THE FOUR RUGBY UNIONS How They Were Founded.—When the Rugby Union was formed in 1871 it received the support of both English and Scottish clubs, but the Scottish clubs had already become strong enough to challenge England to play an international match, which took place in Edinburgh in March 1871. Soon afterwards the Scottish clubs decided to form a ruling body of their own, and the Scottish Rugby Union was founded in 1873. Meanwhile the game had been making substantial headway in both Ireland and Wales, and Irish clubs began to make a move towards estab lishing a separate governing body. The southern clubs put the idea into shape by forming the Irish Football Union in 1874, but the northern clubs resented their action and formed a rival North of Ireland Union in 1875. It was not until 1881 that they became reconciled, and founded the Irish Rugby Union. The Welsh Rugby Union grew out of the South Wales Union, which was dissolved to give place to it in 1880.
The code of laws drawn up by the Rugby Union was at first accepted by all the other unions, but in 1884 the Scottish Union disputed the validity of a try scored by England in the international match on a point of law, and as the two unions, after long correspondence, could not reach an agreement, Scotland declined to play England in the following year, 1885. Scotland challenged the right of the Rugby Union to be the sole interpreters of the laws, and when in 1886 the Rugby Union proposed to alter the method of scoring, disaffection spread to the other unions, who as a consequence withdrew from playing matches against England during the season 1887-88. A proposal was then made that the laws for international matches should be framed by an international board composed of an equal number of representatives from each union. The Rugby Union had agreed to the formation of such a board to settle disputes only, but, as the parent body in the game, it could not agree to join the board on a basis of equal representation if it was to make the laws. Eventually the Rugby Union offered to submit the matter to arbitration, and the other unions agreed. The arbitrators were Lord Kingsburgh and Major Marindin who met in April 1890 and decided for the formation of an international board to control the laws and settle disputes in connection with international matches, with six representatives from England, and two each from Scot land, Ireland, and Wales. Except that the Rugby Union's repre sentation has been reduced to four members, the board has con tinued on the same basis ever since.
No sooner had the international difficulties been settled than the Rugby Union began to be seriously perturbed by the increase in the number of cases of professionalism which came to its notice. These emanated principally from the north, where the game had taken a hold among players of the working class, many of whom were being secretly compensated for time which, through playing, they lost at work. In 1 893 the matter came to a head at the general meet ing of the Rugby Union, when the Yorkshire representatives put forward a motion "That players be allowed compensation for bond fide loss of time." The meeting was historic. The amateur forces in the game rallied strongly to the support of the union, and the motion was defeated by 282 votes to 136. But the evil was only partially checked, and in order to quash it decisively the Rugby Union drew up a comprehensive code of laws as to professionalism which closed practically every loophole by which a player might receive any financial benefit from playing. As a result, a number of clubs in the north resigned from the union, and formed the "Northern Football Union" which, at first admit ting only payment for broken time, soon sanctioned outright professionalism. In course of time the Northern Union adopted a different form of the game, with 13 players instead of 15, and a few years ago its name was changed to the "Rugby League." International and County Matches.—Though England and Scotland were the first to begin playing international matches in 1871, Ireland very soon joined them, playing its first match against England in 1875, and against Scotland in 1877. Wales began to play matches against England in 1881, against Ireland in 1882, and against Scotland in 5883. In 1879 the Calcutta club, which had joined the Rugby Union four or five years previously, presented a handsome silver cup, known as the Calcutta cup, to be competed for annually by England and Scotland. Though sev eral other minor cup competitions exist among the clubs, the four unions have always discouraged them, as inimical to the best interests of the game.
County matches began to be played by Yorkshire and Lanca shire teams in 1870. Other counties soon joined in, and in 1890 the Rugby Union approved a system of grouping for a recognized championship competition.
