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Pupils to recreate first ever rugby match to mark 200th anniversary

Oprah FlashBBC News, West Midlands
News imageRugby School Students playing RugbyRugby School
Students will don costumes and recreate the historic match which happened at Rugby School

Students will be stepping back in time to recreate the first game of rugby to mark the 200th anniversary of the sport.

Rugby School pupils will re-enact the first time, according to folklore, the sport's pioneer William Webb Ellis took the ball and ran with it on the same pitch on which he played.

It is part of a day of celebrations in Rugby - the birthplace of the sport.

The event is taking place at the school on Saturday.

News imageThe William Webb Ellis statue on Dunchurch Road
A day of celebration is set to mark the creation of rugby by William Webb Ellis at Rugby School 200 years ago

The re-enactment is set to show key moments from the sport's history including the introduction of the first caps, the first woman to play rugby in 1884 and the first Rugby World Cup.

All proceeds from the day will be donated to charity.

The event also marks the 40th anniversary of the Wooden Spoon children's charity, which will receive half of the donations, with the rest being put into the school's 1823 Bursary Fund.

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