The Wall Game
New & Lingwood have provided the uniforms for Eton college since 1865. The school retains a close relationship with the clothier, not only during the boys tenure at the college, but even after they have exited its gates, with many still choosing to have their shirts made by the house throughout their adult life.
The tradition within the school is one British culture is renowned for, yet it not only incorporates academia but also extends to sporting inventions. You see England is filled with stories of creating cult sports, most notably Rugby. Where – rumour has it – 16 year old student William Webb Ellis caught the ball and ran towards the opponents goal line rather than catching and kicking the ball, as it was done back then. I make the comparison to rugby purely to add some context to the lesser known sport of The Eton Wall Game.
Established at Eton College, the peculiar and slightly left-field sport bears some resemblance to Rugby union, with its hands-on ball style. Played on a 5 metre wide and 110 metres long ‘Furrow’ the game takes place next to a curved brick wall built in 1717, naturally entitled ‘The Wall’. This is a focal feature of the game and provides the perfect viewing platform for spectators. It is not really known when the first game was played but the first recorded outing was in 1766. Played between the King Scholars (collegers) and the Oppidans ( the rest of the school).
The format consists of a series of scrum-esque sequences called a ‘Bully’, comprised of six of the ten players on each side, who battle it out to reach a special area known as the ‘Calx’.