The San Francisco call., 1909-08-08
Practice begins at Stanford September 4.

Practice begins at Stanford September 4.
Although no games are scheduled
until the first week in September, the
Rugby season virtually opens this
week. Prospects for the most success
ful and strenuous Rugby season ever
undertaken are extremely bright.
Never before has the season opened
so early and never at such an early
date have so many games been sched-
uied. The schedule published today is
far from being complete, but the num-
Der of games, even so far scheduled,
constitute record for Rugby in Cali
fornia that will be hard to beat.
That Rugby is fast gaining public
sympathy and also in a great degree
the support of the schools and COL
leges is demonstrated by the siren
uous program already arranged
This is the fourth season of Rugby
on this coast. and the game has made
giant strides in that short space of
time.
In 1906 California, Stanford and Ne
vada universities were the only insti-
tutions playing Rugby in this vicinity
For practice games in those days the
graduate managers had to be satisfied
to arrange games among teams Sc
lected from the members Of the squads.
The Vancouver team was the only
one that these three varsities had to
play against. Now the managers are
almost IN a quandary as to what play
ers to select for their freshmen and
varsity teams to play against. There
are so many clubs. colleges and schools
now playing that the manager has
practically to go through a process
of elimination before he decides on the
best teams for his "fifteens'' to play
against.
And the end has not yet come.
Slowly but surely Rugby is gaining
more converts among the high schools
each season and it will be only a ques-
tion of time before the big majority of
the schools adopt the Rugby code.
Rugby in the high schools this year
is going to be a realization. There have
been arguments for the past three
years about the high schools adopting
the game in the city, but nothing fur
ther than talk ever materialized This
year two of the Academic league
schools, Lowell and Mission, have set
the example and come out for Rugby.
Both schools are very enthusiastic
over the game. Lowell has already ac-
quired the rudiments of the game un-
der the able tutelage of Briggs, the
Olympic club fullback.
This school holds its annual football
rally next Tuesday afternoon. A big
attendance is expected and Rugby at
Lowell will receive a big reception.
This morning a number of the squad
intend to attend the first practice of
the Barbarian club at the stadium and
the veteran club will do what it can
10 helm the schoolboys get a firmer
grasp on the finer points of the game.
At Tuesdays rally the captain for
the season will be named by the retir-
ing captain, f. Saloman. Two men are
mentioned for the position and the
finally elected captain will at once
make call for all Rugby men to come
out to practice on Wednesday after
noon.
Manager B. Fairchild of the Lowell
fifteen is busily engaged making up has
schedule for the season. 1t is prob
able the first game will be played
against their rival school, Mission
high, at the stadium. The game will
probably take place on Saturday, Au-
of the original Rugby team last
spring fully a dozen of the men will
he back. including ]. Tufts, fullback;
Cohen, Meyers and Parker, three-quar-
ters: Finn at five; Yoell, Maggs,
smeltzer and Heacock in the forwards.
The Mission high, though not hav-
ing had any Rugby experience, will
nevertheless put formidable team in
the field. This school will also hold its
Rugby rally next week and practice
will begin at once. The veteran Rugby
schools. Palo Alto high, San Jose high,
santa. Clara high and Mountain View,
win again be in the Rugby fold. These
schools do not open till the end of this
month. San Jose, however, viii have
a number of last-year's team back, in
Guiding Fleming, Osterman Sedgwick,