RUGBY NATIONAL GAME.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 29 June 1938, Page 7

RUGBY NATIONAL GAME.

BlOYiii DON’T WANT SOCCER. HXPEEIENCE AT WELLINGTON COLLEGE (By Telegraph—Press Association), WELLINGTON, Last Night. Eeasons for his action in declining to receive a deputation from the Wellington Football Association to discuss the proposed introduction of soccer into Wellington College were contained in a ■letter from the headmaster., Mr. W. A Armour, read at to-day’s meeting of the College Board. After a long discussion the board decided to receive the letter and take no other action. On April 30, just after the cricket season ended, wrote Mr. Armour, he had collected information supplied by the pupils about the games they intended to play during the winter season, the total roll at that time being 678. No games “were compulsory as they were played after ordinary school hours. The return indicated the following: Playing Rugby at the college, 342; playing hockey at the college, 90; playing games or participating in sport activities such as hockey, golf or harriers with outside clubs, 47; playing association football with outside clubs, 8; non-players, 191. At first sight, added Mr. Armour, 191 seemed to be an alarmingly large number of pupils not playing a winter game, but in large school there was always n considerable number of boys with weak eyesight or with ailments of various kinds preventing participation in games, and some who suffered from general debility. It was to be regretted that 55 pupils had no adequate reason for not playing games and appeared to be. quite indifferent to the opportunity afforded tnem. "Now $s there has been undue publicity in the press regarding the omission at Wellington College of the game of association football,” Mr. Armour continued, “the board may be interested to have information on the matter. The national winter game is undoubtedly Rugby football and the game which the great majority of the boys desire to play. I believe that one football game is sufficient to foster in the school but gradually in the last two years or so we have been developing play in hockey, making provision for ■some 90, boys. “It is not generally understood how many masters are required for or how much time they devote to the supervision of gatnes. We can hardly cover all our Rugby football teams by supervision, and it is evident from the return furnished that very few boys in the school play soccer and very few indeed -desire to play the game. I have never j&t any time decried soccer as a game. It. is quite a good game demanding skill and giving splendid exercise. “The matter for real concern is to ..see what can be done about those who for no reason play no games at all and bore is a problem requiring consideration.”' “This is quite outside the jurisdiction of the board,” said the chairman, Mr. L. McKenzie, “It is a matter of internal management and purely one for the headmaster and masters.”

CANTERBURY association TO MAKE INQUIRIES. MATTER FOR NATIONAL COUNCIL OF SPORT. CHRIST CHURCH, Last Night. ■ Inquiries about the participation -of schoolboys in association football in the .{South Island are to be made by the Football Association. This .decision was reached at a meeting ot ■>the management committee of the association after the president (Mr. J. E. jones) had referred to the interest taken in the code by some of the secondary schools in the North Island. The first suggestion made after Mr. Jones had concluded his remarks was that the headmaster of Christchurch Boys’ High School (Mr. G. J. Lancaster) should be asked to define his attitude towards the introduction of the •code as a school sport. Mr. F. T. H. Bell remarked that the association knew Mr. Lancaster’s atti-

tudc, “but it would be nice if be would j i come', into the open and state his rea- ; jsbns;.for'his attitude. ’ ’ said that’if the National Sport was to operate proper- ' dy it would have to shift the obstacles , preventing the introduction of association football into schools. At present, headmasters had Sole control in deciding whether a sport should be played .and /that position, he said, could not •even be altered by the Government. To his mind that was most astounding. Government interference was quite proper, he thought, if it was in the interests of the public. When the people fully realised the position the force of public opinion would be so strong that there would be a change. The committee decided to ask other associations in the South Island for information about the number of schools in which association football was y