IS THIS SPORT?

NZ Truth, Issue 913, 26 May 1923, Page 8

IS THIS SPORT?

Reinstated Rugby Men Threatened. A Query for Certain League Players. League football has not taken on well m .Wellington, very largely/ on account . of : . the fact that the League has been unable to persuade the City Council that it requires quite, a few more- grouhds each Saturday; and latterly ; there has been a tendency for League -.men to drop out of the 'game they took up so enthusiastically a winter or':- two or three ago and go back .to Father Rugby. In fact, there has ."bee'ti'Y more than a tendency, andmany applications have been received by the Rugby Union from Leagueites anxious for reinstatement m the purely amateur game.; A player desiring reinstatement is required to give his reasons for wanting to get back to Rugby, and a glance v at the applications as they come to hand, shows that almost to a man ex-' Rugby players advance the reason that "Rugby is the better game." That may be a purely politic reason advanced- with the purpose of tickling the fancy of the Union officials.. Any-*j how, it is the explanation most often ! given, i . .. : League players who are not reverting to Rugby are generally very far from pleased with those who have and some of them have made it far too hot, so hot that it is, quite on the cards, that further steps may be taken to pull them up m a manner that will cause considerable astonishment. If the League game is being licked by Rugby, then League men SHOULD TAKE THEIR LICKING and not get down to tactics only to be described as dirty, arid very dirty at that... At the same time it must be said -that League has not had a , fair deal m the matter of grounds. Among, the reinstated Rugby men this season are two players who have joined up with a suburban team, and a couple of Saturdays ago they were given, the very, straight tip as to what would be coining to them unless they kept clear, of one or two absurdly jealous League men- with whom they had previously played as team mate 3. After the games on that particular Saturday there was a refresher gathering Un an hotel nearby, Rugby, League and other players meeting m the place where -folk most do cdngrer gate m ; licensed houses. It was not long before" trouble started, , words and warmi' pries; .and those who were not immediately interested m getting into trouble got outV while the going was good, ' taking themselves to another room, • r . . But one of the ex-League men followed them there, and he was m a hurry. > From what he said the others gathered ■ that he had good enough reason to believe that if he stayed m — the bar, we may as well say so — more than words would have been his part. . Further, he . said that the expressed intention' of some of the League men was > 4 TO WAIT FOR HIM outside the door and deal with his case there. He and the others considered discretion 60 per cent, more valuable than valor under the circumstances and left by another exit. In another case an ex-League man was -greeted- after a game m the suburbs hy a bunch of League rden who "did the friendly" and one of them offered to carry his togs and bag. He handed them over, and at that moment one of his "friends" let drive and knocked him dow-n. From what was said on that occasion, and from what reached this player's ears subsequently, ho Judged it wise for some time afterwards to be. mightily careful how he moved about of evenings, lest kindly disposed friends should deal with him again. Individual sports he did not trouble over greatly, being quite capable of looking after himself when the odds are reasonable, but a gang is a different proposition. Is -that sport? "Truth" does not suggest that the League control would sanction this dirty business for one moment. That would be an absurd Insinuation, • but we <k> suggest that il is time inquiries were made and the offenders dealt with m right drastic fashion. A little publicity m a police court would do a world of good.