IS SOCCER GAINING.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1240, 23 September 1911, Page 12

IS SOCCER GAINING.

(Br Enthusiast.) "Writing on tho Wail." Tho days of Rngby football as a form of amusement for Saturday afternoon, so far as the general public is concerned, are numbered. Ono reads in tho press of meeting after meeting of Rugby supporters, at which tho main topic of conversation has been tho falling off of interest in tho game, both, of players and public. All sorts of reasons aro advancca, and officials aro hecklcd because of their scorn, ing inability to stem the tide.

This falling-off has not been so sudden as Rugby supporters ore wont to imagine, but really dates from the time when "soccer" football was seriously talten in band in New Zealand. "The writing is on tho wall," and it behoves tko Rugby responsible authorities to make all preparations to hedge, so that when-tho public as a wholo are following "soccer" they will not bo standing to loso too mucb. How the Game Started Hore. Only a few years ago "soccer" was in its infancy, and was confined, so- far as this city is concerned, to tho one ground at Hobson Street, and a few pitches for boys on tho stoney Thorndon Recreation Ground. To-day, wherever you turn you find practically all tho boys kicking the round ball. In all its forms of competitions for youths and boys, the Associations must now much outnumber tho followers of the Kugby code, and applications are coming into the Association almost daily ffom new clubs and teams, and all aro welcomed. Now, there must be a reason for this, and hero it is: From a spectacular point of- view Kugby is not to be compared to its rival, and it only remains for a touring team from England to traverse this country to show tho public what the game really is, and tho attendances at "soccer" will go up by. leaps and bounds. Rugby's Weakness is "Soccer's" Strength. One of the leading authorities and writers on Rugby in New Zealand e.t posed the weakness of Rugby football quito unconsciously somo time back, when lie prefaced his report of one of the principal intcrprovincinl matchos, ho said: •As is always tho case when two evenly matched teams meet, the game from a spectacular point of view was very disappointing." Now, the direct contrary is found in "soccer." The more evenlymatched tho teams, the more brilliant and open and interesting tho game bocomes. Success Through Training Boys. C. B. Fry, ono of tho greatest living authorities of sport, in speaking of "soccer"—ho was in conversation with a New Zealander at the time—said: "You will never get good football until you have trainod your players up from boys, and anyone who has seen the standard of play achieved by tho junior players in New Zealand will readjly agree with him. Take, for example, tho matches pin red both in Aucklaud and Wellington this season by tho fourth-class boys' representa-tives.-.The reports of both games stated that the matches in question ranked as tho best exhibition of "soccer" seen in New Zealand. Tho Rugby authorities in England are "sot against" (as they put it) degrading their sport to tho level of n spectacle. The rules were formulated for the sako of thn players, not the public, and they steadily set their faces against anv change's in the rules. Writing in the "Athletic News" lately, one of their scribes, commenting on tlie desire of Australasia for drastic changes in tho laws, said, in effect: "Tho rules are good enough for tho Mother Land, and little notice must be taken of the' colonial agitators." Ho queries: "Who aro these agitators?" and answers "Australasians." "And who are the Australasians?" "Why. players with ono leg oyer tho professional fence, and only seeking a resting-place for tho other foot to take tho decisive step." Assuming that the writer knew what he wa.s talking about, unless tho colonies cut right away from tho parent body they may look for little assistance from England. Rugby is a grand garao for tho players, but, from thn spectators' point of view, comes a long way after its rival. Casualty Lists Compared. .Tust ono more point: Look at the comparative tests of casualties to the players taking part in the various matches. It is the rarest thing to hear of "soccer" players being seriously injured, but, un-

fortunately, the same cannot be 6aid of Rugby. One has only to peruso tho reports of senior engagements to gather what a serious phase this is of tho case.