Los Angeles herald., 1906-09-23
HIGH SCHOOLS
WANT FOOTBALL
RUGBY GAME D0WNED BY A
VOTE OF 7-2
Pasadena High School and Throop
Polytechnic Institute Are Anx-
ious to Place English Sport
to the Front

Az conference of the Southern Call
fornia high schools, called yesterday at
the Polytechnic to decide whether Rug
b,, or fbe revised Intercollegiate game
of football should be played this sea
son. Il was found that most OF tne
schools advocated the revised INTERIOR
legiate rules. so. h,,
The meeting was called 10 oruer 10y
Mr. Robert A. Tompson, q late halt-
back of the stanford University team
and member of the Polytechnic faculty,
Mr. Tompson was unanimously elected
chairman of the meeting, and Mr..
Hamilton of the Harvard school secre-
tary. The following schools were rep
resented by delegates:
Polytechnic high school, Los Angeles
high school, Harvard school, Throop
Polytechnic institute, Pasadena high
school. Pomona college and Compton
high school.
Among some of the prominent MEM
bers present were Mr.. Holms of the
University of Southern California who
has had several years experience in
coaching football squads, and DIR. Hud-
dleston of Pasadena, who has had
vast experience in the Rugby game In
England
Mr. Tompson opened the meeting by
reading two letters. one from President
and one from Mr. Frank Angel and
Dr. Jordan of the University of Stan,
ford. These letters gave the principal
reasons why the state universities have
adopted Rugby as their future game,
and as they expected many Southern
California men for their future teams,
strongly advocated the adoption of
Rugby in the Southern California high
schools.
la, hot fI,o = ,fa ne
Rugby were that 1t allowed all the
players to take an active part in the
game, which does not confine them to
any one position. That it does not re-
quire so much training to fit the player
for his work as in the intercollegiate
game. That the referee has full charge
of the game and the captain is The only
man Of the team who can bring any
argument before him, thereby saving
much dispute. And, lastly, that as it Is
now being played by the state univer-
stiles and in every quarter of the globe
its popularity should induce Southern
California schools to try it.
On the other hand the supporters of
the revised intercollegiate rules claimed
that Rugby being new game to this
country made it impossible to find
coaches to teach it, and that as associ-
alton football was gaining much favor
over Rugby III England, IL was reared
it would become the more popular
game, so that if Rugby was adopted it
might necessitate another change in
few years.
Principal Francis of the Polytechnic
high school, however, claimed that the
new rules for the intercollegiate game
of football so entirely changed the
game that it will become as hard to
find coaches to teach it as Rugby Dr.
Huddleston announced that the only
man in Southern California capable of
coaching for Rugby was the Los Ange-
les ericketer, Mr.. Pat Higgans, and as
the Polytechnic high school had sue
ceeded in securing his services this
had the effect of knocking Rugby out,
as the Other schools claimed they had
no chance against such a rival.
A ballot was taken, however. which
resulted as follows: Those in favor of
the revised intercollegiate game were:
Harvard, Compton, Throop. Pomona,
Los Angeles high and Pasadena. Poly
technic voted for Rugby, and Pasadena
and Throoo Polytechnic institute will
try to put out Rugby teams if possible
this season.