Bremont
On January 26, 1871, at the Pall Mall Restaurant on London’s Regent Street, a meeting took place between representatives from 21 rugby clubs, many of which are still going strong today. The men – average age, 23 – together created the world’s first governing body for rugby.
That meeting also saw 20 players selected to represent England in their first ever international contest on 27 March 1871, following a challenge issued by Scotland.
The 150 years that have followed the formation of the RFU has featured some key events, including the purchase and development of Twickenham Stadium, the ‘great schism’ that saw the development of the rugby league, the formation of the Women’s Rugby Football Union and Britain’s men winning silver in the 2016 Rio Olympics when rugby sevens made its Olympic debut.