University of Virginia Library

As one of the organizers of the
Virginia R.F.C. tour of Scotland
and England, I would like to
express the touring sides disappointment
at some omissions in the
Cavalier Daily report of the tour.

There was much partying —
after each match, which is an
integral part of the camaraderie and
good sportsmanship that rugby
fosters, but so much more. We
played a match every other day
against rugby teams in Britain
equivalent in ability over there to
ACC teams in football over here
(except the Scottish Wayfarers who
were an all-star team comparable
say to the Southeastern Conference
all-stars).

As every former footballer now
playing rugby will attest, the
physical contact and conditioning
are comparable. Can you imagine
the Virginia football team playing a
game every other day with no
substitution allowed? Yet every
team we met except the Wayfarers
expressed surprise at our competence.

We lost to the Old Hamptonians
8-3 in our last match played with
most of our first side backfield out
with injuries, yet they respected us
enough to add 4 of the Richmond
Club's (one of the 3 or 4 best in
England) best players for the
match. Nor did the article note that
most of the match was played
within their 30 yard line with 600
or so British spectators yelling
"Come on Yanks."

The article mentioned that no
serious injuries were incurred but
fails to note the courage of the
players who, out of necessity,
competed with pulled hamstrings
and bruised kidneys or the fact that
our serum half was brilliant for four
matches until it was discovered he
was playing with pneumonia, or the
fact that in the Beckenham debacle
both our wings were injured in the
first five minutes, and we played 13
against 15.

But more important than this
was the friendship and sportsmanship
displayed by both Virginia and
their opponents. I felt that at all
times we were a credit to the
University. There wasn't a single
incident of "ugly Americanism."

Each British side is administered
by successful business and professional
men. Officers of virtually
every club were impressed enough
to follow and cheer for us at several
succeeding matches. An officer of
Windsor came to the airport to see
us off. Incidentally, Windsor was
sporting a 21-5-5 record when they
narrowly defeated us. One English
Rugby Union Official (our NCAA)
noted in my presence, "I have never
seen a more spirited rugby side.
Meeting you has been a most
enjoyable experience for me."

Finally, while we did "party
hard," each free day was spent by
virtually every rugger visiting the
sights of England and Scotland.
Each time I visited an historic spot
such as Edinburgh Castle or the
Tower of London I met five to ten
ruggers along the way. That was a
large measure of what the tour was
all about.