Standing for Rugby Football Union, The RFU refers either to:
A countries rugby organising body.
Each country has an RFU (i.e. HKRFU for Hong Kong, WRFU for Wales, SRFU for Scotland). Each RFU abides by, and implements the decisions of the IRB and also organises the national leagues and competions.
The English Rugby Football Union.
Based in Twickenham, London], the RFU used to be the sole organising body for world rugby, but had little real authority. The Union was first formed in 1871 when various rugby clubs met at a coffee house on the Strand, in London. This meeting was precipitated by a letter from Edwin Ash, secretary of the Richmond club, asking that clubs should make an attempt to standardise the rules and regulations of rugby. It has existed in its current form since 1895 when twenty two clubs from Yorkshire and Lancashire broke away to form the Northern Union and developed a game called Rugby League.