Rugby fans, League or Union, will be familiar with the story of William Webb-Ellis who is credited with inventing the sport when he picked up the ball whilst playing football at his school in Rugby.
But not everyone realises he was born and baptised in Salford.
Piktochart by Dan McNeice
Sacred Trinity Church on Chapel Street shared on Instagram: “For those who are watching the Rugby League World Cup or Rugby Union, you may be interested to know that William Webb-Ellis was baptised in Salford in our church.”
Rector Andy Salmon said: “We do get people who turn up and say, I gather William Webb-Ellis was baptised here so it’s something that we’re proud of, and we have had rugby fans turn up.
“We’ve had people from Salford Red Devils, we’ve got some contacts there.
“We’re a lovely historic church, we’re the oldest church in Salford. So we’re reasonably well known in Salford and people do like coming in here for all sorts of reasons. But at the moment rugby is very much in the news so that’s why we’re making a bit of a thing of it.”
It is believed that the font where Webb-Ellis was baptised in 1807 is still at the church but in a different part of the building.
Webb-Ellis is a world renowned figure and winners of the Rugby Union World Cup lift the Webb-Ellis trophy named after him.
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