The Rugby Football Union (RFU) was formed in January 1871 to oversee the sport of rugby union in England.<br><br>Eight years earlier, on 26 October 1863, representatives from 11 rugby clubs had met at the Freemason's tavern, in Covent Garden, London, in an attempt to create a standard set of rules on how the newly-formed sport should be played. The contentious issues included ball handling, as rules differed between clubs as to whether a player should remain still or be allowed to run after catching the ball, and the act of ‘hacking’ (bringing a player down by kicking at their legs). <br><br>But it was not until 1871 when a player died whilst playing for Richmond that impetus was provided to create a universal set of rules to disassociate the sport from excessive violence. <br><br>Twenty-one representatives from rugby clubs and schools across England met on 26 January that year at Pall Mall restaurant in Westminster, London.There the first laws of the game, which also outlawed tripping, hacking and the wearing of boots with projecting nails, were created. <br><br>On 25 March the same year, the first ever rugby international, between England and Scotland, was played at Raeburn Place, Edinburgh. The RFU selected players to represent England after receiving an invitation from Scottish representatives for a twenty-a-side match. The rules established by the RFU were first used at the match. <br><br>In 1886, the International Rugby Board (now known as World Rugby) was formed to take over responsibility for the international governance of the sport, including the Rugby World Cup. However, the RFU remains central to the governance of English rugby — from grassroots to elite levels.<br>