Le rugby
Rugby football

Rugby Union football as the game is known, or rugby, is one of the team sports that developed from its 19th century origins as a teaching aid in English public schools to become a global spectacle viewed by millions of enthusiastic fans all over the world.

Humanistic minded English dons endeavoured to find a balance between Classical scholarship and physical activity fit for young boys, after the motto MENS SANA IN CORPORE SANO (a healthy mind in a healthy body), they wanted to harness the vitality and potential violence of that age into meaningful activities. Traditional ball games including much running and cooperation in teams were favoured as recreation, this is also practical moral education to fairness and sticking to agreed rules. Rowing in team and football were common practices that shaped a specific English tradition of education that was taken over abroad as British cultural influence grew with the Empire.

Over time, the entertainment value of mass shows, and the lure of big money, blurred the initial intention and aim of the games. From a healthy pastime for wealthy well educated gentlemen, sports has become a career opportunity as gladiators of modern times for young people, for a successful career. Professionalization came as a logical consequence of growing popularity. One needs to win at all costs if one wants to stay on top and in the game.

Some will recall the times not so long ago when little boys in their oldfashioned school uniforms were sitting on the sides of the field a few steps away from the Red Dragons of Cymru, at Arms Park stadium in Cardiff. They watched with large eyes the big brothers fight heroic battles for the possession of a funny-looking oval ball with a will of its own. And no heavy metal grate was needed to stop barbaric bands of drunken hooligans from murdering each other.

The images published here are free of copyright and can be used for classroom teaching.

Cet ensemble photographique et documentaire est librement utilisable dans le cadre de vos activités pédagogiques.

Rugby Union football as the game is known, or rugby, is one of the team sports that developed from its 19th century origins as a teaching aid in English public schools to become a global spectacle viewed by millions of enthusiastic fans all over the world.

Humanistic minded English dons endeavoured to find a balance between Classical scholarship and physical activity fit for young boys, after the motto MENS SANA IN CORPORE SANO (a healthy mind in a healthy body), they wanted to harness the vitality and potential violence of that age into meaningful activities. Traditional ball games including much running and cooperation in teams were favoured as recreation, this is also practical moral education to fairness and sticking to agreed rules. Rowing in team and football were common practices that shaped a specific English tradition of education that was taken over abroad as British cultural influence grew with the Empire.

Over time, the entertainment value of mass shows, and the lure of big money, blurred the initial intention and aim of the games. From a healthy pastime for wealthy well educated gentlemen, sports has become a career opportunity as gladiators of modern times for young people, for a successful career. Professionalization came as a logical consequence of growing popularity. One needs to win at all costs if one wants to stay on top and in the game.

Some will recall the times not so long ago when little boys in their oldfashioned school uniforms were sitting on the sides of the field a few steps away from the Red Dragons of Cymru, at Arms Park stadium in Cardiff. They watched with large eyes the big brothers fight heroic battles for the possession of a funny-looking oval ball with a will of its own. And no heavy metal grate was needed to stop barbaric bands of drunken hooligans from murdering each other.

The images published here are free of copyright and can be used for classroom teaching.

Cet ensemble photographique et documentaire est librement utilisable dans le cadre de vos activités pédagogiques.