QUAINT IDEAS

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1047, 11 August 1930, Page 7

QUAINT IDEAS

AFRICAN RUGBY CRITIC ON LEAGUE

IGNORANCE OF FACTS If opinions on League Rugby expressed by a writer in the “Cape” Times,” Capetown, are really typical of the views held in South Africa, it is time the people of that country should have opportunities to see actual games of this bright, open code of Rugby. For sheer ignorance of facts about any sport, the article in the “Cape Times” must rank high. Its only good purpose is to amuse those who possess a true knowledge of League; otherwise, it must be seriously damaging to those who would be willing to inaugurate the game in the misinformed Union of South Africa. According to "C.P.”. in the "Cape Times.” League scrummaging is farcical. and there is monotony, “for the ball is scarcely anywhere else than among the backs.” The article concludes with this judgment: "If there are any South Africans who. with no knowledge of what the League game is like, imagine that perhaps it may supplant their popular Union code, their fears may be. calmed. I am not going so far as to say that the League game is doomed, but that it will ever come into general favour in tjie South of England, South Africa or in the Union game strongholds of New Zealand is unthinkable.” These remarks alone stamp * the South African comment as utterly ridiculous. Does the writer of the article actually appreciate the large part played by League in New Zealand, classed as a Union Rugby stronghold? Auckland, for instance, may fairly claim to be the strongest Union Rugby side in New Zealand at the moment, yet it is a singular fact that League draws bigger attendances to club and inter-provincial games, in Auckland than the Union game. Christchurch, Dunedin and Wellington are by no means Union Rugby strongholds, and several provincial districts, notably Northland, South Auckland and BullerWest Coast have League teams which are equal matches for the best thirteens of the cities in interprovincial games. SUCCESSFUL LEAGUE TOURS South Africans cannot be aware of the frequent tours of New Zealand League sides to Australia, where League has for years been stronger than Union Rugby, and even to England and. further, of the successful reciprocal visits to these countries Only the other day Aucklanders did not dissent when a prominent football official here declared that only one player (R. S. Spong) in the British Rugby team at present touring New Zealand, would have found a place in the English League side which played magnificent football in New Zealand two seasons ago. In New Zealand League is an amateur game: there, it differs from the Northern Union j game of England. Further, many redoubtable footballers from New Zealand, South Africa and Australia play League football professionally in England. Van I-leerden and Falwasser are two. League has been played only 20 years or so, and it is securing an increasingly strong grip in New Zealand as an amateur game. Played in South Africa under the conditions obtaining in Australia and New Zealand, it could not fail to become a serious rival to Rugby Union in South Africa, which may be regarded as the only country purely a stronghold of Rugby. Some remarkable comments are made on the rules of League by the "Cape Times.” The writer makes these statements: "The game is played thirteen aside —six forwards, two halves, four threequarters and a fullback. Rules rotriet very much kicking into touch, and there is no such thing as a lineout.. The scrums are such in name only, differing widely from those of the Union type. Where the 12 forwards form a scrummage, there they stay on a given spot, there being no movement due to shoving as we know it. The half throws the ball at the scrum and the hooking process is immediate. The hooker gets very low on his knees and with the whole six either kneeling or lying down, the ball passes out of the serum. “FARCICAL SCRUMMING” “Often the ball does not get into the scrum at all, but is kicked away, yet not once during the whole course of the match (England and Australia, at Wembley) was the whistle blown, or the progress of the game held up, by anything done by anyone in connection either with putting the ball into the scrum, or with anything done in the scrum itself. Judged by the Union standard. League scrumming would seem to us farcical. “A greater shock still is the manner in which a try is-converted. No matter at what point the try is obtained, the ball is placed in front of the goal posts for conversion. No charge is allowed and the whole affair seems a mere formality toward adding two points. The players take not the slightest interest, and scarcely anyone even looks at the kick. Vvhich very rarely fails. The only scoring methods are the try (three points) and the goal from a conversion or penalty (two points). “And now we come to what is really lb© crux of the League game—namely, pur© running and its counterpart, tackling. It all looked very clever and open, as witnessed at Wembley with two of the finest sides in action, until it began to pall long before the end. Tli© men, being professionals, were trained to a. hair. The running, passing, and tackling for a time were worth watching, and often thrilling, but—her© is the rub —when the game consisted of nothing else a sense of monotony crept in. In the Union game it is stirring enough to see the ball go out on occasion to a live threequarter line straining at the leash to strike at the best speed of which it is capable. In the League game you begin to have no time for the monotony of the movements, for the ball is scarcely anywhere else than among the backs, who in the nature of things must los© their full sprinting powers at some fairly early stage. LEAGUE NOT RUGBY! “As a matter of fact, this Leaoue game has barely any right to the name of Rugby at all. It is a misnomer, the play being as different from Union Rugby at chalk from cheese. Th© description given of scrumming in a League game is too absurd to be taken seriously. It is sheer nonsense to say that “with the whole six either kneeling or lying down, the ball passes out of the serum.” If one omits the two breakaways from an English and African 32 —3 Rugby scrum, the League 3—2—l scrum is exactly the same in principle and operation. Th© crowning absurdity of this comment is instanced in the assertion that goals may be kicked from directly in front of the posts only. It is hard to imagine how such an opinion could be formed. Sullivan, of England, and Dufty, of New Zealand, are two fullbacks and goalkickers in League who would be sufficient match for any fullback in Union Rugby. To judge League scrums from one match only is unfair. League is a code in which a great deal of forward play of an attractive nature can be produced. It is not uncommon for League matches to develop into gruelling forward battles, with the backs actually receiving little of the ball. Further, the manners in which points

may be scored in League are precisely identical with those in Rugby—the try, the conversion, the penaltj', and the field goal. In League, however, all kicks at goal count for two points only, and many will say this is a fairer basis than four points for a field goal and three for a penalty in Rugby. It is equally ridiculous to say that there can be monotony in constant brisk and free passing, and strategical play by the backs.