The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-11-19

it is put into action by the feet. A
runner who has the ball holds it in
front of him and is always prepared to
pass it. Tackling is hard on any player
but rarely results in an injury. Occa
sionally a bone is broken but mere
broken bone is one of the simplest
things to mend and something that
comes to every active youth, whose
bones are at all brittle, many times
before he reaches the age of golf and
dumbells.
Being an Englishman and having
played the game all my life, I admit
a very natural prejudice in favor of
Rugby. But I really believe that this
prejudice is justified and quite apart
from any personal view of the matter,
it must be admitted that the Rugby
game has taken great hold on the
Coast and is being played there almost
exclusively.
Nescient scribblers of both sexes
and their contributions to an afternoon
paper, Notwithstanding, it is my belief
and that of several old-time> Rugby
players that the material we have on
the islands is simply great for Rugby.
Men like Andrews, Charlie Lyman, Bill
Desha, Austin White and a dozen 9TH
ers would make magnificent Rugby
players and I really believe that they
would like it when they once tried it.
The game gives so much more individ-
ual opportunity. Take for instance
the wonderful drop-kiek of Henry
Chillingworth last Saturday. In a
Rugby game he would have a dozen
chances for such play and he would
not have to rely on signal from his
captain or quarterback.
Individual headwork is a necessity
in the Rugby game, far more so than
in the intercollegiate method of play.
A man must know exactly where he is
and keep an eye on his own players
so that he can pass or dodge as seems
best to him. Forwards have an equal
chance with the backs for good play
ing When the ball is on the ground
concerted dribbling rush by fast for
wards is almost invincible and a pass
ing rush by forwards backed up by
the three quarters is something to
watch and to wonder at.
Among the many people who have
had experience in football who have
talked to me on the subject, L think
the one who gave me the most Apo
site opinion was H. C. Waldron. He
is a Britisher and served through the
Boer war as an officer in mounted
regiment. He said: "Like you, be
lieve that Rugby is solution of the
football difficulty. Not for second
do / condemn the intercollegiate game
but I do think that it offers too many
opportunities for dirty work 1t does
not matter what the nationality of the
players, in two teams you viii nearly
always find somebody who, under the
excitement of the play, has recourse
to mean work of some kind. There
are too many opportunities for that in
the intercollegiate game, in my opin-
ion
II believe that football is not only
a great game but real necessity. In
war and in business, the man who has
had a good training in Rugby has the
advantage He has learned to keep
his head under trying and exciting
circumstances; he has learned to take
immediate advantage of an opening;
le has learned to take care of himself
md, above all, he has learned to be a
portsman and not to take an unfair
vantage. This is true of any kind
f football but I honestly think it to
re more 50 with the Rugby game than
my other
There are at least two dozen promi-
lent citizens of this town who have
made reference to me Of the splendid
peed and taekling shown by the Puma
-ous and High scholars last Saturday. |
lost of them spoke of these as being
Of good Rugby material
The question comes to this. Two |
'arties in this town are warning over
game, third party boosts another
anne that they claim is solution Of .
he difficulty. What is the matter
nth the two factions getting together
nd comforting with the third? There I
; no doubt that we can have a
'ugby team here that can beat the
cast colleges. That alone should
lake the adoption Of the game worth
lille.