This text is concerned with how an understanding of rugby football can provide insights into what it has meant to be a man in societies influenced by the ideals of the Victorian upper and middle classes. The essays chart rugby's development from its origins in the English public schools and ancient universities to its acceptance in the farthest reaches of what was once the British Empire. Despite widespread geographical and cultural diffusion, the game remained resilient in upholding the Victorian qualities of self-sacrifice and manliness.