About The Webb Ellis Rugby Football Museum

The Webb Ellis Rugby Football Museum is the site of the first rugby football workshop and houses a fabulous collection of international rugby memorabilia built up over the last hundred years.
The museum is opposite Rugby School in the original building where James Gilbert, boot and shoemaker, made the first rugby footballs in 1842. This tradition still continues today, giving it the accolade of having the longest continuous association with the game of rugby in the world.
The collection is privately owned and currently on loan to Rugby Borough Council. It is being managed and cared for by staff from Rugby Art Gallery and Museum.
The museum underwent a sympathetic redevelopment in November 2009 designed to improve the display conditions and the interpretation of the collection for visitors, whilst preserving the distinctive historic atmosphere of the famous shop and workshop.