WONDERFUL FINANCES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 7 August 1928, Page 5

WONDERFUL FINANCES

. OF RUGBY FOOTBALL IN ENGLAND '■• •■■ - •» (From Our Own Correspondent) ' LONDON. 28th June. Soon after Twickenham ground was built I remember an old international shaking his head and declaring that we should regret the day when accommodation was provided for the public to witness matches in their tens of thousands. "Rugger" he said "is not a game to watch. It is a game to play, and if it should be exploited for gate drawing purposes it w>'l be the end as we know it."

In the meantime Twickenham has been enlarged and is still not big enough to hold all the people who would go to see the international games. Every match played there produces thousands of pounds* But as yet there are no harmful signs. Happily, the spectators are drawn from the class which provides the players and in the main they view the plav in the right spirit. _ As a commercial proposition Twickenham has been a wonderful success. Through it the Rugby Union have grown rich at an amazing pace. To-day their assets are estimated at £120,000. One had thought the Football Association to be the wealthiest sports body in the country, but they have only assets of £95,000* When the full capacity of the ground is occupied"', the takings amount to between £12,000 and £13,000. The match with Scotland produced £12.732 and that with New South Wales £12,138. Of the latter sum the Rugbv Union took half. Altogether the big match account last season "produced £31,000 and after expenses had been deducted there was a balance of £22,000. About £IOO,OOO is sunk in Twickenham. But though the Union have grown rich so rapidlv they have not hoarded the money. They have put it to splendid use in assisting their clubs. During the past season they made loans amounting to over £9.000 to help to buy grounds which would otherwise have passed into the hands .of the builder. The new president of the Union is the old player, Vincent Henry Cartwright. Educated at Rugby ho played in the school fifteen in 1W <•»" was captain two seasons later. One of the players under him was A. D. Stoop, the old Harlequin captain, who is also a member of the Union. Cartwright went up to Oxford in 1901 and received his Blue as a freshman. He played in four matches against Cambridge, bein* capfain in 1903. Whilst captain of the Dark Blues he nlnvod for England and altogether took part in fourteen international games. For some years he represented Oxford University on the I Union, but when South Africa were | given a seat on the committee he looked after their interests.