The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-02-18
ASKS AMERICA
TO TRY RUGBY
New Zealander Says This Country
Would Soon Beat World at
Game.
HER ATHLETES FIT FOR 1T
TO PLAY 1T ONE MUST BE FAST
MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY.

San Francisco. Feb. 17.-E. E. Booth,
one of the star players Of the New
Zealand Rugby football team, 1866.
and an enthusiast Of the game, declares
that if Americans take up the sport
they will surpass the world.
There art many reasons for this"
declared Mr.. Booth. 'In the first place
you have great running men. Your
young college lads are very fast mental
ly and physically, and these are quail
flcatiOnS that count in the sport.
The American is noted the world
over for his speed in running, and this
is great point in his favor should he
adopt the Rugby game.
And California is the place for the
sport The climate is so uniform that
the game could be played the year
round. In New Zealand the game has
made great strides Of late years. There
are $4,000 players affiliated with the
New Zealand Rugby union, and when
you consider that the population is
only 900, 900, you will see the hold the
game has taken on the people OF my
country.
LAS an amateur sport Rugby should
appeal to all Americans. The cost or
maintaining a team is not great, far
less than it takes to run a baseball
team or intercollegiate club.
Not Much Training.
"And to play the game perfectly one
does not have to maintain the strict
training rules OF a gladiator. Office
men can attend to their duties and still
be very skilled men at the sport. The
majority of our best players are thus
employed In fact, the sport is, strict
ly speaking, an amateur sport, and as
q developer of health and spirit I be
lieve the sport has no equal.
Eugene SandOw, the physical Gull
turist, endorses the game as the best
possible means of attaining an all
round physical development. He de-
claTes that 1t brings more muscles into
play than any other form of sport.
From a spectators standpo Mt Rug
by should appeal to the American. 1t
is brimful Of action, a point that Amer
leans will appre ciate, and then there Is
very little chance for injury to players.
THE game does not bang the players
up so that it units them for their reg
Ular occupation.
After a contest all a player requires
is a good bath and a rundown and he
feels perfectly comfortable and after
nights rest he arises fresher for his
duty mentally and physically.
The game IS very popular in Queens
land and New South Wales. In the lat
When England played New Zealand
few years ago more than 100000 per
SONS turned out to see four games The
largest crowd was at Auckland, where
$4,000 were present.
New Zealand Leads All.
THE New Zealand team is perhaps
the best in the world. although they
met with reverSals in Wales
Weather conditions do not interfere
with the game Ii can be played in
rain or on a soggy field.
I'm its tendencies the game is quite
democratic and social distinction has
to give way to merit at play. at least
such is the case in New Zealand
I have great hopes for the game In
America. In New York we played a
game and a fair-sized crowd turned out
to greet US They were very enthusI-
astic.
Il must say that the local crowd
treated us very nicely, and showed aI,-
probation of the fine points of the
game.
I'VE leave tomorrow for home, and
we are very thankful to Californians
for their kind treatment of us, especial
~ the Olympic Athletic club, who were
very KIND to US"