Rugby School is celebrating its 450th anniversary in 2017 with an exciting calendar of events, including a global rugby ball pass, in the style of the Olympic Torch.
In 1567, the same year Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned in Lochleven Castle, the School’s founder, Lawrence Sheriff, grocer and purveyor of spices to Queen Elizabeth I, left a legacy not only to found a school, but one that was to have a lasting influence on the principles of a British education.
In his will, Sheriff left instructions and funding to establish a ‘free grammar school for local boys’ in his home town of Rugby. 450 years later, Rugby is a vibrant co-educational day and boarding school for 800 pupils, many of whom benefit from foundation awards and scholarships funded from the London estate income. With plenty to celebrate, from the educational values of Dr Thomas Arnold, England’s most famous Victorian Headmaster, to the invention of rugby football – the 450th year calendar is jam packed with events linked to the school’s key characteristics including our sporting heritage, Christian faith, charitable ethos and global reach.
Peter Green, Headmaster of Rugby School, said: “Some independent schools in England are certainly older than Rugby but few have had such a lasting influence on the principles of an all-round education. The 450th anniversary will encompass all the elements which have helped this school develop into the modern, challenging, co-educational establishment it is today, where the whole person is the whole point.”
One of the main sporting highlights from the 450th calendar include ‘The Global Pass’, which is inspired by the journey of the Olympic Torch. This will involve two Rugbeians passing a DHL-tracked rugby ball across the globe, 450 times.
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The official launch will take place on 9th January 2017 at Rugby School, when a special exhibition will be formally opened and the first global passes will be made on the historic Close before the ball heads off on its international journey.
