[9] World Rugby gained membership of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) in 2010.

England refused to take part in the founding of the IRFB, stating that they should have greater representation, as they had more clubs.

Following the introduction of working-class men to the game in Northern England, clubs began paying "broken time" payments to players, due to the loss of earnings from playing on a Saturday.

[15] Cumberland County Union also complained of another club using monetary incentives to lure players, leading to the IRFB conducting an enquiry.

[15] The debate over broken time payments ultimately caused the 22 leading clubs in Yorkshire and Lancashire to form the Northern Rugby Football Union.

The competing unions' laws of the game diverged almost immediately; the northern body's code eventually became known as rugby league football.

Additionally, current Council members Argentina, Canada and Italy were granted a second representative and vote.

[18][19] In the 1960s Australians Harold Tolhurst and Jock Kellaher suggested a World Rugby Championship be held in Australia but the IRFB refused.

[37] These positions are held by Bill Beaumont of England and Bernard Laporte of France, respectively, elected as of April 2020[update].

[38][39] The executive committee, in accordance with bye-laws 9.14–9.16, ensures the effective management and operation of the World Rugby.

[43] The current Chair of World Rugby is Brett Robinson who was elected following the Executive Council vote on 14 November 2024.

[44] Previous chairmen include Bill Beaumont (2008 to 2024), Bernard Lapasset (2008 to 2016), Syd Millar (2002 to 2007) and Vernon Pugh, QC (1994 to 2002).

[2] Despite the profitability of the World Cup, the majority of its revenues and viewers come from a small number of countries.

South Africa defeated New Zealand 12–11 in the Rugby World Cup final, winning a record fourth title.

As a result, the most recent tournament was the 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens in San Francisco, US.

Starting in December 2023 in Dubai, Cape Town, Perth, Vancouver, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Singapore and will conclude in Madrid in June 2024.

The tournament is set to bring about a festival type atmosphere and serve as a build up to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

These competitions were created following the merger of under-19 and under-21 representative teams, into an under-20 age group The sport of rugby union has been played at the Summer Olympics on four occasions, with the last being in 1924.

But in furthering the World Rugby cause, the organisation became an International Olympic Committee Recognised International Federation in 1995, marked by a ceremonial signing by President Juan Antonio Samaranch prior to a match between Wales and South Africa in Cardiff.

Subsequently, Sevens was accepted into the Summer Olympic Games and was first played in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro which was won by Fiji in the men's competition (defeating Great Britain) and by Australia in the women's competition (defeating New Zealand).

The World Rugby anti doping programme includes testing at the under 19 and under 21 level, sevens and senior 15 a side.

Several years of research went into developing the rankings system, using an extensive database of international matches that date back to 1871.

The system's reliability is assessed in a number of objective ways, which includes predictions of current strength and responds to changes in form.

In the case of a freak result, there is a maximum number of movements on the ranking that any nation can gain from one match.

Currently all capped international matches are equally weighted, whether or not they take place within a competition or are played as tests; the sole exception to this is the World Cup final tournament.

The current judges are Jonathan Davies, Will Greenwood, Gavin Hastings, Michael Jones, Dan Lyle, Federico Méndez, Francois Pienaar and past Player of the Year winners Fabien Galthié and Keith Wood, with John Eales as convenor.

In 2006 a Hall of Fame was established to chronicle the achievements and special contribution of the sport's players, coaches, administrators, match officials, institutions and other individuals.

The Hall of Fame was inaugurated at the 2006 IRB Awards, when William Webb Ellis and Rugby School were named as the first two inductees.

Hall of Fame inductees in 2007 were Pierre de Coubertin, Danie Craven, John Eales, Gareth Edwards and Wilson Whineray.

The 2008 inductees were the 1888–89 New Zealand Native football team and its organiser Joe Warbrick, Jack Kyle, Melrose RFC and Ned Haig (for their roles in the invention of rugby sevens), Hugo Porta, and Philippe Sella.