The rugby ball is a sports projectile with an interesting history

For the first time, references to the "wrong" ball appeared in the first half of the nineteenth century in one of Tom Brown's novels. It was about life in the school in the town of Rugby School, including about the game with a non-standard ball. Consequently, it can be assumed that as early as 1835 a "melon" was used for rugby, as the projectile was called for its similarity to the melon culture of the same name . If you look closely, the rugby ball really is very similar in shape to the melon, and at first glance it is not clear how you can play with it.

By the end of the same century, the craze for a new type of football led to the fact that manufacturers of footwear were involved in sewing leather balls . Not surprisingly, the first successful attempt to start mass production of balls belonged to two shoemakers who lived not far from the previously mentioned Rugby School. As owners of the manufactory, they realized how profitable it would be for them to have a new hobby, and began to supply the balls to those who wished, the good of the demand at that time exceeded the offer. First of all they satisfied the requests of schools and sports societies.

Initially, the rugby ball was almost spherical, and the basis for it was a pork bladder, covered with four leather lining. There were no uniform standards for the sporting projectile at that time, so the shape of the ball itself corresponded to the shape of the bubble. This equipment was inflated solely by the mouth - not the most pleasant task, and given that the bubble was taken fresh, it was also unsafe. Later, the nipple was used to facilitate the process, and the rubber chamber was the basis of the projectile. At the end of the nineteenth century, ball makers came up with the idea of using a medical needle to inflate a sphere - the rugby ball was filled with air through a pump.

The game was becoming more popular, it finally began to play hands. The shape of the melon remains to this day - players from all over the world insisted on preserving the authenticity of the projectile. Global changes comprehended the shell only in the late Х1Х-th century, when it was modernized in order to increase the entertainment of the game itself. Today rugby in the world sports community is gaining popularity similar to American football. Just like in the States, fans collect cardboard cards depicting idols, in Europe, Australia and New Zealand, rugby pictures (ball, club symbols, players) are popular.

A modern rugby ball is made of composite rubber and rubberized cotton, its ends are rounded and smoothed. As for the size of the projectile, they are regulated by the International Rugby Union. By analogy all with the same football, the rugby ball is labeled according to weight and size. So, for example, №5 is intended for adults, № 4 - for games of youth groups, №3 - for children under 9 years. As for the cost of such sports equipment as a rugby ball, the price starts from 20 USD, and you can buy a melon not only on the relevant Internet resources, but also in the most ordinary sports shop.