by the Kenya Rugby Football Union...
, the RFUEA ground has hosted matches between such diverse teams as Samoa
Samoa national rugby union team (sevens)
The Samoa national rugby union team represent Samoa internationally in rugby sevens, a competitive sports tournament titled the IRB Sevens World Series which takes place annually in seven countries; United Arab Emirates, South Africa, New Zealand, United States, Hong Kong, Australia, England and...
, Emerging Springboks
Emerging Springboks
The Emerging Springboks are the second national rugby union team in South africa after the national side. They compete every year in the Nations Cup alongside the full national teams of Namibia, Romania and Georgia as well as Argentina Jaguars and Italy A. Now and again they also play touring sides...
, Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe national rugby union team (sevens)
The Zimbabwe Cheetahs represent Zimbabwe in rugby sevens, a seven a side version of rugby union. Zimbabwe compete in both domestic and international competitions. Zimbabwe compete in IRB Sevens World Series events such as the George and Dubai Sevens...
, British Army
Army Rugby Union
The Army Rugby Union is the governing body for rugby union in the British Army and a constituent body of the Rugby Football Union . The ARU was formed on 31 December 1906 and marked the fulfilment of Lieutenant J.E.C...
, Public School Wanderers, Bristol University and Université de Grenoble.
At an altitude
Altitude
Altitude or height is defined based on the context in which it is used . As a general definition, altitude is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. The reference datum also often varies according to the context...
of 1650 metres (5,413.4 ft) above sea-level, it is higher than three of the four vaunted stadia of South Africa's highveld
Highveld
The Highveld is a high plateau region of inland South Africa which is largely home to the largest metropolitan area in the country, the Gauteng City Region, which accounts for one-third of South Africa's population.-Location and description:...
; Loftus Versfeld Stadium
Loftus Versfeld Stadium
Loftus Versfeld Stadium is a rugby and association football stadium situated in Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa. The stadium has a capacity of 51,762 for rugby union and hosted the 2009 Currie Cup final...
Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
at 1214 metres (3,982.9 ft), the Free State Stadium
Free State Stadium
The Free State Stadium , also known as Vodacom Park, is a stadium in Bloemfontein, South Africa, used mainly for rugby union and association football...
Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein is the capital city of the Free State Province of South Africa; and, as the judicial capital of the nation, one of South Africa's three national capitals – the other two being Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Pretoria, the administrative capital.Bloemfontein is popularly and...
1400 metres (4,593.2 ft) and Royal Bafokeng Stadium
Royal Bafokeng Stadium
The Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace is a football, rugby and athletics stadium in Phokeng near Rustenburg, South Africa It was built and is managed by the Royal Bafokeng Nation.. It is used as the home stadium for Premier Soccer League club Platinum Stars...
Rustenburg 1500 metres (4,921.3 ft). Only Ellis Park
Ellis Park Stadium
Ellis Park Stadium, also known because of its sponsorship by The Coca-Cola Company as Coca-Cola Park, is a rugby union and association football stadium in the city of Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, South Africa. It hosted the final of the 1995 Rugby World Cup, which was won by the country's...
in Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
at 1750 metres (5,741.5 ft) is higher.
Planning
In the early days of rugby in East Africa, when major games were to be staged and larger than normal crowds were expected, Parklands Sports Club (the then home of Nondescripts RFCNondescripts RFC
Nondescripts Rugby Football Club is a Kenyan rugby club based in Nairobi. The club is the oldest in Kenya, and was founded in 1923 after the splitting of the Nairobi rugby club. The club 1st XV compete in the Kenya Cup, while the 2nd XV compete in the Eric Shirley Shield...
) served as the venue. But by 1949 attendances for these sorts of events had swelled and other grounds had to be rented by the Union to facilitate them. The African Stadium (now Nairobi City Stadium
Nairobi City Stadium
Nairobi City Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Nairobi, Kenya. It is located east of the city centre. The stadium is owned by the Nairobi city council.The stadium was originally known as African Stadium. then Renamed to Donholm Road Stadium...
) was most frequently used, though Mitchell Park Stadium (now Jamhuri Park Stadium) was the venue for the match against the Combined (Oxford
Oxford University RFC
The Oxford University Rugby Football Club is the rugby union club of the University of Oxford. The club contests The Varsity Match every year against Cambridge University at Twickenham.-History:...
and Cambridge
Cambridge University R.U.F.C.
The Cambridge University Rugby Union Football Club, or CURUFC, is the rugby union club of Cambridge University, and plays Oxford University in the annual Varsity Match at Twickenham stadium every December. CURUFC players wear light blue and white hooped jerseys with a red lion crest...
) Universities touring team of 1951.
It had been apparent to the RFUEA, almost from the outset, that renting facilities was not ideal. In the long term this solution would cost more money and provide fewer options than would ownership of a dedicated facility. Indeed the idea that East African rugby should have its own ground and headquarters was first put forward in 1930 and these early plans even went as far as finding and inspecting a piece of land in the Westlands
Westlands
Westlands is a neighborhood in the city of Nairobi, the capital and largest city in Kenya.-Location:Westlands is located , by road, northwest of the central business district of Nairobi...
area of Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
. This initial scheme never bore fruit, whether this was due to a lack of money, inappropriateness of the site or some other stumbling block is not apparent from the records.
By the beginning of the 1950s however, the required motivation, determination, expertise and good fortune were in conjunction and the Union were proved right in their analysis of the financial benefits of a dedicated home ground; the RFUEA had saved enough money that it was able, within ten years of the construction of the stadium, to begin loaning money to member clubs for the upgrading of their own grounds.
Funding
In 1951 the Kenya government granted the union the 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) plot of bundu (rough ground) adjacent to the Ngong Road. Individuals and clubs donated money and sweepstakes and dances were held by the member clubs in order to raise further funds. Life seats were also sold that entitle the holders to free entry to all rugby union matches at the ground, and a seat in the central section of the main stand, for life. Additionally a 10 year loan of £7500 was obtained from the Rugby Football UnionRugby Football Union
The Rugby Football Union was founded in 1871 as the governing body for the sport of rugby union, and performed as the international governing body prior to the formation of the International Rugby Board in 1886...
(RFU) after 40 members of the Rugby Patrons Society provided personal guarantees; ten guarantors provided surety for £300 and a further 30 for £100 each which, in 1951 when £300 was equivalent to average annual earnings in the UK, was a considerable statement of support.
This loan had been secured by D.M. Goldstein (then President of both the RFUEA and Kenya Harlequins
Kenya Harlequins
The Kenya Harlequin Football Club is a Kenyan rugby union team who play at the top level of Kenyan rugby, they are holders of the 2010 Kenya Cup and 2010 Enterprise Cup. Harlequin players make up the vast majority of the 2011 Kenya national rugby union team...
) whilst on leave in the United Kingdom. It was the first loan ever made by the RFU to an overseas union. There is an apocryphal story that it was paid off in three years by the simple expedient of taking out rain insurance with some London based companies; if more than an inch of rain fell in each year the policies would pay out. Not so much buying insurance as placing a bet, and in betting terms this would be a racing certainty. Unfortunately the story is not true, insurance companies have never been so naïve concerning weather conditions in tropical climes. In fact the loan and its interest was repaid entirely from the annual subscriptions of the members of the Rugby Patrons Society.
Kenya Harlequins
Kenya Harlequins
The Kenya Harlequin Football Club is a Kenyan rugby union team who play at the top level of Kenyan rugby, they are holders of the 2010 Kenya Cup and 2010 Enterprise Cup. Harlequin players make up the vast majority of the 2011 Kenya national rugby union team...
, the tenant club, and Impala RFC
Impala RFC
Impala Rugby Football Club is a Kenyan rugby club based at the Impala Club . The club competes in the Kenya Cup as well as the Enterprise Cup...
, on the neighbouring ground, between them paid for the drilling of a bore-hole on the Impala grounds, the water from this well being used to irrigate the pitches on both grounds.
Design and Construction
The grading of the ground (carried out primarily by John Webster who donated hours of his time to driving the bulldozer) was carried out towards the end of 1953 but the grass planted for the short rains that year failed. The grass was re-planted in time for the long rains of 1954 and that crop was successful. The next step was to erect the 60 foot (18 m) goal-posts, in order to serve as a visual advertisement that somehing was happening, and to fence in the ground to prevent damage by livestock and casual pedestrians across the pitch. Bougainvillia shrubs were laid along the fence, four rows of trees were planted on the Eastern side of the ground to act as a windbreak and the car-park was levelled.The Stadium was designed by John Tanner (Kenya Harlequins
Kenya Harlequins
The Kenya Harlequin Football Club is a Kenyan rugby union team who play at the top level of Kenyan rugby, they are holders of the 2010 Kenya Cup and 2010 Enterprise Cup. Harlequin players make up the vast majority of the 2011 Kenya national rugby union team...
and East Africa
East Africa rugby union team
Established in 1950, The East Africa rugby union team is a multi-national rugby union team drawing players from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, though the vast majority of these came from Kenya which has traditionally been the strongest rugby playing nation in this part of the world...
) and the building works were carried out by a firm belonging to a member of the Rugby Patrons Society at a very reasonable cost. The stadium and the majority of the seating was placed on the western side of the ground such that in the early evening (when matches are normally played in East Africa) the spectators are not looking into the sun. The pavilion was designed for easy expansion; it consisted originally of two changing-rooms, showers, toilets, a small bar, seating for 200 and housing for the family of the custodian/bar-man. Within ten years it had been expanded to include a full-sized bar, committee-room, kitchen, seating for 3000 and a camera-tower/broadcasting-box on the roof of the main stand. In recent years the changing facilities have been further expanded.
On the eastern side of the ground an earthen mound runs along the length of the touch-line and there is a tier of five rows of simple stepped seats constructed from breeze-block material and concrete. This simple form of seating is replicated on the western touch-line and it is above this that the main stadium sits. The pavilion consists of three sections, the northern and southern sections, each approximately 30m wide, are larger than the central life-members' section which is approximately 10m wide. All three of these sections have seven rows of seating on wooden staging and are covered by corrugated asbestos roofing. Either side of the main pavilion are a further six rows of concrete benches which in recent years have been covered with a mabati (corrugated metal) roof.
Opening
The first match played at the ground was East AfricaEast Africa rugby union team
Established in 1950, The East Africa rugby union team is a multi-national rugby union team drawing players from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, though the vast majority of these came from Kenya which has traditionally been the strongest rugby playing nation in this part of the world...
versus the British Lions
1955 British Lions tour to South Africa
In 1955 the British Lions rugby union team toured Southern and Eastern Africa. The Lions drew the test series against , each team winning two of the four matches. They won the first test by a single point and the third by three points and lost the second and fourth matches by wider margins...
on 28 September 1955. It attracted a gate (with borrowed seating) of 6000 and J.A.E. Siggins, the manager of the Lions, was given the honour of opening the ground in the presence of His Excellency Sir Evelyn Baring
Evelyn Baring, 1st Baron Howick of Glendale
Evelyn Baring, 1st Baron Howick of Glendale, KG, GCMG, KCVO was Governor of Southern Rhodesia from 1942 to 1944 and Governor of Kenya from 1952 to 1959....
, the Governor of Kenya.
Upgrading
In October 2009 the Rugby Patrons Society donated KShKenyan shilling
The shilling is the currency of Kenya. It is divisible into 100 cents.-Coins:The first coins were issued in 1966 in denominations of 5, 10, 25 and 50 cents, and 1 and 2 shillings. Twenty-five cents coins were not minted after 1969; 2 shillings coins were last minted in 1971...
1.2 million (equal to £10,600 or €11,800 or US$16,000) to the KRFU thus providing 60% of the funds required to sink a bore-hole in order to ensure that the pitch can be maintained in excellent condition. Then on 29 May 2010, the Safaricom
Safaricom
Safaricom, Ltd is a leading mobile network operator in Kenya. It was formed in 1997 as a fully owned subsidiary of Telkom Kenya. In May 2000, Vodafone group Plc of the United Kingdom, the world's largest telecommunication company, acquired a 40% stake and management responsibility for the...
foundation gave KSh
Kenyan shilling
The shilling is the currency of Kenya. It is divisible into 100 cents.-Coins:The first coins were issued in 1966 in denominations of 5, 10, 25 and 50 cents, and 1 and 2 shillings. Twenty-five cents coins were not minted after 1969; 2 shillings coins were last minted in 1971...
13.2 million (equal to £123,000 or €143,000 or US$177,000) to the KRFU
Kenya Rugby Football Union
Kenya Rugby Football Union is the governing body of Rugby Union in Kenya. It organises Kenyan national teams and various competitions. It is a member of the International Rugby Board....
for the rehabilitaion and expansion of the ground to seat an additional 1,500 people on a brand new terrace on the Ngong Road side of the ground. The Kenya Rugby Football Union
Kenya Rugby Football Union
Kenya Rugby Football Union is the governing body of Rugby Union in Kenya. It organises Kenyan national teams and various competitions. It is a member of the International Rugby Board....
plans to purchase an adjacent plot, the Unga grounds, so that the stadium can be expanded to accommodate 20,000 people with state-of-the-art facilities. It is the intention of the Ground Development Committee to create a venue that will enable Kenya to host a major International Rugby Board
International Rugby Board
The International Rugby Board is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. It was founded in 1886 as the International Rugby Football Board by the unions of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. England refused to join until 1890. The International Rugby Football Board changed its name to the...
event in the near future.