THE FOOTBALL CODES.

Evening Star, Issue 22987, 18 June 1938, Page 16

THE FOOTBALL CODES.

When that .youthful outlaw;, William Webb Ellis, of Rugby School, caught a football in his arms and ran with it, thus originating one of the distinctive features of the llugby game, he could have had little idea that his action was destined to furnish posterity, or at least a fair proportion thereof, with a grand and exhilarating pastime. His immature imagination could not have visualised the growth in the outposts of Empire of mighty All Blacks and still mightier Springboks. Maybe if the lad could* have foreseen that some day that most loyal of dominions, New Zealand, would regard loss of the rubber in a test series as a national disaster he might have dropped the ball quickly to his toe again and played in accordance with the rulings laid down at the time. In many ways the introduction of the llugby code has caused quite a peck of serious trouble perhaps, but yet trouble. Our experience in New Zealand, at any rate, is that the original football game, Association, is regarded by many people as an athletic interloper, to be tolerated only if it is willing to remain in the background and not interfere with the “national ” code by absorbing too much promising material, thus retarding the development of All Black conquerors. Actually no cause for worry exists. Time has proved that there is room even in this small dominion for the two codes. From very early days there have been two distinct camps among football players—those who prefer to use only their feet and those who wish to use both hands and feet. The explanation of this nobody seems to know, and it does not seem as if a search for one is really vital.

For the reason that no measures of a dictatorial nature are justified in formulating the athletic careers of our youths, it is astonishing to learn that Mr W. A. Armour, head master of Wellington College, has replied in the tersest and most dogmatic of terms to a letter of the Management Committee of the Wellington Football Association offering to discuss with him the question of obtaining for the college a suitable ground for Association football and the possibility of the introduction of the game into the college. Mr Armour’s views can be summed up in his declaration: “ I have not the slightest desire to see Association introduced into this school, and shall use all the influence I have to prevent its introduction.” With regard to the game in the secondary schools, an important point made by the Association officials was that many boys, for reasons which, as we have already intimated, do not ,call for “ please explains,” find that Association has for them the greater attraction. There is no case for decrees from masters as to what they should play in their leisure moments. Furthermore, it is only right that provision should be made in secondary schools for lads who have acquired an affection for “ Soccer ” while attending a primary school. Both codes are played at most of the big schools and universities in the Home Country, and, though Rugby predominates in New Zealand, the Association code is not without its local adherents. As Mr Armour should know. Association has been played by boys of the Otago High School for a great number of years; nevertheless the contribution, of this school to New Zealand Rugby' strength is a matter for pride and gratification. Probably the same conditions apply in many other important secondary schools of the Dominion. Wellington College can gain but little in standing aloof, with the aid of illogical encouragement to do so from its head master.