SLAYERS OF RUGBY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 419, 30 January 1909, Page 12

SLAYERS OF RUGBY.

;';-v,; -i: JHE ENGLISH ;UNIOjM. V »] ; ; THE '{PROS." AND WHY THEY;.CAMB.'-i ; '; \ ■':■'■' ;■;';■ [Bit Off-hde Slao.][ ' : ; " : V The Rugby Union, wrangle in Great Britain -v k over. the'.'.amateur;bnsis.'of-players adds an- r ; ;'.- other.proof, of the conservative iacapacity ol;i '. the - Rugby, Union : Executive;. The *>■ laws ,of. professionalism' regarding.-' Rugby,-," . printed.and published for,the past.'seveiiteen/; ■:■ years.'.by .the English-Union,, haje'expressly:: laid ijf down that: any playo'r who , accepts'any.; , ■ monetary consideration .other' than • forjinsur-.:. . ar.ce; through, accident;, hotel-and ..travelling- 1 :. -.:.- expenses, is a profession ; al,'~ihd ..'shallv.be/ ■?. barred'from: participating 3 ,' in:.all:i ainateiir;:;':';. games. ■ Some sixteen or .eighteen f>years ago i' ■;"■' several-Yorkshire Union ciubsasked'thatiths-' ■-': English Rugby,-Union- should•/consider i.tha,j: : W e <>tion of- payment' of. players'.for, losttime ,< .;■ in big football matches,. i-'ihe-Vequest.: .waa ■ / wa ™ ll t§d by. the fact-thaf.'a'large numbei-.,: .; or tho iprkshire 'players-;\vere. working.mea ..' : . jo, whom a.-day's pay, was'a: 1 serious necessity.?•• ■ Instead: of 'giving' the proppsalvbusineES-like', and, thoughtful" consideration,''- then: English' '■' Rugby Union ( wfathfully yetoe'd it with- i" >■ bushel' of r ancient : platitudes' about-preserving '•■ ,: '. tto amateur purjty -of, the : 'g'anie : :- ■ ",: ■ • ■ i"' r . From-;that - doomed. vA. larg o _ number" of r ' clubs seceded. from-, the. governing .body.' and ; • inaugurated : a-hybrid '.aniateiir-profesßiDnal.' -'■ game,<: andv professional , -Association l fodfcball : - ' ■ has boomed--and boomed, itfappears ■ : a' matter: of' only -aV : f ew yeays'- c whea> it- ■' " ;■ wipe;Bngby-; but: ■■' ■ as England; is' concerned.V ■'All -ilSisrwould 1 ■ ■'.'■ have/.oeen; saved '.had;'\the ; En r gHsh ; dßfigßy.'.:\ 'Union:'giyon;''considerajion'andL3llo'wdd.-6ay-:: : moiit of, players".for/legitimateflo.s's -efidiine! >." : : Qnce.upon-a .time;En'gta stood;', against ; l ;N<3w,-%xcept • forV-.;'- ■ occasional flashes,: jts" position' is a.rg.;: .:-.■■ 'Prpaoh'.to;an English'sportsman. ,'lt is.only- :■ |,; fair to'a'dmit'---that'it is Mt ; the-Ehglishm|ii-' : : : - !;himseh?,'. but' his. r fossil-goVernjiig7-instituti§n.',; ( ! : !;which'.vis' tb; blame.; That';: istfif^e : 'aregtpfe ■"} f. judge_ the i'present;! position; of i'the^gStoe ', >" Ivew,, Zealand "or- Australasian^^"jindpojn^i-i: ;:As.a geAtle;recreation-in,which a'Majer may , ,' , ;-, •take;.part;;without,"distobing v'. the '---middle i - ,cre'ase : .of. a.;-;well-brushed--head,:./op.'-;speaking •,!■■ I'in severely modulated;'drawing-rpom tonesV 5 .-? > Rugby football :iE ; , , many- ! Englisli--districts fc-iK iio , 'd < puJfc..lpol£e3::iip^ ( nfas.-e''refiii.e'|:aesthetic-.-v pastime,' but it is^rpt'. the.game for-the'miW?'■;■ lioh.v; .;,-.;:-v.^ : .c : ' .y-;>~- : -v =. -. "■'[' . The'most amusing.partlpfv the busk';)■■:' ; '. ness was'.that''whilei the Snglishißueby Un^ott?'-■ : - vrasv fpr vever.-.protesting against"the.dep!or. ; i 5 'v able mamm'on-stained..tactics'ofithei"noT(meni-''-'-rr game, '.veiled professionalism .was'rampant in i=- ■ •i ts ' °, wn .J" anks - 'Nobody "would--face"the mafe ter.. boldly, and'-whatvwonder' is it';' > that , ' on -its decayed:' fabric ',the. stan'dard : of -V-'-.the game 'fell;: ; Then, :bed,- ''■''• the , .English RugbylUnion perpetrated a most absurd:blundor.-: : While:all the tiine^profess-' 'Xi . ing. -v.ita - immaculate s purity : ' as. an. amateiir -". ■ ■ body,..it. dccided.'to "make'.'an';&llowance..of -3s. .; : money, it. was 'then called—to ;; : its' touring players.. '-.There' are. iione soblind' ' as ,those: who.'won't, see. ; and - Tweedledee' 'ithe'-legal, as-..'-' well as : to; the. practical mind, there is no dif- ■ : >' : . ferencß lhvthe.sinof allowing a':player 3s. or'. ' Bs. or • 10s,': ; .a ! 'day■ lo long as • the I "'latter ''•'' ■'■'■ . legitimate .'time' lostj'f rom'. -. one Si.ordinary.: occupation/. And ifj-la\player- : wishes, to. be'strictly: amateurV-what '-does he ; want; with : 35.:-.a : day ? / The .English. Riigby .'■- . Union.-says.the-amount is ;fbr'mindr'bn'tK)f.' : :.. : . ;espensos?-'.,;Any footballer.is well aware, that .:■'. ; 35., per day does -not-pay '.hisfio.iit-of -pocket ■ expenses when he. is .-travelling; ibut that is ■' not .the .'question'.'':'By allowing the payment.. the .Jinghsh Rugby Union i'went; back .oh- its - ,owh ;laws,V admitted praotically' , . that it-was ;wrong;;in ; yeafs;.gone;byiwhWii;irefused ; to vv .consider. the Yorkshire .} Club's' - propbsitiohi' and in-fact fell from grace badly.' : .Still-sfich castyron conservatism" "of the' English .mmd, , the, English '.Union {protests':that it' is strictly, amateur; vAnd all the 'timethe. veiled professionalism,goes'on.-V.;Now,-in tears' and : sorrow,;jibed;at,::withi<jne leg:in the : gfave", ■with: few;friends'and".lioVmputno'rs'i"the old ' ■'■' moss-grpTminstitutibnTeceive?,the wages.of ■ iw "'sin in-being' cast s off, kicked, 'despised, and / ' held up : .to. public/shame'; by one of its 'own y:-- ; v ; j; :■_■ "■ '•:y : '>:":*~. :- ■■.-' ;, .; i ":/ :■ ' .;■-.-' There'.isi. nobody/ w.ith'.aiiy practical-'sense - who will,:believe thatVthe'Scottish,-Rugby Union has :been' actuated by tho_ highest prin- : ciples of- amateurism in/, the "decided. step' it '■ has taken in. impeaching the. mother; in'stiiu-" ■■ tion. ;.. ,The ; .Scottish' Union .h.a's: raised -the"' "- nuestion'j'simply :because: it ;is:ppssessed f of a" desire, .to; get even;:with', somebody"for-- , '.' the : ■losses it : has' suffered,- monetary, and-voiher- ! " ;; -wise,.:;smce;:th>::day';_that:,it : m'ade 'the -bad' : ' husmesa.barsain.with'.tlie."All Blacks'- , and lost some £500: or £1000 thereby:-.lt-is gen- ' ' erally ..admitted .'that■'.•professionalism in any. ■ national sport spells, in the ;end' 'calamity' : ■bnt;it i is/-very.''a'pparenf,tbat.^eer;-neadß"'are-'' : '- /than/those who .in years':"gone by,- : : and even ,now. : : are* busily! digcihg.-the grave •'■ of :Rjagby;fo6^ali:.in,Gfeit;Bntam^ :^: ;;,