Sean Fagan
The
first reports of 'football' in Adelaide were in 1843 and sporadic
games took place over the following decade. In 1854, English migrant
John Acraman imported soccer footballs from England and erected
posts on a local field. Matches
under variously agreed elements of rugby, soccer and (later) Victorian
rules were then played between 1854 and 1877.
Support for rules that allowed running with the ball (i.e. rugby)
were led in the 1860s/70s by Nowell Twopenny of the Adelaide FC.
His club also led a change from goals being scored below a rope/crossbar
as in soccer, to the rugby method. in 1869
The Observer reported that at a club meeting it was decided
that "in future the ball be kicked over instead of under the crossbar
of the goal".
Though
the popularity of rugby-style rules was growing in Adelaide in
the 1870s, it coincided with moves to adopt the football rules
of Melbourne. As occurred elsewhere, there came a point at which
it was found desirable for all clubs to meet and agree on uniform
rules. In 1877 twelve local clubs met, forming the South Australian
Football Association (SAFA).
In
negotiations about playing rules, Twopenny "spoke
very warmly in favour of running with the ball, urging that it
was sine qua non [the indispensable ingredient] of genuine
football, and that, from English experience, he could vouch for
there being no disputes when the rule was played". As for Victorian
rules, "bouncing the ball had led to endless rows here, and
left a great deal too much to the umpire".
South
Adelaide FC's Charles Cameron Kingston took an opposing view,
and was determined to see South Australia forge a strong connection
with Victorian rules.
In
the end, Twopenny and his supporters lost out in the final vote
and the SAFA began on its path towards full adoption of Victorian
rules. The most common reason given is that such a move would
provide for inter-colonial matches against Victoria.
It
seems unlikely that the SAFA clubs did not know of the existence
of the Southern RFU (later NSWRU) in NSW. However, the closer
proximity and economic links between Melbourne and Adelaide no
doubt had a strong influence. Whatever the cause, the SAFA decision
immediately saw crossbars removed and ended any hope of rugby
union claiming another Australian colony.
The
British rugby union team visited Adelaide in 1888, playing four
matches under Victorian rules against local clubs (South Adelaide,
Port Adelaide, Adelaide and Norwood).
A
rugby union match was also played against an "Adelaide XV",
which the British won 28-3. Some accounts indicate the home team
actually took the field with 20 players.
A
later report in The Register noted there were sufficient
"rugbyites" to form a team without too many problems:
"When the Englishmen were here last the local rugby players
got a side together, but the South Australians were rusty and
sadly out of form." In
the wake of the 1888 tour "a club was started here, but it
died young".
A
South Australian rugby league team was formed in 1914 to play
against the visiting British tourists on their way to Sydney.
The home team though suffered a crushing defeat 101-0. The scale
of the defeat and the commencement of WW1 shortly afterwards ended
any further developments of either rugby code in the colonial
era.
References.
Contemporary
newspapers as mentioned.
South Australian Football: The Past And The Present 1860-1965
edited by C.K.Knuckey.
Fullpoints
Footy