RUGBY FOOTBALL IN ENGLAND.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 5737, 4 November 1905, Page 2

RUGBY FOOTBALL IN ENGLAND.

(To the Editor “N.Z. Times.’') Sir, —Although rather late iu the day. I hope you will allow mo to join with other correspondents in protest against the tone of your sub-leader of the Hill'd hist. In justice to English football, your readers should known exactly how matters stand at Home,

Although botli “True Sport” and “Auti-Sliito” protest against Rugby being considered the national winter game in England, they do not sufficiently emphasise the slight hold that Rnjyy lias in the Old Country, and, vice versa, the strong hold that association has. Because the New Zealand team are romping over the mere handful of Rugby players in England, you ask if football is played there at all, and suggest that the national game should bo “plug-pong” or “marbles”! lou certainly do not know anything football conditions prevailing in England, or you would not be so sarcastic. The Englishman’s national games are Association football and cricket. Do you know that there is compare lively little Rugby played in England ? Tho only parts where any hold are the West and the North. In the West of England the carrying code has hitherto held sway, but is being ousted by soccer, as witnessed by the fact that professional teams have been sucstarted at Bristol (two) and Plymouth (one). A professional team cannot exist without a large following of spectators understanding the points of the game. In tho North of England, the only serious Rugby football is playmi in the Northern Rugby Union, over which tho English Rugby Union has no jurisdiction. (N.B. —A repent cablegram states that tho oolomels are not playing against any of tho Northern Union men). In London, the- Midlands, the East and South tho Rugby game is almost non-existent.. In tho county I hail from, with nearly tho population of New Zealand, there are only two Rugby teams—and very weak at that'. If the New Zealanders played this “ county ” they would gam anothoi “brilliant” victory by 50 —0. There aro many counties where tho conditions aro the same. Even Surrey and ICont, which aro supposed to he able to select strong county fifteens, would each have difficulty in putting half a dozen Rugby teams into the field at the same time.

“ Whittaker’s Almanac ” for 1904 says:—“As regards popularity and big gates, football —at any rate, under the Association code—advanced, by leaps and bounds in 19C3, but Rugby supporters could not have been very satisfied with the game during the past season. Even in South Wales and Devonshire, hitherto devoted to Rugby, there appeal’s to bo an increasing number of both professional and amateur clubs playing the Association game. It is difficult to say.what will be the future of the Rugby game.” Tho same “Almanac ” for 1905 says;—“ The Association code added largely to the number of its votaries. Even in Devon and South Wales the Association game is gradually forcing itself forward, to the detriment of the hitherto universal Rugby code.”

“ Anti-Skite ” is quite right when he says that the reason for the popularity of the Association game in England is that the working man has taken it up. Soccer is tho game of the masses. When tho working man is too old to play himself, lie, as a spectator, _ supports tho best amateur or professional team in his. district. And the number of schoolboys now playing soccer assures the future of tho game. The schoolboys, even, have their county matches. It is the public schools that keep Rugby alive in England; tho public schools that keep such clubs as' Blackheath, Leicester, Moseley, Nomads, Harlequins, etc., going. But even university men and public schoolboys are taking to Association in increasing numbers. I do not think I am making a rash statement when I say that out of every one hundred footballers in England, ninety-nine play the Association game.

“Lloyd’s” newspaper every week in the football season gives results of the principal matches played in England. The matches reported on Starch sth last were—273 .Association and 22 Rugby; on March 19th, 263 and 17 respectively ; March 2Gth, 255 and 32: or a total on tliree Saturdays only of 791 Association matches and 71 Rugby matches. The disproportion is oven greater than these figures would suggest, because there are so many Association matches played that no paper could give the space to report them. Gates of 30,000 and 40,000 are quite common in soccer matches, the record being 112,000. With tho exception of in the Northern Union, an important Rugby game only attracts a few thousands, a gate of 10,000 being a rarity. _ The above tends to bear out my assertion that the national winter game of Englishmen is—not Rugby, not “ marbles ” or “ pingrong ” —but Association football. And they play it well, too! If the Association code continues to increase as it has done during the last three or four years, the little Rugby now played in England is doomed to extinction. And I make so bold as to say that New Zealand’s national game will be soccer before many years are out. There are indications even now. The English working man evidently considers it the best game. Association is also very strong in Scotland (Scotchmen . considering it their national game), bat it is not so much played in Wales and Ireland.—l am, etc., ™ , . HOTSPUR. Blenheim, October 30th. [Judging by the immense amount of English newspaper criticism and the huge crowds that everywhere watch the i New Zealand team play, some little interest is still maintained in England even in Rugby football I—Ed. “N.Z. Times.”]