The San Francisco call., 1909-10-31
RUGBY CAME IN CALIFORNIA
MAKES RAPID IMPROVEMENT
By WILLIAM UNMAcK
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In 1906. when Rugby was first start
ed mere, neither California nor STAN
ford universities had any local clubs
TO play against and so get the neces-
sary practice to prepare and fit them
for their great annual ttruggle on the
football field, Toward the end of the
season the Vancouver Rugby union
was invited to send as team TO play a
series of two games with each varsity
team. This invitation was accepted
and ever since then these games have
been annual affairs and always create
considerable interest here, where the
games are played, and the games are
anxiously watched and results waited
by thousands of persons all over the
Pacific coast and inland to Nevada
This Is the fourth year that these
contests have been held and tho Rugby
game has progressed with such great
rap1dity that il looks very much as
If Vancouver was being left and its
game is evidently at a standstiIl Why
this should be is a mystery. They have
north, In fact. quite good as at the
local universities. One thing in favor
of the local men, however. is their
superior weight. This has been a pre-
dominating feature of the teams ever
since these visits were started and the
balance of weight has always been in
favor of Stanford and California teams.
one thing in connection with this
men are exceptionally heavy they also
have great speed. and the two COM
Dlned make an asset that the north
ernerS md they can not cope with.
California has now PLAYED the Cana
dlans seven games in all. having won
three, lost three and drawn one. Stan
ford, on the other hand, has played six
games and won five OF them. Only in
one game has the verdict been against
the cardinals and that was the final
game between the Stanford and the
Vancouver teams last year. Stanford
has also Invaded the enemies cal mp
with most signal success.
IN 1907 1t barely missed capturing the
handsome Keith trophy. but last year
it was too strong for the Vancouver
ties even on their own ground and
brought this trophy. emblematical of
the Rugby championship of the Pacific
stanford has attained high stand
ard at the game, but up to this year
California does not seem to have
ford has done. Now, however. a differ
ent appearance seems to be coming
over the methods and ability of the
Stanford is a wonderful machine, full
of grit. pace and ability, but have the
players improved over their standard
of last year? That is question that
has many debaters. Now. what about
the California varsity team2 Never In
the history of the game here have the
blue and gold boys been playing with
so much dash and knowledge as they
are showing this season. and ii is my
opinion that they have absorbed more
of the finer points and put them into
actual use than has the cardinal team.
California has made greater noticeable
.headway this season than. has Stan
ford. but whether the blue and gold
team has passed the standard set by
the cardinals will have to be left for
decision on November Is.
Allowing for the advance made in
the game by local teams, what is the
advancement Of the Vancouver men in
the same period? From their perform
ance last week It appears that the
Hortherners have gone back instead of
forward. or that they have stood where
they were and local football has out
distanced them. The team is to all ap-
.pearances inferior to any previous ones.
Whether this is due to the fact that in
their first game they had not struck
proper form. L can not say. 1t is. how
ever, a singular fact that California
has won every opening game with
Vancouver since the games were fnaug
urated. with the exception of the game
last year which was a draw This goes
to prove that the northerners do not
get their proper stride in their first
game. and they have won every second
game of the series these teams have
played The list of previous games
played by the two universities and Van
couver IS as follows:
19O6=First game California won.
to 0; Stanford won. 5 to g. Second