Inducements offered by these Rugby League clubs to Rugby Union players are lucrative, and are usually accepted, especially by the Welsh amateurs who, in most cases, are working-men who find it difficult to exist in the depressed areas of the Principality. Former Union players who have made great names for themselves in the thirteen players' game are Jim Sullivan, acknowledged. to be one of the world's greatest, if not the greatest, full-backs in the history of the handling code, J. H. Treen, former Northampton, East "Midlands and Warwickshire county star three-quarter, "Ted" Spillane, New Zealander, who was induced to leave his native soil by a Lancashire Club, George Nepia, famous Maori full-back, who was the mainstay of the New Zealand international, Union XV. AI. Risman of Salford, former "Welsh player, and numerous others.
Smaller clubs in the League, who find it difficult to compete with the larger clubs for the purchase of new players, are developing local youngsters into the arts of the game, and many of the sides now playing include in their thirteen a fair sprinkling of local boys, who acquit themselves well against older and more experienced players from the wealthier \feams, Such sides as Castleford, Dewsbury, Barley, Wakefield Trinity, and Bramley are included in this category.
Popular on account of its speed, and lack of-stoppages-there are-^o line. in this game—the Rugby League code goes from strength to strength in the north, and this coming season promises to be more successful than before on account of the increased earning capacity of many northern folks who afford support to the team of their choice. In- the south, attempts have been made to form clubs to compete in the league. but these efforts have, so far, met with failure, three clubs in London having been disbanded owing to lack of support. Most of the players from these teams—Streatham and Mitcham.
Acton and Willesden and London Highfleld—have travelled north and are now playing members of the various teams who attract large Saturday afternoon crowds in Manchester, Bradford, Halifax, and other centres under the shadow of the Pen-nines, "3.5.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.