Why is the rugby ball oval? The question has tormented historians for a very long time. History, or legend, would have it that a certain William Gilbert, a shoemaker installed opposite the college English Rugby player in the 19th century, fashioned an ovoid-shaped ball from a pig’s bladder. Nothing is less sure.
Forgotten competitors
William Gilbert was not the only one to make balls to play the nascent game of rugby, but history has forgotten his competitors. The Gilbert brand has nevertheless become the official supplier of World Cup balls since 1995, reinforcing the myth. 20 minutes looks at the subject with Joris Vincent, rugby historian at the University of Lille. What is the real history of the rugby ball?
The end of the Rugby World Cup with the final between the All Blacks and the Boks and the match for third place between the Argentines and the English can be followed on 20minutes.fr.