Webb Ellis Road
Rugby, Warwickshire, England
Webb Ellis Road, Rugby, England — opened unknown, 4 rugby league games hosted, home of Rugby Lions RFC (rugby union) is the primary long-term occupant; the ground was also formerly home to Rugby Town F.C. (football, no longer in use by them). For rugby league, Coventry Bears used it as a home venue for at least part of the 2019 League 1 season -- their normal long-term home is Butts Park Arena (now Nick Newbold Stadium) in Coventry, roughly 20 miles away; no source explains why these particular 2019 fixtures were staged at Webb Ellis Road instead..
Ground facts
| Opened | unknown (No source gives a confirmed exact opening year -- Rugby Lions RFC (rugby union) "has been based at Webb Ellis Road for almost 200 years" per Wikipedia, implying roughly early 19th century, but no precise year is stated anywhere found. Not rugby-league-specific in any case; rugby league only used the ground for one 2019 season.) |
| Home club | Rugby Lions RFC (rugby union) is the primary long-term occupant; the ground was also formerly home to Rugby Town F.C. (football, no longer in use by them). For rugby league, Coventry Bears used it as a home venue for at least part of the 2019 League 1 season -- their normal long-term home is Butts Park Arena (now Nick Newbold Stadium) in Coventry, roughly 20 miles away; no source explains why these particular 2019 fixtures were staged at Webb Ellis Road instead. |
| Games hosted (rugby league, on record) | 4 |
| Top recorded crowd | 652 |
| Capacity | 3,200 currently (200 seated, remainder standing); a historical (1990s) figure of 3,000-4,000 standing plus roughly 200 seated is also cited by the same source, which itself judges the lower end "more realistic" given the ground's compact size. |
| Floodlights installed | Not confirmed in any source found. |
| Surface | Not confirmed in any source found; presumed grass as a traditional rugby union club ground. |
| First rugby league match | 14 Jul 2019 -- League 1 2019, Round 16: Coventry Bears 20 def by Hunslet 48 |
| Last rugby league match | 7 Sep 2019 -- League 1 2019, Round 22: Coventry Bears 0 def by Whitehaven 72 (crowd 652, the venue's top recorded rugby league crowd) |
| Years used | 2019 |
| Location | Rugby, Warwickshire |
Name history
Rugby league history
Located in the town of Rugby, most associated with the legendary (if disputed) origin of rugby football via William Webb Ellis and Rugby School -- a coincidental but notable narrative hook for a venue whose own rugby league history is a single, short-lived 2019 season. All 4 recorded matches were regular-season League 1 (third-tier) fixtures for Coventry Bears; no finals or internationals.
Sources
Data last verified: 11 August 2026.
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