Rugby union at the 1908 Summer Olympics

Men's rugby union at the Games of the IV Olympiad
Venue	White City Stadium
Date	October 26
Competitors	30 from 2 nations
Medalists
01 ! Australia 02 ! Cornwall
← 1900 1920 →

01 !		Australia
02 !		Cornwall

Rugby union at the 1908 Summer Olympics. The event was summarised under the "Football" heading along with association football. The host Great Britain was represented by Cornwall, the 1908 county champion. Defending Olympic champions France withdrew, leaving Australasia, represented by the Australia national rugby union team as the only other remaining entrant.

The visiting team competed in the London Olympics in conjunction with the inaugural Wallaby tour of the United Kingdom of 1908-09, in which they would ultimately go 25-5-1 in their 31 matches. The Australian team entered the rugby tournament and were the only other team alongside Cornwall, who were representing Great Britain.

Australia had already beaten Cornwall, the British county champions early in the tour - an 18-5 defeat of Cornwall in their third tour match at Camborne RFC on 3 October 1908.Scotland and Ireland had turned down the Rugby Football Union's invitation to participate in the Olympic bouts. France were expected to contest the medal, but had withdrawn, leaving just the Australia and Cornwall for England team to play for gold and silver medals. The interest in the Olympic rugby final was only lukewarm with the final being held in the last week of Games that had taken place over six months.

In 1908 Twickenham Stadium was still being built. The match was played at the White City Stadium, London, on an area alongside the Olympic Games swimming pool which measured 110 yards in length with a long line of netting stretched beside to catch flying balls. Large mattresses were spread along the rim of the pool to prevent injuries to falling players. One day was allocated to what was called the Olympic rugby tournament. The game was rather a damp squib and took place in a thick mid week London fog at a virtually deserted White City. Often a kick for touch saw the ball end up in the pool and it was said that the Australians were more adept at handling the slippery ball.