The Story of the Leather Rugby Ball
September 11, 2015 2:49 pm Leave your thoughts
With the Rugby World Cup 2015 descending on Twickenham this Friday for what is predicted to be a momentous and gripping tournament, we look back at the history of the rugby ball and its leather roots.
Akin to Maxwell Scott’s motives for using Italian full grain leather, the first rugby ball in 1820 was made in leather due to its sturdy and heavy-duty properties. Born in the town of Rugby, England and invented by leather shoe makers Richard Lindon and William Gilbert, the rugby ball was created by using a pig’s bladder encased in four hand stitched panels of leather. It is thought that the blown up pig’s bladder gave the rugby ball its unique oval shape which it still has today. Interesting fact: Richard Lindon died of a lung disease which is thought to have been caused by the repetitious pig bladder blowing. With Lindon and Gilbert’s shops located next door to each other on the high street, they became the main suppliers of rugby balls for the local Rugby School down the road, and then the rest of the world centuries later. Used all the way up until 1980, the leather rugby ball provided the ruffian’s game played by gentlemen lifetimes of action.
Shop the Rugby inspired Collection
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Keep your club suit away from the mud with the ‘Rovello‘ leather suit carrier, featuring handy external zipped pockets.
Pack your kit in the classic ‘Flero‘ holdall made with robust Italian leather and lined with a wipeable faux boar skin.
Throw your after-match toiletries into this sleek ‘Raffaelle’ leather wash bag, also lined with a wipeable faux boar skin.
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This post was written by Julia Munder
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