World Rugby is rugby union’s governing body, formerly known as the International Rugby Board.
The organization was founded in 1886 by the unions of Ireland, Scotland and Wales as the International Rugby Board. England joined in 1890. Its original role was to establish and maintain common laws for international rugby, although its membership and responsibilities expanded substantially over time.
The body became the International Rugby Board, or IRB, in common usage and later adopted the name World Rugby in November 2014. It oversees the laws of rugby union, major international competitions and global development programs. It also organizes the Rugby World Cup and the Rugby World Cup Sevens.
World Rugby is separate from national unions such as the Rugby Football Union in England, the New Zealand Rugby Union and the South African Rugby Union. National bodies administer the sport within their own territories, while World Rugby provides the international framework. Rugby league has a different governing structure and is not governed by World Rugby.