Rugby
The 'Laws of Football as Played at Rugby School' inspired the modern Olympic Games.
Key words
- Strenuous: needing or using a lot of physical or mental effort or energy
His doctor advised him not to do any strenuous exercise.
- Instil: to put a feeling, idea, or principle gradually into someone's mind, so that it has a strong influence on the way that person thinks or behaves
It is part of a teacher's job to instil confidence in his students.
- Virtue: a good moral quality in a person, or the general quality of being morally good
Patience is a virtue.
- Masculine: having characteristics that are traditionally thought to be typical of or suitable for men
She has a feminine voice, his is very deep and masculine.
- Conducive: providing the right conditions for something good to happen or exist
A quiet room is a more conducive atmosphere for studying.
Read the article to find the answers
- Where is the town of Rugby?
- What did Thomas Arnold emphasise?
- What was Rugby School the birthplace of?
- What kind of Christianity was preached at the school?
Rugby School
Rugby is a market town in Warwickshire, in the West Midlands of England, which has existed since 1255. Rugby School was founded as a free school for local boys, but by the 18th century it had gained a national reputation and eventually became a fee-paying boarding school for pupils aged 13-18.
Rugby School's most famous headmaster was Thomas Arnold, whose emphasis on moral and religious principles was widely admired and greatly influenced the British public school system. He is credited with being one of the main inspirations for Pierre de Coubertin who saw Thomas Arnold's curriculum as an ideal model for promoting international understanding and personal development through athletic competition which became a foundational idea for the modern Olympic Games.
The school was also the birthplace of rules-based football, a committee of schoolboys, including Thomas Arnold's son, wrote the 'Laws of Football as Played at Rugby School', the first ever published set of rules for the game.
Thomas Arnold introduced the game into the curriculum, believing that a commitment to the strenuous physical activity of football would instil the virtues and values of 'Muscular Christianity'.
Muscular Christianity
Muscular Christianity originated in England in the mid-19th century as a cultural movement characterised by a belief in self-discipline, self-sacrifice and the moral importance of masculinity. It was believed that a man's body was given by God to be trained and then used to protect the weak and promote righteous causes.
It promoted good health, physical strength and the active pursuit of Christian ideals, and preached the spiritual value of sport, especially team sports, which were seen as conducive to both physical and moral health. It was believed that physical training built the strength and stamina needed to serve others, and teamwork instilled in young men the values of sportsmanship and fair play.
Rugby Football Associations
Rugby Football teams were excluded from the newly formed Football Association because they refused to accept its rules. Instead, members of the leading rugby clubs came together to form the Rugby Football Union (RFU).
At an RFU general meeting, a proposal by northern clubs to pay players was defeated by southern clubs, who controlled the majority of votes. In response, 22 of the leading northern clubs withdrew from the RFU and formed the Northern Rugby Football Union, which later became the Rugby Football League.
Rugby spread around the world, influencing the AFL and NFL. Today, it continues to promote health and physical fitness, but is much less focused on its founding ideal of actively pursuing and promoting masculine Christian values.
Discussion questions
- Do you have any questions about any of the vocabulary or grammar in this article?
- What principles was your school founded on?
- What do you think of 'Muscular Christianity'?
- What kind of curriculum do you think schools should have?
- What values would you like to see instilled in young men?
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