LEAGUE & LEAGUERS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1856, 16 September 1913, Page 9

LEAGUE & LEAGUERS.

THE RECENT RUfiBY CHALLENGE. TICKED UP AT ONCE. The Rugby gauntlet which was lightly thrown .down to the Leaguers some littlo timo ago lias, it seems, boon pickcil up, and will be taken very seriously if the Rugby authorities care "to go any further .wish it. It will be remembered that, speaking at the civic reception given in Wellington to the Australian Rugby team iarly this month, their manager (Mr. -Morgan) was reported as follows:— Ho bolioved that the Rugby players in Australia were better than they were before the" coming of the League game, and ho was suro that tho best Rugby fifteen would defeat any League combination to-day. At the time, it 'seemed a light and unverifiablo sort of challenge, bat, as it •happened, it was just the thing that the Leaguo cafflp was inclined to welcome. Seen by a reporter, -'Messrs. Ball. and Hooper, .tho managers of tho .New South Wares team, said that tlioy weri quite willing to accept tlie challenge of Mr. Morgan, manager of tho New South Wales Union team. "Wo will play any team hore," said Mr. Ball, ■ "oither Rugby or League, at their option, before our return from' New Zealand, tho proceeds to be devoted to charity." Mr. Hooper added that his team had never interfered, with tho Now South Wales Rugby Union, but now that tho latter had thrown down the gauntlot. they were prepared to piclt. it up, and wero anxious to meot them anywhere aiid anyhow. ' '' COMMENT ON THE CHALLENGE. "Cynic" in tho Sydney "Referee", has the following on the above challenge:— At the Mayoral reception. Mr. 0. E. Morgan, manager of tho Australian team, said "thoy had players equal to any thoy had in the. old days, and a team could bo picked out of the visiting footballers to beat any League team that could bo put in tho field to-day; He considered that New South Wales Rugby stood higher than over." < Mr. Morgan may bo unwittingly misreported, but if not ho speaks witli reDiarkablo enthusiasm. New . South Wales Rugby in its amatourism may stand higher than ever since about 1895, but nqt so in its class of play. , -■ It is, of course, very difficult to compare teams playing the two Rugbys. fimo after time wo see men who, in tho Rugby Union, ttcro mere btillockers with tho ball, develop into tolerably good footballers in tho Leaguo game. It would bo nothing short of miraculous if the Rugby Union could .part with so many brilliant players such as Messenger, tlie Farnsworths, M'lCivat, Cainn, Gilbert, Gleeson, Anlezark, Russell, Dix, Campbell, JPCue, Courtney, and others of their standard, and within' a 'few years defeat-tho best team of tho Leaguo. I suppose every representative player in the League began as a Rugby Union member, and ,though tho League will bo ablo to.draw on tho. Union resources less and less as timo goes on, tho fact that it has dono so year after year shows a notable leakago in the field strength of tho Union. .