Named after the British school where rugby is said to have originated, the game is derived from the same primitive contest that spawned soccer. According to legend, on an autumn day in 1823, William Webb Ellis "with a fine disregard for the rules...first took the ball in his arms and ran with it."

In an age when Britain was the world's leading power, with imperial colonies all over the world, rugby quickly spread far and wide. The game's bonds were then cemented by rugby's unique tradition of touring to play in foreign countries, or hosting teams traveling from abroad. Meanwhile, the first international match, between England and Scotland, was played in 1871. So-called "test" matches have further strengthened the game's worldwide following.

USA - DEFENDING OLYMPIC CHAMPS

The United States is the back-to-back defending Olympic rugby champion. Against overwhelming odds, the USA won gold medals by defeating France in both the 1920 and 1924 Olympic Games. But the lights went out on Olympic rugby after the 1924 Games in Paris, when the United States beat France(17-3)in the final. The partisan crowd of 30,000 was stunned by the defeat -- but found its voice before the medal ceremony to drown out the playing of "The Star Spangled Banner." In addition to such unpleasantness, leading rugby countries such as England were unhappy with the Olympic program, complaining that its matches were scheduled "out of season." In addition, England, Wales and Scotland are rugby powers in their own right, but athletes compete in the Olympics for Great Britain. Whatever the case, Great Britain withdrew its support prior to the 1928 Games, and rugby has not been an Olympic sport since.

In the 1990s, however, the IRB and IOC at last took steps that could lead to rugby's return to the Olympics. Rugby was not part of the 2000 Games in Sydney, and as with other requesting sports, shall not be part of the Athens Olympiad in 2004 - primarily due to logistal prorblems and inability of the IOC/Athens to handle new sports and its athletes.

AN AMERICAN TRADITION

On May 5, 1874, Harvard University hosted Montreal's McGill University at Cambridge, Mass., in the first recorded rugby game on American soil. While there are no records of the match and no one remembers who won, the game sparked an interest on college campuses nationwide. As American rugby's popularity began to grow, overseas countries started building rich and diverse traditions of international competition. The first "test" match was actually held earlier in the 1870s, between England and Scotland. Rugby was included as a sport in four Olympic Games (1900, 1908, 1920, 1924), and the United States claimed victories in both the 1920 and 1924 Games.

Shortly after the 1924 Olympics, however, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) removed rugby as an Olympic sport. Rugby continued to flourish around the world, but without the Olympic incentive, the sport's growth in America collapsed and the game remained dormant for the next half century.

The sport then enjoyed a renaissance, beginning in the 1960s and continuing through the 1970s, that created the need for a national governing body to represent the USA in the international rugby community. Four territorial organizations gathered in Chicago, Ill., in 1975 and formed the United States of America Rugby Football Union (now known as USA Rugby). Today, USA Rugby is made up of seven Territorial Unions (TUs) and 37 Local Area Unions (LAUs).

This time, the game has continued to expand and is enjoyed on high school and college campuses throughout the nation. At last count, nearly 450 university programs were recognized. Meanwhile, men and women participate in "senior"-level rugby clubs in all 50 states and in 1998, the U.S. Olympic Committee formally recognized USA Rugby as an affiliated member.

USA NATIONAL TEAMS

USA Rugby fields several national teams, nicknamed the Eagles. The men's team, which first took the field in 1976, is fast becoming a prominent part of the international scene. The USA has taken part in three of the four Rugby World Cups held to date, most recently appearing in the 1999 World Cup in Britain and Ireland, and is currently ranked No. 17 in the world. The women's team was founded in 1987. Four years later, the Eagles claimed the first Women's Rugby World Cup in 1991, and took second in the 1994 and 1998 Cups. With more than 162 teams and 3,000 players, the USA has the most organized and active women's rugby program in the world.

USA Rugby also fields men's and women's 7s teams and several junior teams, as well as teams representing some of the game's constituent bodies, such as colleges, universities and the armed forces.

THE FUTURE OF USA RUGBY