The Early Rugby History

Spectators

The tournament expects to draw a total of 45,000 spectators at the stadium during the three-day duration of the tournament. Of these an estimated one third (15,000) is expected to be foreigners. With television coverage, both locally and internationally, the Malaysia Sevens will be viewed by well over 300 million people in all the 16 participating countries, either via live or delayed telecast. The spectators and viewers will comprise of both male and female viewers between the ages of 12 and 60. Rugby, being an immensely popular sport in both local and international residential schools and varsities, has a loyal following among middle and upper income professionals and top management, as well as the man on the street as the sport is fast paced and exciting.

History Of Rugby

Rugby first started in 1823 when William Webb Ellis spontaneously decided to spoil his schoolmate's soccer game by picking up the ball and running with it towards the goal line. That single act at the Rugby School brought the game into being where it is today and for future generations who would play this game. In 1839 the first rugby club was established in Cambridge and after 32 years the Rugby Football Union was established which governed the game in England and organised the first test match between Scotland and England. Then in 1886 the International Rugby Board was formed which governs the game worldwide.

But only after 40 years the laws of the game was altered in which rugby looks more like it does today. The game's first World Cup was held in 1987 and followed by the second and third in 1991 and 1995 respectively. Currently, the Rugby World Cup has the second largest TV viewership around the world, next to the Soccer World Cup with an estimated 3 billion viewers. Sevens rugby started in Scotland as a charity event which eventually developed into a fast and exciting game.

The first Rugby Sevens World Cup was held, rightfully in Scotland in RUGBY IN MALAYSIA The first inter-club match was played in 1902 between Singapore Cricket Club and Selangor Club. But locals were only involved in the game in 1921 when Captain H. T Butler presented a trophy named after the HMS Malaya battleship. So the game started in with Selangor, Ipoh District, Singapore, Malacca and Negeri Sembilan being the first participants with the Malaya Rugby Union which was also established in 1921 as the joint committee. In 1959 the Malaya Rugby Union organised its first international match between Cambridge Universities XV and Malayan XV in Kuala Lumpur.

In 1983 the first Inter-State Rugby tournament was introduced namely the Agomg's Cup and the game's gaining popularity with the first National Inter-Club tournament in 1995. Sevens rugby was introduced in Malaya in 1935 with a competition organised by the Singapore Cricket Club and since then spread throughout the country. In 1963, the famous RSC Jonah Jones Sevens was introduced by Mr Jones. To date there are numerous sevens tournament in Malaysia such as the National Sevens and Super Sevens organised by the Malaysia Rugby Union. There are more than 300 rugby clubs in Malaysia including government bodies and 600 schools playing rugby with 10,000 active players.