Page:Football, the Rugby game.djvu/15

Rh As we have referred incidentally above to the fact of past presidents being ex-offido members of committee—a fact which has roused fears in some minds that they will eventually swamp the rest of the committee, we may with advantage here point out that under the new law, which makes attendance at meetings a condition of their membership, those of them who cease to take an active interest in the game will from time to time drop off, whilst under another clause of the same law they are expressly debarred from voting in full committee on the selection of teams; at the same time the inequality of Northern and Southern past presidents which now exists owing to the Southern origin of the Union, will be redressed as time goes on by the same dropping off of the aged Southerner and the inclusion of future Northern presidents.

If by any chance the new law is found not to answer its purpose, the committee may surely be trusted to adopt the necessary measures in self-defence.

 

year which saw the foundation of the Rugby Union saw also the first international match, played at Edinburgh, and won by Scotland—a victory which they have twice repeated, whilst no less than seven of the sixteen matches played have been drawn. The earlier matches were played with twenty a side. In those days men like J. A. Bush of Clifton and F. I. Currey were the typical forwards; the best half-backs were of the build of W. H. Milton and