Tolkien/Football Connections

[Mithalwen]

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

It was the public schools who eventually came up with actual rules, which also resulted in the division between Rugby and Footie. Rugby Union is more characteristic of public schools and towns like Bath. I presume Tolkien played Rugby Union rather than Rugby League? It's been known for fans of Rugby Union to dislike Footie.

Rugby Union is also quite popular in the not noticibly bourgeois nation of Wales..... It is also popular in its native Midlands (the clue is in the name!) where many fine union teams are based (and where my father (of working class background, played at county level). Tolkien was educated not so many miles from Rugby and the photo in the biography shows him as a member of a XV.