SHORTS AND SOCKS.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 165, 13 July 1921, Page 7

SHORTS AND SOCKS.

i ■ — ■—■■—» | GIRX FOOTBALLERS. A CLUB FORMED. FIRST GAME ON SATURDAY. With banners flying two teams from the pioneer ladies' League football club of the Dominion—Parnell —will travel on Saturday afternoon next from the j Methodist Hall, Parnell, by motor bus Ito Cariaw Park where they will meet in j the curtain Taiser to the big fixture. The two combinations, comprising j footballers of ages ranging from 116 years to 20 years, will take the field iin "black and white jcrspys and decide the issue in two quarters under the team names of "'Parnell Pioneers" and the "Parnell Rivals." These arrangements were come to in a back room of a hall in Parnell last evening. No fewer than forty girls vied strenuously with each other to be first to Bign up as members. There was much babbling of tongues during the evening and the more excitable of the female section gradually raised themselves to points of vantage on the stools, until, at the end of the meeting, they were all up aloft. Mr. A. R. Turner, of the Parnell Club, gave the girls plenty of latitude, and at times it appeared as if a little too much freedom was allowed them. Uoweyer, the meeting progressed, .j the girls combined, settling each issue j from their own point of view. A sugI gestion from the chairman that they ! might play two 20-minute spells on Sat- | urday brought forth tiie reply that they | would get fagged out. Two quarters ! would be sufficient. A young lady who | figured prominently in the middle of the I - 'ruck" practically led the girls, and I after it had heen decided to don the black-and-white jersey she caused much laughter by suggesting that they should be sent along in advance, so that they might .judge of their appearance before facing the big crowds at Cariaw Park on Saturday. The girls said they would surely play in shorts and socks, and appear in the same attire as their male colleagues. During the course of the meeting, the chairman and several j League officials expounded the aims and objects of the meeting, the former saying that the desire was to develop the girls as well as the men, and to this end the club was being formed at the suggestion of both girls and men. A silver shield, similar to the Monteith . Shield competed for by the men, had been donated, and members of the Auckland League Management Committee had donated a football, and were providing assistance in supplying jerseys. A set of caps had also been donated to the winners of the match on Saturday. Mr. Ivan Culpan explained that tho League wished to provide instruction every evening this week, so that the girls would make* a good showing in their initial effort. Four matrons in charge—Mrs. E. McDowell, Mrs. G. W. Green, Mrs. E, Scbulze, and Mrs. Tate—were appointed to supervise the girls. The election of club officers was left until this evening. The meeting concluded witli demonstrations of play on a model field. Every night this week League officers will coach the girls. MEDICAL OPINIONS. STRONGLY AGAINST GIRLS PLAYING RUGBY. The question whether Rugby football is a suitable or desirable game for girls to participate in, prompted by the formation of a girls' Rugby team in Wellington and by a suggestion for the formation of a team in Christchurch, was asked of several Christchurch medical men by a "Star" reporter. In every case the answer was "No." Among medical men there is a strong opinion that if girls take up Uugby football, even moderately, it will prove prejudicial to their future health. Several of tho doctors, while being strongly opposed to the girls playing Rugby, view "soccer" with less disfavour, although they all stated that they could not honestly recommend any girl to take up even the latter game. When the question was put to Dr. W. 11. Simpson, he answered with an emphatic "No." "Football for girls," he added, ''would prove deleterious from both tbe physical and temperamental standpoint. Women were not intended to take part in such a rough, if manly, game as football; they are not built for it, and only a certain type are likely to be attracted by the idea. Running is good for women, and so is plenty of healthy outdoor exercise, but I must draw tbe line at football. The scrum work and the tackling alone are too dangerous for women, and howjver much they attempt to modify the game, there will always remain a great deal of risk." Dr. Simpson explained th.it the element of risk was caused by tbe liability of women to falls. Their bones were softer than men's bones, they were | fatter and less muscular, and not as stable on their feet as men, thus rendering them very susceptible to risk. If a man suffered injury on the football fieTd be recovered quickly, but this would not be so with women. The injuries they might got would in many cases have a most harmful effect not only at the time, but in later years. It was against the interests of their health for women to indulge in such a dangerous recreation. i A somewhat similar opinion was exj pressed by Dr. Whetter, who ciiarac- ' tensed as ridiculous any suggestion that i girls should play Rugby football. "I certainly cannot countenance football as I a game for jiirls under any conditions." ■ added Dr. Whetter. "They are simply not built for playing football. Let them | play games where there is no tackling lor scrum work, and no danger of heavy ! falls. But the very last game they i should play is Rugby football." j "There are a lot of daring girls who . probably look upon Rugby football as a | sort of adventure, and "that probably , accounts for their desire to take it up lin Christchurch." I)r. Orchard said he did not have any very strong objections to soccer, because with it there was not the same, risk of bodily injury, hut at i the same time he did not like the idea jof girls playing football. Anatomically I they would be taking a risk which was j not justified, and would be liable to feel ! tiie bad effects in later years. Girls had smaller bones and were more fragile. Thus they ran the risk of broken bones, | sprained ankles, and, more serious still, ■ the danger of internal injury. Medical opinion must be all ajrainst the participation of girls in Rugby football. I ' — —~*