Rugby union in the British Isles

Rugby union in the British Isles
Rugby union in the British Isles
Country	Great Britain and Ireland
Governing body	Rugby Football Union (England); Scottish Rugby Union (Scotland); Welsh Rugby Union (Wales); Irish Rugby Football Union (Ireland)
National team(s)	British & Irish Lions; British and Irish Lionesses; Teams of the Home Nations
First played	1823, Rugby
National competitions
	Rugby World Cup; Six Nations; Rugby World Cup Sevens; World Rugby Sevens Series; London Sevens; Women's Rugby World Cup; Women's Six Nations; World Rugby Women's Sevens Series; (All competed as individual Home Nations)
Club competitions
	See list

Rugby union is a popular sport in the British Isles (Great Britain and Ireland), including England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The game was arguably invented in 1823 by William Webb Ellis, and in 1871 the English Rugby Football Union was the first national rugby football union to be founded. It is organised separately in each of these countries, and also on an all-Ireland basis.

Rugby union in the British Isles is discussed in the following articles, corresponding to the separate organisations governing the sport:

And also in the Crown Dependencies:

And also in various British Overseas Territories:

However areas where the sport is similar between the Home Nations will be discussed in this article.
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