Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-01-19
LOCAL SPORTS AND SCHOOL ATHLETICS.
EXPLAINS MAIN
POINTS OF RUGBY
p,,nccton Graduate and Rhodes
scholar Writes Interestingly OF
Difference Between Games,
Especial to The Ncws.)

(Speclal 10 inc NcwS.)
princeton n. j.. Jan. 19.-Saylng that
bo never pretended even to the coaches
that he enjoyed playing the American
rnme of football and that he enjoys very
much playing English Rugby, Donald
Grant Herring, a graduate OF Princeton
niyersity in the class OF 1907. the orst
Rhodes scholar to make the oxford
university Rugby team. has written a
letter published today In The Daily
PrIncetonan, the college newspaper
which gives an explanation of the main
nols., u a,,g5y aSa l!kewise compares
tho injuries OF the past sv.-Nors 10 eng
land at Rugby with the record of fata,-
tiles at the American game In the season
recently closed,
Herring was forward on the Oxford
Rugby team which beat Cambridc last
fall by the record score of So to 3. and
he has attracted considerable attention
by his athletic as well as social attain
ments. The Tattler. leading Eng
iish journal of society and sports. not
long ago cartooned Herring as Sandow,
because of his powerful physique. ana
lkewlse commented on tho fact that he
is the first Rhodes scholar to be elected
10 the Myrmidon club, eyincing his pop
ularity at Oxford The oxford pubiica-
tion-The Varsity--contained recently
all open letter to Herring reviewing his
career at Princeton. whore he won tho
Intercollegiate heavyweight wrestling
championship as well as a position on
the VARSITY teams OF 1%p and
1906. and complmenting him on his
success at oxford at hammer throwing.
cricket. hockey, football, as well as
scholastic work
In his letter to the Princetonian to-
day, Herring says of tho question of
danger In football.
There can bo no doubt whatsoever
that Rugby is not nearly so dangerous
as the American game. 1 make due al
lowance for the softer playing fields In
England and for the fact that games
are generally cancelled II the ground is
frost-bound or too slippery, But. In
season more than twice as long. with
much larger playing body, the serious
injuries at Rugby are not moro than
per cent of those at the American
game. This is a conservative statement
OF opinion from which will not rcccdc.
] remember hearing of one death this
season. AT oxford. the biggest forward
on the varsity team broke his leg An
oxford and International three-ouarter
four halfback) left the Cambridge match
after IL minutes play with n broken
colarbone. the leader of the Oxforo
forwards left the game with n cartilage
OF his knee slipped, but returned and
played out the game.
ONE LEG BROKEN.
"of teams playing against Oxford
one man has had leg broken. two have
had broken or dislocated collarbones
The oxford captain In the Cambridge
and WIS da5ed for the rest OF the gnm..
And this is looked upon as marvelously
bad luck and Is certainly an exception
ally unfortunate seasons record of In
juries. ] leave the obvious comparison
with this or any other moro fortunate
seasons record OF American football
MY opinion of the Rugby game was
definitely requested. My answer is that
pretended to anyone. even to the coaches
that L enjoyed playing the American
gdme,
I'm the vernacular of the American
game interference Is called protection
to the runner One has also heard of
protection in the shape of head-gears
pads, etc. Latterly. there has been a
gentle protest against the danger to
those who play the American game.
son and other seasons.
'In Rugby. there are no pads and
there is no interference. Yet I have
described above season OF great mis-
fortune as regards injuries. one excep-
uonally so. Now no interference neccs-
states very open passing game. And
such game seems to be at once spec
tacular 10 the watcher. which is not OF
the least Importance. pleasant Tor the
player, which is of more Importance, and
lastly, a guarantee that the race will not
DO impaired through strained hearts.
wrenched and torn ligaments, brain con-
cussions. spinal injuries, and the like. to
men who are Mt to be and should form
an increasingly important section of the
community. 1t Is the bruising, battering.
smashing. gruelling masses on tackle
and plunges through center, seven men
against one that do the damage, I've
played tackle. and guard, and center, and
halfback. and 1 know"
Herring here mentions the fact that
Soccer" or association football and
English Rugby are not tho same games.
as Is believed by many. that the former
Is the kicking drlbbling game that Is
being widely played in America. but Is
not onc-tenth as popular in England as
Rugby At oxford recently, about 20
PERSONS turned out to see a varsity Soc
Ger game. whereas about 5000 were pres.
ent at "rugger" match. Speaking of
the essentials of Rugby, Herring says In
part:
''As to Rugby. be 1t known that tho
American game is its offspring, some
what buffeted by time but still the
legitimate child of great mother. The