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

The victim was taken to a rugby field near the beach from where she was flown by helicopter to a hospital. —ABC News, 13 June 2026

Participants included ‘90s supermodel Molly Sims, comedian Tiffany Haddish, ex Housewife Bethenny Frankel, rugby legend Ilona Maher and influencer Alix Earle. —Madeleine Marr june 11, Miami Herald, 11 June 2026

Only when talking of what actually went on in the Rex Rooms in Chelsea at the end of a long day and night celebrating a win wrapped up before lunch on Sunday did Key offer any leniency towards cricketers who had been socialising with members of the Saracens rugby team. —Paul Newman, New York Times, 11 June 2026

New Zealand lost to Canada in the semifinals en route to a third-place finish, but Woodman-Wickliffe added to her legacy by becoming the all-time leading try scorer in New Zealand rugby history—men’s or women’s. —Scott Allen, Time, 9 June 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