Some decisions about street names are hard to confirm. When a new street was constructed in 1957, to run into the land between Waltons Avenue and the then Short Street (Intermediate Street), the Masterton Borough Council decided the street should be called Rugby Street unless the developer, Mr Mason, objected to the name.
It is unclear how they chose the name, as it could have been chosen to honour either the game or the English town where the game originated.
There was a pattern of naming streets after English towns at the time. Hereford, Derby and Durham Streets were all developed about then. The game of rugby was also enjoying a period of strength, so it may be that the street is named in honour of our national game.
Pic: The Welch family of Masterton were so numerous in the 1890s they had their own rugby team.