rugby

noun

rug·​by ˈrəg-bē 

variants often Rugby

: a football game in which play is continuous without time-outs or substitutions, interference and forward passing are not permitted, and kicking, dribbling, lateral passing, and tackling are featured

Examples of rugby in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Kelce, though, is particularly fond of the polo and rugby shirts, which Hilfiger continues to send him, and has worn that gear on his New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce podcast multiple times. —Jeff Fedotin, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026

Soccer is not the major sport in New Zealand, where rugby holds sway. —ABC News, 18 May 2026

Spanning roughly 70 acres, the property officially opened last year, centered around a 50,000-seat, retractable-roof stadium built to host everything from rugby matches to big-name concerts, which have so far included Coldplay and the K-pop act Blackpink. —Chris Dong, Travel + Leisure, 17 May 2026

These days, William is the patron of Welsh rugby, while his wife is the patron of the Rugby Football Union in England. —Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 16 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Rugby School, Rugby, England

First Known Use

1864, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

rugby

noun

rug·​by ˈrəg-bē 

often capitalized

: a football game between two teams in which play is continuous and the team that has the ball may run with it, kick it, or pass it sideways or backward but is not allowed to block or make forward passes

Etymology

named for Rugby School in England where the game was first played

Geographical Definition

Rugby

geographical name

Rug·​by ˈrəg-bē 

town on the Avon River in Warwickshire, central England population 71,000