The San Francisco call., 1906-10-21
Sports
HAS RUGBY COME
TO STAY?" Is
QUESTION.
By ssPete'' Smith.

10 stay, ano Will il eventually take the
place OF the old intercollegiate foot
ball game on the Pacific Coast among
the colleges and high schools2" This
question Is asked g hundred times a
day n football circles, and il is. in
deed, q hard one TO answer Time
alone can solve the problem but this
does not prevent people from forming
their own opinions on the matter The
question has been asked me every day
since the Rugby game was adopted at
lie University OF California and Stan
lord am free to confess that in
the last ten days nay opinion on the
question has undergone some changes.
Just previous TO the freshman game, If
asked the question, 1 probably would
have said that I did not think the
Rugby game would be q success in
the two large California universities.
Tor more reasons than one In the
hrst place I didn't think that the foot
ball players themselves would take
very kindly TO the game, and the
chances are that even now they
would rather play the old game. but
as long as they cart have the style
OF game they want, they seem 70 be
taking q hold Of Rugby and gradually
working up considerable interest in the
game at both colleges. Again. it did
not look as though the fans and gen
ere1 public would become interested
enough in the new style to pay the
high prices for seats at the intercol-
legtate match on November 10. This
seemed the greatest difficulty to over
come for the reason that the universi-
lies have both counted on their foot
bail receipts during the season to Off
stand the Indebtedness Of the baseball
season, the running team, the track
team. tie Glee Club. and. in fact, every
branch OF sport in the college. Foot
hail Of al se
only one self-supporting, and If by
the change in the game they shut of
this revenue, what would have become
OF college athletics2 However, since
the freshman game lhings look differ
ent.
PUBLIC INTERESTED.
That game demonstrated that there
is very little doubt that the football
enthusiasts and the public will not
only go TO see the big game. but will
become quite interested in and enjoy
Il. The game between the two baby
teams OF the rival universities showed
that there are great possibilities in the
game and that the spectators can en-
thuse over il quite as much as they
could in the old game. OF course there
Is not the same intense and nerve
racking enthusiasm that there was in
the old game. when team had & GER
tain distance to gain. but there GER
taInly is enough in the game TO keep
the best OF them Jumping to their feet
and cheering for good long runs or
kicks.
II certainly is q splendid, exciting
game when well played by expert
enced teams. and is game that keeps
you guessing Al the time, for you
never know what is going to be pulled
on next. II game played by two
freshmen teams, who had taken up the
-
tley were called upon to play, could
hold a crowd OF enthusiasts who were
Witnessing the game for the first time
and cause them TO cheer as they did in
the old game, what would two expert
enced teams with fine team work DO to
the same crowd2
The coaches deserve a great deal OF
credit for the knowledge of the game
they drilled into the freshmen teams in
few short weeks of practice. They
certainly did remarkably well to take
raw material, and bunch of young
sters at that, and have them play as
good q game as the last weeks fresh
man game resulted in. Now that the
freshman game has gone down into
ancient history and the coaches no
longer have 10 devote their time to
the youngsters, but can simply put in
all their time on the varsity SQUAD
they should accomplish a great deal
in the next three weeks The men
have by this time mastered the first
principles OF the game. and il now
remains with the coaches to whip these
men into shape and develop their team
work The big game undoubtedly will
prove a very interesting game, anc.
one in which the team work should be
z feature.
GREATEST DRAWBACK.
The greatest drawback to the ad-
vsncement OF the game in the uni
versities is in the fact that the high
schools have not adopted it This the
authorities OF the two universities
seem TO realize, for they have done
everything in their power to have the
game introduced IN the preparatory
schools. II they could succeed in
their endesvors in this line the sue
cess OF the Rugby game would be as
sured. With the high schools through
out the State and coast playing the
game the work of the coaches at the
colleges would be .nuch easier and
better teams and team work would re-
suit. The boys would understand the
game and be individual players before
entering college, and the coaches
could then devote nearly all Of their
time 70 developing their team work
which is the most essential part OF
the game.
It is when the backs are ali working
together and making long passes from
one TO the other as they sweep up the
field that the crowd becomes wild with
enthusiasm, and this is only possible
with perfect team work IT may be
chat the high schools may be persuad-
ed to give the game q trial next sea-
son, and it is to be hoped that they
will DO so II the universities still con-
tinue to play Rugby
COACHES HARD TASK.
The coaches this season have had to
take a bunch Of men who did not care
particularly to play the game at first
and teach them the game from the
very start. There was not more than
one man on each team that had ever
seen the game before. much less
played IT, Then they had TO break
~ the old players Of the habits they
Asd formed IN the intercollegiate style
OF game which would not DO in the
Rugby. After this they had 10 teach
them the principles of the English
game, and now. last but not least, they
have 10 develop these men into a team
that viii move and act as one
II is TO be hoped for the sake of the
spectators that the teams viii be able
to develop a good game at drtbbIing,