London: George Bell & Sons, 1889. — 73 p.Explore the original rules of rugby as well as many other historical details of the great game in this 125 year old short-but-sweet treasure.Originally published in 1889 Harry Vassall's ''Football, The Rugby Game'' briefly discusses the rules, positions, and general flow of a game of rugby. At less than 75 pages, of which nearly 20 are composed of an appendix, this is clearly a book intended to be an introduction to the sport. He opens with a brief history of rugby and the development of the game and its rules over time. From there, Vassall begins a more technical discussion of the specific positions within rugby, dedicating individual chapters to the roles of the fullback, three quarterback, halfback, and forward. The author also discusses the role of the referee, and the evolution of rugby rules. The book concludes with an appendix presenting the rules of rugby current in his time.Vassal presents the information in a thorough but easy to understand style, opening up the game (which as even its best fans will appeciate can be a little Byzantine at times) for the layman and casual fan. The chapters highlighting the specific positions are the bread and butter of Vassall's book and present the book's most important information.While the game of rugby has certainly evolved since this book's publication, many of the foundational techniques are unchanged, although it is fascinating to compare those that have with their equivalents today. For those interested in rugby, especially its history and how it used to be played (when men were men, and a pack of gigantic Welshmen charging straight at you was a good afternoon's entertainment) Vassall's book remains a worthwhile read.Contents
Rise of the rugby union
The union matches
Development of the play
Captaincy
Full-back
Three quarter-back
Half-back
Forward
The referee
The reform of the laws
The effect of professionalism on the rugby game
Appendix. Bye-laws. Laws of the game. Regulations for umpires, etc.
