A pupil of Rugby School plays the role of William Webb Ellis in the bicentenary celebrations
A pupil of Rugby School plays the role of William Webb Ellis in the bicentenary celebrations AFP

There is no actual evidence that William Webb Ellis "picked up the ball and ran" during a game of football at Rugby School but that has not prevented a legend building up around him.

To all intents and purposes the Victorian vicar has been adopted as the Father of Rugby. The 20 teams gathering in France will battle it out for the Webb Ellis Cup no less.

Not that he knew any of this in his lifetime.

The claims for Webb Ellis only began in 1876, four years after his death in the French town of Menton (whose rugby club is obviously named after him).

The legend grew through a series of letters to the school magazine that he had picked up the ball in a game of football in 1823. And with international rugby just opening its arms to the world with England's meeting with Scotland in 1871, it stuck.

Not surprisingly, Rugby School, founded in 1567 when another Warwickshire legend William Shakespeare was still very much in short trousers and still going strong, took the opportunity this June of staging a bicentenary match to mark the occasion.

England's 2003 World Cup winning fly-half Jonny Wilkinson was just one of the guests as the pupils - boys and girls - recreated some of the key moments in the early history of the game.

The last time the World Cup was played in France in 2007, England played their way to the final where they were beaten by South Africa.

They also reached the final four years ago in Japan where, once again, they fell foul of the Springboks.

The formbook, which saw a change of coach in mid-winter with Steve Borthwick replacing Eddie Jones and a fourth place finish in the Six Nations, suggests a repeat this time around is not on the cards.

However, England are certainly capable of qualifying from Pool D which they share with Japan, Argentina, Samoa and tournament newboys Chile.

And from there, they are in the easier side of the draw, so perhaps the spirit of Webb Ellis will yet see them to a second World Cup title.

++ Ahead of the Rugby World Cup in France, Agence France-Presse asked 20 aspiring photographers from each country qualified for the competition to show one aspect of the rugby union culture in their homeland, with the help of Canon cameras who are sponsoring the tournament. From Namibia to Fiji via Georgia and Scotland this photo essay gives us a glimpse of the core values of rugby on five continents.

Graham Ibbeson's bronze statue outside Rugby School of William Webb Ellis was unveiled by former England centre Jeremy Guscott in 1997
Graham Ibbeson's bronze statue outside Rugby School of William Webb Ellis was unveiled by former England centre Jeremy Guscott in 1997 AFP
Pupils of Rugby School act out the introduction of referees to rugby in 1875 as part of the re-enactment of the development of the game over 200 years for the bicentenary celebration
Pupils of Rugby School act out the introduction of referees to rugby in 1875 as part of the re-enactment of the development of the game over 200 years for the bicentenary celebration AFP
The crowds at the World Cup may be a little less civilised than the spectators who watched the bicentenary celebration of the birth of rugby at Rugby School in June
The crowds at the World Cup may be a little less civilised than the spectators who watched the bicentenary celebration of the birth of rugby at Rugby School in June AFP