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Rugby star Martin Corry re-launches Webb Ellis Rugby Football Museum
Published: Monday 16th November 2009
Former England captain and World Cup Winner Martin Corry has re-launched Rugby's Webb Ellis Rugby Football Museum.
The world-famous rugby star opened the refurbished museum on Thursday 12 November, and appeared on behalf of children's charity Wooden Spoon, dedicated to helping underprivileged children and young people all over the UK and Ireland to live happier, richer lives.
The Webb Ellis Rugby Football Museum is famed for being the site of the first established rugby football workshop and the building with the longest continuous connection to the game in the world.
The museum attracts visitors from all over the world. It was in this building that William Gilbert began producing rugby footballs in 1842, beginning a tradition of rugby football manufacture on the site that is carried on by Webb Ellis Ltd. to this day.
Established in the 1980s, the museum houses a rich collection of international rugby memorabilia and tells the story of the game, the ball and the building.
Now the museum has been redeveloped with the help of award-winning design team JANVS Design Group. The sympathetic redevelopment has been made with the intention of bringing the display conditions up to modern standards, promoting the well-being of the collection's artefacts, and improving the interpretation of the collection for visitors. These developments have been made while preserving the distinctive historical atmosphere of the famous shop and workshop.
Councillor Neil Campbell, Rugby Borough Council portfolio holder for Culture, said: "This has been an exciting period of development for one of the town's key tourist attractions and, given the museum's historic importance, it is a great pleasure to see Martin Corry open the museum.
"It is very fitting that one of Rugby's greatest stars is to launch an attraction to which rugby fans and stars alike make their pilgrimages from all over the world."
The museum's collection has been built up over the last hundred years. It is privately owned by Lawrence Webb of Webb Ellis Ltd but is currently on loan to Rugby Borough Council.
The Mayor of Rugby was also present along with senior Rugby Borough Council officers and Councillor Neil Campbell, portfolio holder for Culture.
The Webb Ellis Rugby Football Museum is famed for being the site of the first established rugby football workshop and the building with the longest continuous connection to the game in the world.
The museum attracts visitors from all over the world. It was in this building that William Gilbert began producing rugby footballs in 1842, beginning a tradition of rugby football manufacture on the site that is carried on by Webb Ellis Ltd. to this day.
Established in the 1980s, the museum houses a rich collection of international rugby memorabilia and tells the story of the game, the ball and the building.
Now the museum has been redeveloped with the help of award-winning design team JANVS Design Group. The sympathetic redevelopment has been made with the intention of bringing the display conditions up to modern standards, promoting the well-being of the collection's artefacts, and improving the interpretation of the collection for visitors. These developments have been made while preserving the distinctive historical atmosphere of the famous shop and workshop.
Councillor Neil Campbell, Rugby Borough Council portfolio holder for Culture, said: "This has been an exciting period of development for one of the town's key tourist attractions and, given the museum's historic importance, it is a great pleasure to see Martin Corry open the museum.
"It is very fitting that one of Rugby's greatest stars is to launch an attraction to which rugby fans and stars alike make their pilgrimages from all over the world."
The museum's collection has been built up over the last hundred years. It is privately owned by Lawrence Webb of Webb Ellis Ltd but is currently on loan to Rugby Borough Council.
The Mayor of Rugby was also present along with senior Rugby Borough Council officers and Councillor Neil Campbell, portfolio holder for Culture.
