"Reverend William Webb Ellis (24 November 1806 – 24 January 1872) was an English Anglican clergyman and the alleged inventor of rugby football whilst a pupil at Rugby School. According to
legend, Webb Ellis picked up the ball and ran with it during a school football match in 1823, thus creating the rugby-style of play. Although the story has become firmly entrenched in the sport's folklore, it is not supported by substantive evidence, and is discounted by most rugby historians as an origin myth.
Webb Ellis was born in Salford, Lancashire, the younger of two surviving sons (the eldest, James, died aged three; the second son, Thomas, of Dunchurch, Warwickshire, was a surgeon) of James Ellis, a cornet in the 7th Dragoon Guards, in 1809 made a Lieutenant of the 3rd Dragoon Guards, joining them in Portugal,[3] and Ann, daughter of William Webb, a surgeon, of Alton, Hampshire, whom James married in Exeter in 1804. His paternal grandfather was from Pontyclun in South Wales, a descendant of the Ellis family of Kiddal Hall, just off the A64 near Potterton, West Riding of Yorkshire.[3] After his father was killed during the Peninsular War in a cavalry action near Albuera on 1 July 1812,[4] Mrs Ellis, in receipt of an allowance of £30 from His Majesty's Royal Bounty in recognition of her husband's service,[5] decided to move to Rugby, Warwickshire, so that William and his older brother Thomas could receive an education at Rugby School with no cost as a local foundationer (i.e. a pupil living within a radius of 10 miles of the Rugby Clock Tower). He attended the school from 1816 to 1825 and was recorded as being a good scholar and cricketer, although it was noted that he was "rather inclined to take unfair advantage at cricket". The incident in which Webb Ellis supposedly caught the ball in his arms during a football match (which was allowed) and ran with it (which was not) is supposed to have happened in the latter half of 1823."
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The Statue
The life size statue in bronze stands outside one of the gates to the Cimitiere du Vieux Chateau (The old castle cemetery). William Webb Ellis moved to Menton for the climate due to ill health. The south of France was popular with people who moved there for its climate, especially after Queen Victoria started to visit. This cemetery contains many emigree graves including William Webb Ellis.
Whether Webb Ellis invented the game or not this statue was erected in his honour in 2007 when the rugby World Cup tournament was held in France.
A bi-lingual rugby ball shaped plaque below the statue has the following text.
William Webb Ellis
1806 - 1872
Inventeur du rugby
Sculpture offerte
par la ville de Rugby (Angleterre)
L'International Rugby Board
a la societe Peugeot (Royaume Uni)
William Webb Ellis
1806 - 1872
Inventor of the game of rugby
Sculpture presented
by the town of Rugby (England)
The International Rugby Board
and the Peugeot Motor Company
PLC in the U.K.
Sculpteur
Graham Ibbeson
Graham Ibbeson originally sculpted a larger statue of Webb Ellis in 1997.
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There is also a plaque on the wall opposite the statue that was signed by the captains of the 20 National rugby teams that played in the 2007 tournament.