▁France ▁wanted ▁to ▁play ▁against ▁each ▁other , ▁and ▁a ▁common ▁set ▁of ▁rules ▁were ▁required . ▁An ▁inter - school ▁tournament ▁began ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 0 , ▁initially ▁with ▁only ▁three ▁teams , ▁but ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁entries ▁grew ▁quickly ▁as ▁over ▁the ▁next ▁de cade . ▁ ▁" Par is " ▁rules ▁( cir ca ▁ 1 8 8 9 ) ▁The ▁following ▁is ▁a ▁summary ▁of ▁the ▁nation ally ▁adopted ▁" Par is ▁rules " ▁of ▁B aret te , ▁as ▁played ▁in ▁schools ▁and ▁clubs ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁nin ete enth ▁century . ▁ ▁The ▁" b aret te " ▁was ▁o void ▁and ▁about ▁a ▁ 3 0   cm ▁long ▁and ▁ 2 0   cm ▁wide . ▁It ▁consisted ▁of ▁a ▁rub ber ▁bl ad der ▁covered ▁with ▁a ▁heavy ▁le ather ▁she ath , ▁with ▁the ▁bl ad der ▁infl ated ▁and ▁properly ▁closed , ▁the ▁sle e ve ▁secure ly ▁se wn ▁to ▁the ▁s addle ▁point ▁and ▁la ced ▁on ▁the ▁side ▁( result ing ▁in ▁a ▁ball ▁that ▁res emble d ▁a ▁rugby ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁period ). ▁The ▁nature ▁of ▁the ▁playing ▁area ▁was ▁not ▁defined ▁but ▁" the ▁best ▁is ▁a ▁large ▁la wn ▁or ▁me adow ▁that ▁does ▁can ▁deal ▁with ▁the ▁tram pling ▁of ▁twenty ▁to ▁thirty ▁players ". ▁However , ▁even ▁grass ▁was ▁not ▁essential ▁- ▁" In ▁the ▁absence ▁of ▁la wn , ▁you ▁can ▁simply ▁come ▁to ▁the ▁any ▁open ▁ground