Rugby Football in the Metropolitan Police
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X3500800314 |
| Published date | 01 July 1935 |
| Date | 01 July 1935 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
Rugby Football in the Metropolitan
Police
THE
popularity of Rugby football in the Metropolitan
Police during the last few seasons has been remarkable.
Towards the close of the season
1922-3
ahandful of
enthusiasts were able to arrange for a trial game on a borrowed
ground at Eltham, and the present ground at Imber Court
was prepared in rather arough and ready manner for the next
season, which opened with almost a full season's fixtures.
Throughout these early days the Committee went through
various stages from extreme optimism to despair. There were
roughly about one hundred men who had intimated, in reply
to an appeal for players to join the Club, that they wished to
play.
The
trials showed that some of them must have
learnt their Rugby when the game consisted of twenty a side,
and if they ever knew any rules it was obvious that they had
long forgotten them.
The
Association code was practically universal in the
Force at the time, and even the most enthusiastic of the
Committee found it difficult to visualize a respectable Rugby
playing team in the future.
Looking back to those early days, one remembers with
gratitude the help given us by individuals, and the clubs
who gave us our first fixtures.
In
the early trial games old friends like Peter Lawless of
Richmond, Commander (now Admiral) Lyon of the Royal
Navy, W. W. Wakefield, Captain of England, Hamilton Wickes
of the Harlequins, Commander Davies of the Royal Navy,
Captain Wake1am and others came and played with us and
gave us hints.
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