As we reflect on this past weekend’s Sports Day, I find myself returning to a question that often arises at Rugby School Japan: why is sport such an important part of our school life?
The answer lies not only in what we witnessed on the track and field, the determination, the teamwork, the spirited house rivalry, but in the long-standing traditions from which our school draws its name and values.
The story of William Webb Ellis, who is said to have caught the ball and ran with it during a football match at Rugby School in 1823, is well known to many. Whether legend or fact, it marks the birth of a game that has since spread across the globe, and symbolises something much deeper: a spirit of courage, initiative, and a willingness to think differently. These are values that continue to shape our approach to education today.
At Rugby School Japan, sport is not simply a ‘nice to have’ activity, it is a vital part of our Whole Person education. Through sport, our pupils learn how to lead and how to follow; how to win graciously and how to lose with dignity. They discover their strengths, confront their limits, and build the kind of resilience that no textbook can teach.
Sport also plays a vital role in shaping our community. From the house chants echoing across the playing fields to the quiet gestures of encouragement between teammates, it binds us together in a shared sense of purpose and belonging. It is one of the many ways in which we seek to foster not only academic achievement, but also character, confidence, and compassion.
As our pupils look back on this year’s Sports Day, and all the training, triumphs, and team spirit that led up to it, I hope they do so with pride. Not only in their athletic efforts, but in what they represent: a living continuation of the Rugby tradition, and a reminder of the kind of people we aspire to be.
