meaning of rubber match
Rubber: Sense of deciding match in a game or contest is 1590s, of unknown signification, and perhaps an entirely separate word. (from Etymonline) . I guess that on the origin of the usage of the term 'rubber' in sports there are only speculations available. The sporting term rubber match refers to the final and deciding game in any series and traces its origins back to the 16th century English game of lawn bowling.