Rugby Football Union : Rugby is one of the most popular sports in England. The origin of the sport is believed to be in England and dates back to around 1823. This full-contact team sport has evolved ever since, and has established itself throughout the world, as a popular recreational and professionally played sport.
The Rugby Football Union (known as the RFU), is the governing body for the Sport of Rugby in England. It was founded in 1871 when 21 clubs formed the union, in order to etch out rules for the first games at Rugby School then. Today the RFU's activities in England include managing and organizing of matches, hosting conferences, and imparting training to players as well as officials, at national and international levels.
With its headquarters at the Twickenham Stadium, in Middlesex, England, the Rugby Football Union is presided over by Bob Rogers, and its operations are monitored by the Director of Elite Rugby in England, Rob Andrew.
The Rugby Football Union in joint venture with the Premier Rugby Limited (PRL), is known as England Rugby Limited (ERL), and together manages the game of Rugby at the professional level in England.
The Rugby Football Union had received the International Rugby Board's (known as the IRB) affiliation in 1890, which is the governing and law-making body for Rugby, worldwide. While England is a member country affiliated under the world governing body of the Rugby League International Federation (RLIF), its national team, the England Rugby, is also guided under the federation of the RFU.
The National teams of England, governed by the Rugby Football Union, for all forms of tournaments based on full-team rugby union game, are listed below as:
- England
- England Saxons
- England Sevens
- British and Irish Lions
The National Division One teams of England, governed by the Rugby Football Union, for all forms of tournaments based on full-team rugby union game, are listed below as:
- Bedford
- Cornish Pirates
- Coventry
- Doncaster
- Exeter Chiefs
- Leeds Tykes
- London Welsh
- Moseley
- Newbury
- Nottingham
- Otley
- Pertemps Bees
- Plymouth Albion
- Rotherham
- Sedgley Park
- Waterloo
England being the birth place of the sport of Rugby, it has become an immensely popular team sport throughout the country. With the 2007 Rugby World Cup event a few months away, the RFU is working hard to get the England National Team going, and will be busy coordinating the operations regarding player selection, coaches, as well as manage a player's international duties in accordance with their premiership club contracts.
