The Webb Ellis Cup — rugby union's World Cup trophy — takes its name from William Webb Ellis, the Rugby School student who, according to a legend first recorded decades after the fact, picked up the ball during a football match in 1823 and ran with it. Most historians treat the story with skepticism. New Zealand issued this coin in anticipation of hosting the 2011 Rugby World Cup, which the All Blacks won on home soil for the first time, defeating France 8–7 in a final so tight it remains one of the most nerve-shredding finishes in the tournament's history.
The Webb Ellis Cup — rugby union's World Cup trophy — takes its name from William Webb Ellis, the Rugby School student who, according to a legend first recorded decades after the fact, picked up the ball during a football match in 1823 and ran with it. Most historians treat the story with skepticism. New Zealand issued this coin in anticipation of hosting the 2011 Rugby World Cup, which the All Blacks won on home soil for the first time, defeating France 8–7 in a final so tight it remains one of the most nerve-shredding finishes in the tournament's history.