GREAT RUGBY CROWD

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 73, Issue 95, 23 April 1930, Page 6

GREAT RUGBY CROWD

TWENTY THOUSAND WOMEN. AMAZING RUSH AT TWICKENHAM Twenty thousand women at a Rugby international match at Twickenham! Who a few years ago could have pictured at this famous enclosure a 60,000 crowd, no Jess than a third of which consisted of women Rugger “fans”? asks an English writer. Such was the amazing evidence one saw at Twickenham on February 22 wheu England beat France by 11 points t 0 s— o f the keen interest the woman of to-day takes in sport. There was one important bit of France missing. The great question of the hour, apart from the result of the match, was what the French team had done with the little barrels of red wine which they had brought over with them.

They had been photograped with them suspended lovingly from their necks, they had hugged them closely on their way to their hotel at Richmond as if they had been in prohibitionist America. And now the little barrels, decorated with tricolour ribbon, were missing. The crowd was disappointed. “Where’s that vin rouge?” shouted a Cockney voice as a new contingent of Frenchmen, four abreast, marched up to the turnstiles. The Frenchmen grinned. “They’re saving it to drown their sorrows after tho match,” shouted another Cockney with his cap festooned with the English colours. The Frenchmen grinned again. “Papa” Cadanet, the manager of the French team, disclosed the dark secret.

“Tho wine is under tho charge of the manager of our hotel in Rich-

mond,” he said. “After the match, we go drinking, perhaps.” It was amazing where the crowd camo from. Some enthusiasts were queueing up outside the gates as early as 7 a.m. By 12 o’clock, three hours before the match was duo to start, the roads were chock ablock with men, women, and children.

Every special train debouched fresh thousands to swell the great army which converged on Twickenham from all parts of tho country. And woven into tho mosiac of the crowd like a gay pattern were tho bobbing berets and tricolour rosettes and flags of the French followers. There was hardly a Frenchman or Frenchwoman who did not sport a tricolour. Even'the trains were decorated with tricolour flags. It was a friendly hilarious invasion. A Frenchman was seen to rush up to an Englishman, embrace him, and kiss him warmly on both chocks. They had met in Franco during the war. It was a great day for the London girls. They could not take their eyes off the pretty Parisicnnes, with their carmine lips, high heeled’ shoes, and smart frocks.