Report by Faye Claridge, web producer
You can’t go to Rugby without being reminded of its most famous event in history: the day William Webb Ellis ran with a ball during a game and controversially started what we now call rugby.
Statues, pavement plaques, tourist centres and huge sports fields all bear testament to what could have just been a moment of madness.
| |  | The William Webb Ellis statue in Rugby
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The event – politely called an innovation by a rebel or more bitterly called cheating – kicked off a new era.
It was in 1823 during a game of football at Rugby School that William Webb Ellis made history with his 'innovation'.
Suddenly, the fortunes of the town were bound up in the game, as the Gilbert rugby football company and Rugby School flourished.
| |  | The field at Rugby School
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Almost 200 years later, the town still benefits from this historic moment, as it attracts thousands of tourists and sports fans every year.
Every international college team on a rugby tour tries to get fixtures on the Rugby School field and many more fans and players make a pilgrimage to the school and the Rugby Football Museum opposite.
Despite a brief period of probelms, the town still produces hand-stitched rugby footballs too.
| |  | The Rugby Football Museum, where Webb Ellis footballs are still masde
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The James Gilbert company has now reformed as Webb Ellis rugby footballs, under the guidance of ex-player England Rodney Webb.
In a continuation of fortune, the company has the contract to produce balls for the European Cup for the next four years.
| |  | William Webb Ellis plaque
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The Rugby Pathways of Fame is a walking route marked with plaques in the pavement.
Each of the 47 plaques is dedicated to a key person or event in the game's history and the pathway was official opened by the South African Rugby legend Naas botha.
It starts outside the tourist centre (appropriately named the Home of Rugby Visitor Centre) and will take you on a fascinating walk through the town and through rugby history.
To visit Rugby virtually from anywhere in the world, follow this link to explore a tour of Rugby School and see this link for a gallery of pictures from the Rugby Football Museum.
You can also follow our local rugby action here online with our Rugby Union pages and Rugby Lions pages.
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