RUGBY BALL

The rugby ball has its roots in the Middle Ages, when it was played with an inflated ball made of animal skin. Over time, the rugby ball has undergone several transformations. In the 19th century, England introduced more structured rules for the game of football, leading to the separation of football and rugby (1823). It was around this time that the rugby ball acquired its characteristic oval shape, which allowed players to kick it further and control it better.

William Gilbert (1799-1877), shoemaker and boot maker, who had a shop in Rugby, a short distance from the University. With all those boys around, it was inevitable that Master Gilbert would become the "official" supplier of their footballs, which at the time were made like this: four strips of leather sewn together to hold an inflated pig's bladder inside.