Shropshire marks bicentenary of rugby in Global Pass event
Shropshire has 'played its part' in marking the bicentenary of a national sport by participating in the 'Global Pass' event.
Rugby players and passers-by took part in an ambitious social media event to celebrate the 200-year anniversary of rugby, at Shrewsbury Castle.
They took part in the Global Pass event which would see a ‘virtual’ ball passed around the globe, with 200 areas taking part worldwide.
The Global Pass has been organised by Rugby School, where in 1823 a schoolboy named William Webb Ellis, during a football match at Rugby School, Rugby, took the ball in his arms and ran with it.
This act, followed by a succession of events, has resulted in the game of football being renamed “rugby football”, now a global game played by millions.
Ian Sawers, organiser of the event said: "It went well and achieved our aim. We got some great footage which will go off to Rugby headquarters at the weekend.
"The aim was commemorate the bicentenary and Shropshire played its part. I was a former pupil of Rugby, so when I saw it I thought put in for Shropshire and we got one of the 200 balls."
The limited-edition Gilbert ball was passed along a line of 15 players, who were also dressed up in vintage rugby kits to mark the occasion.
Ian said that the footage will now be sent off to be put into a digital frame, where it will be sent back and ready to be published on social media.
