William Gilbert (1799–1877), established Gilbert company, the manufacturer of sports equipment, in 1823. Gilbert had a boot and shoemakers shop on 19 High Street next to Rugby School and started making balls for the school out of hand stitched, four-panel, leather casings and pig bladders. These balls were bigger and rounder than today's balls, which made them easier to kick longer distances.
It is the shape of the pig's bladder that is reputed to have given the rugby ball its distinctive oval shape although balls of those days were more plum shaped than oval. There was no specific size that all the balls were as it depended on how small or large the pig's bladder was. inflated the balls. It was not a job that was sought after, the pig's bladder would be blown up while still in its very smelly ‘green state’, solely by lungpower, down the stem of a clay pipe which was inserted into the opening of the bladder. When William died his nephew James Gilbert took over the Gilbert company, which was making 2,800 balls per year, and James eventually passed it on to his son.