FOOTBALL

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19871, 20 June 1927, Page 8

FOOTBALL

THE RUGBY CODE EVOLUTION OF THE GAME. FROM ODIUM TO ESTEEM. “Nothyng but beastcly fury,” was how a sixteenth century writer described the football of his time; “The best of all games” is what hundreds of thousands of people would say of either Rugby or Association football to-day. The story of the evolution of football from a pastime deservedly in bad repute into the two most popular winter sports is remarkable in many ways, and although in this article it is the development of Rugby football from the old-time game that is dealt with, that docs not mean that the rise of Association football is loss interesting. The origin of football is lost in the mists of antiquity; all that we know is that pastimes bearing some relation to the modern game were in existence in ancient times amongst such peoples as the Greeks and the Romans. Even regarding the beginnings of football in Britain more than one theory has been advanced, but as no written reference is known to have been made to football in Britain before the twelfth century, its previous history in this country must be regarded as largely synonymous with tradition. The popular view is that football was introduced into Britain by the Roman legions, who are held to have been familiar with a pastime resembling the modern Association game. On the other hand, it has been asserted, that a variety of football has been played in Ireland for more than 2000 years. That opinion is, however, more prevalent in Ireland than anywhere else. Shrove Tuesday Football,

About the year 1175 William Fitzstephen, in his “History of London,” mentions th’e young men of the city going into the fields after dinner on Shrove Tuesday to play at the wellknown game of ball. The question of how the game became identified with Shrove Tuesday has never been satisfactorily answered, but that date in early times marked the football festival of the year. People of both sexes and of all ages appear to have participated in Shrove Tuesday football, which lingered on until about 1830 in spite of all the odium which attached to it. When it is considered that many accidents, some of them fatal, occurred, and that considerable damage was done to property ■m connection with Shrove Tuesday football, it is somewhat surprising that football has survived. Every football must assuredly have been no game for weaklings, and because of the almost riotous behaviour of the players it w r as not looked upon with favour by the authorities. As far as can be ascertained, the game was tolerated until 1314, when it was banned by Edward IT. because of “the great noise in the city caused by hustling over large balls.” Apart from the violent, and even brutal, nature of the football of those days, the claims of archery caused laws to be passed prohibiting the game. In the reigns of Edward HI, and Richard 11. football was referred to as one of the pastimes to be forbidden on account of the decadence of archery. Laws against football were also passed by Henry VIII. and Elizabeth.

Glimpses of the savagcncss of sixteenth century football are given by reliable writers. In his “Boko named the Governour,” Sir Thomas Elyo’t dismisses the game as being “nothing but beastcly fury and extreme violence, whereof proecedeth hurte and consequent rancour and malice do remayne with thym that be wounded, wherefore it is to be put in perpetual silence.” “Rancour and Malice.” Another picturesque illustration is given towards the end of the sixteenth century in Stubbes’ “Anatomic of Abuses,” which characterises football as a “devclishe pastime . . , and hereof groweth envy, rancour, and malice, and sometimes brawling, murther, homicide, and great effusion of* blood, -as experience daily tcacheth. ” While in the time of Charles 11. football was popular at Cambridge and other educational institutions, generally speaking the game was confined to the lower classes until the nineteenth century. With neither clubs nor rules, the object of the game remained that of forcing the ball through the opposing team’s goal by fair moans or foul.

The next step in the evolution of football was the development at different schools of various forms of the primitive game. At those schools some form of rude, boisterous play with a ball became moulded into a distinct game with certain rules. Such a game evolved at Rugby School, and from football governed by Rugby School rules arose the Rugby football of today. A reason for the game playfed at Rugby School becoming more popular than those at, for instance, Eton, Harrow. or Winchester was the reputation of Rugby School under Dr Thomas Arnold, the father of Matthew Arnold Dr Arthur’s influence as headmaster of Rugby from 1828 to 1842 was such as to give that institution a supreme place amongst English public schools. Tackling and Throwing. Special types of football were played at various schools, the nature of these games being determined by the characteristics of individual grounds. At Rugby School, which had a large grass field for football, the charging, tackling, and throwing associated with football when adopted by the schools were retained. Even intentional kicking of an opponent’s legs was not abolished at Rugby until 1877. About the middle of last century, football, up til] that time a recognised game only amongst schoolboys, was established as a sport for men. Having played the game as schoolboys, and desiring to continue playing their favourite sport, men instituted clubs after leaving school, and others joined them. At first rules were few and sketchy, but a number of clubs when formed adopted the code governing football at Rugby School. The senior club of the London district, Blackheath, was formed in 1860, and before that date football had taken root in Scotland. Previous to 1870 Rugby football clubs had been established in Lancashire, Yorkshire, Ireland, South Wales, and at the Universities- of Oxford and Cambridge Twenty years later Rugby and Association football were the premier winter recreations in the country. An essential step for the well-being of Rugby football was taken in 1871*1 when the English Rugby Union resulted in real, definite rules being ‘

drawn up for the first time. Two years later the Scottish Union was founded i in Edinburgh, the original members being Edinburgh Academicals, Glasgow Academicals, West of Scotland, Royal High School F.P., Merchistonians, and Edinburgh University. In the same year St. Andrews University, Glasgow University, and Wanderers joined the Union. Governors of the Game. Unions not completely representative of their countries were superseded by j the formation of national Unions in Wales and Ireland in JBBO and JBBl respectively. The English code of rules was adopted by the other Unions, amendments being made afterwards, and these bodies became the governors of Rugby football in their respective countries. The first international Rugby match was played in Edinburgh in JB7l between England and Scotland, and since that time the playing of international games has been one of the most important causes of the interest taken in the game. The main section of the English Union resolutely opposed the growth of professionalism in any shape or form, and in 1895 a number of Yorkshire and Lancashire clubs broke away from the English Union and founded the Northern Union (now Rugby League), which, countenancing professionalism, has grown into the foremost Rugby organisation in the North ot England. Many prominent Welsh players have embraced professionalism by signing on for clubs in Yorkshire and Lancashire, while the Scottish Borders have not been immune from raids by agents of professional clubs. Rugby Abroad. Before the cleavage in English Rugby took place the game’s influence had extended beyond the seas, and an interchange of visits between the Dominions and the Motherland was inaugurated in .1888, when an English side toured Australia and New eZaland. Since then | professional Rugby has obtained a hold in Australia and New Zealand. InterEmpire Rugby relations were further broadened by a British team undertaking a visit to South Africa in JB9l. Those who held decided views about the Rugby supremacy of Britain over the Dominions received a rude awakening when New Zealand’s most famous touring team came to Britain in 1905 and routed all opposition from England. Scotland, and Ireland. The tourists had only one defeat registered against them I in 33 matches, Wales beating them in ; a historic game by .a try. France in turn took up Rugby football, and if Frenchmen did not enter | the international lists until 1906, the I energy and enthusiasm displayed by them soon earned respect, and France’s first international victory was gained in 1911. At present Rugby football is helping to link the Empire together in the friendly rivalry of sport, moulding character, and spreading the doctrine of physical fitness. It has a notable past, and in the light of obstacles surmounted its future may be regarded without misgiving.—R. Y.