Inter Milan’s Mario Balotelli cheers after scoring the 3-2 goal, during the Italy Cup soccer match between Juventus and Inter Milan, in Turin, northern Italy, Wednesday Jan. 30, 2008. AP Photo/Massimo Pinca
This question occurred to me in a roundabout way. While surfing Setanta, I came across a game of European football (or soccer, or futbol, or futebol, depending where you’re from) and was struck by the number of Latinos on both teams.
I started wondering how the game arrived in South America, did some research, and saw a direct correlation between what has happened to soccer in South America and what could happen to rugby.
But to answer the first question, how did soccer travel to South America? It took the train.
From around 1865 onwards, the Latin countries wanted what Europe and America had – a railroad system. So they had British firms come out and build them.
This caused an influx of thousands of British immigrants who came for the jobs. And they brought soccer balls with them.
And they were real soccer balls because Richard Lindon, a shoemaker and leather worker in the town of Rugby, had just invented an inflatable Indian rubber bladder which he put inside a sewn-leather cover and pumped up.
He also made a rugby ball in the traditional shape which was called the Punt-About ball. It was called this for an obvious reason: you could punt it a lot further than a leather ball stuffed with rags.
And you could really kick his soccer ball, too.
Lindon enabled both types of ball to fly, so he contributed hugely to the development of both sports.
Back to football in South America.
The immigrant Brits played the game in the schools and colleges they set up, taught the locals how to play, and the locals totally embraced it.
In fact, the first leagues in Argentine and Chile were founded in 1893, earlier than some of the famous European clubs – Juventus, 1897, Barcelona, 1899 and Real Madrid, 1902.
Uruguayan students in Montevideo formed Club Nacional in 1899 followed by Estudiates de La Plata, an all-Argentine team in 1905. Brazil’s famous Flamengo club was born in 1910.
When the train system was up and running, internationals were played regularly between South American nations. And because the railroad firms also built light rail trams for the main South American cities, spectators had an easy way to get to the local games, the football craze was on, and the growth was phenomenal.
Rio’s Maracana stadium was built for the 1950 World Cup, and 210,000 people saw Uruguay beat Brazil
2-1. However, this was a sparce crowd compared to the 300,000 that shoehorned into Wembley to watch Bolton Wanderers and West Ham decide the FA Cup final in 1923.
Wembley’s official capacity was 127,000.
But here’s something about bigtime soccer that’s keeping me awake nights: poaching.
In the 1990’s, Barcelona’s football team contained seven Dutchmen and two Brazilians. In 2007, there were no less than 340 foreign players eligible to play in the English Premier League.
Indeed, after the 2006 World Cup, only three of that year’s Argentine squad were playing in Argentina.
It’s not hard to forsee a time when cash-strapped New Zealand, or league-challenged Australia, have the majority of their top rugby players returning from rich overseas clubs to play only Tri-Nations and touring sides (if they can get a release).
And here’s something else I’m mulling: the population of the main Latin cities the Brits did business with in the 19th century – Buenos Aires, Lima, Rio, Santiago and Sao Paulo – today totals around 50 million.
What if all those railroad workers had played rugby instead of soccer?
Steffy
Guest
WCR, in union in england a club cup competition was introduced in the 70s and leagues in the 80s. Before that it was just friendly fixtures arranged with whoever the fixtures secretary was chummy with.
Working Class Rugger
Guest
'you might get to play in a competitive game in 10 years time' Believe it or not whilst the international game is a major strength of RU its not everything. You can have competitive games throughout any level of Rugby Union. You don't need to play on the international stage. What a complete load of bull.
Steffy
Guest
"International competition is surely the highest honour of all. Incidentally" Indeed, but its not a great way to sell a game is it: "Come and play rugby union and if you apply yourself, are very good at the game and have a deal of luck you might get to play in a competitive game in 10 years time"
Rob
Guest
Jecker... They're not the only ones! The club I support is responsible for 2 of the three Libertadores trophies owned by PA (Porto Alegre)... Stupid losing the semis to Cruzeiro, and the Final in 2007 to Boca! Grr! Still angry about that first leg at La Bombonera in 2007...
sheek
Guest
And perhaps FIRA ought to be running rugby. Names & acronyms sound so much better in French - FIFA, FINA, FIRA.......... Besides, French is such a beautiful language. The "Prix de l'Arc de Triomph" sounds so much better than the "Arch of Triumph Prize"!
Jecker Bonds
Guest
ART SAPPHIRE and JIMBO - Montevideo is correct. Nice to know there are some fans on The Roar who follows SA futbol. SP is next with 4, and Asucion, LP and PA have 3 apiece. Re. the '23 game - Wembley's lawyers advised the ground to declare an attendance of 127,000 because they thought an extra 2,000 could be defended if any of the people who were hurt in the crush on the terraces when the pitch was cleared made a fuss. The police estimated 240,000 but hundreds of men who'd served in the Great War and were used to huge agglomerations put the figure at 300,000. TRUE TAH - Hugo Porta did become an architect but a lot of Argentine futbol fans never forgave him for going over to "the other side" - specially when they'd read of his exploits on the rugby field. I saw him play against the Wallabies in BA in '79, and saw the Grand Slam Wallabies in England and Scotland in '84. Hugo was the opposite of Mark Ella - Ella was OK kick, terrific run, Porta was OK run, terrific kick. Several times the majority of points (sometimes all the points) the Pumas scored came from Hugo's boot. Elderly rugby fans in Britain/Ireland/France who saw all the greats, including near-legendary Aussie fan Rex Goodwin, rate Puig Aubert as the greatest kicker they ever saw with Hugo close behind. But there's no doubt that Hugo singlehandedly put Argentine rugby on another level. Maybe you've been to some of the rugby pubs and bodegas in BA. Sooner or later the talk gets around to which player in the Copa would make the best rugby kicker.
Knives Out
Guest
International competition is surely the highest honour of all. Incidentally, I think you should specify what country you are referring to, Steffy, because 'brits' is ignorantly broad. As far as I am aware the game of rugby union had a different social context in England than it did in Wales, for example.
Steffy
Guest
They are internationals - there was also a county championship - most people didn't get to play in them - no clubs ever got to play in them.
Knives Out
Guest
What about the Six Nations, formerly the Home International Championship and the Five Nations?
Steffy
Guest
Maybe the brits who played union were far too full of themselves to spread the game much beyond the people they regarded as socially suitable. Sport is essentially a competitive pursuit but union in England wasn't even played in leagues until the 1980s. One of the resons why rugby split into union and rugby league in 1895 was the desire of the northern rugby clubs to organise and play in leagues and cups which was very much frowned upon by the RFU.
netrug
Guest
In some respects FIRA is the true controlling body of Rugby. It was FIRA who went to the Olympic committee to try to get Rugby into the Olympics stating they had 54 menbers compared to the IRB's 12. The IRB got most upset with this and offered FIRA a seat on the IRB provided they withdrew their claim of being Rugby's main body. Unfortunately, FIRA took the 30 pieces of silver so we still have the inept and undemocratic IRB still running (ruining) the game.
Working Class Rugger
Guest
Sheek FIRA still do an admirable job at spreading the game through Europe and these days Northern Africa. The 2009 U18's european Championships has all 42 member nations competing over several divisions. And there work alongside the French in north Africa is beginning to pay dividends with Tunisia being realistic chances of toppling Namibia to qualify for NZ in 2011. They have also assisted the seeding process ofr the game in Eygpt.
sheek
Guest
Netrug, The French have actually been very influential in rugby through FIRA, the alternate ruling body to IRB. When France was kicked out of the 5N from 1932-39, they formed FIRA & went looking for opponents in Eastern Europe. This continued after WW2, & countries like Italy, Romania, Russia, Georgia, Spain & Portugal, among others, can thank France for showing an interest in their development when most of the so called 'big 8' were otherwise interested in only themselves. France are also the prime mover in Northern African rugby in countries like Morooco, Algeria, Tunisia & Ivory Coast. South Africa also invested considerable manpower & ideas into the development of Argentine rugby, from the 50s through to the 80s.
netrug
Guest
From what I can gather, Rugby was brought to Argentina in the 1890s and clubs were a mixture of cricket, polo, Rugby and soccer. Spain's famous Barcelona football club was formed by a German, Paul Haas, using Swiss, English and Spanish players. The club also ran a Rugby side. The original club badge incorporated Rugby goalposts. F C Milan was originally named the Milan Cricket and Football Club because it was founded by the English. It iis also the reason why, to this day, the club uses the English spelling, Milan, not the Italian, Milano. Anothe club in Europe formed by the English is the Swiss football club, Grasshoppers. Tom Griffith was the founder and once again, English spelling is used. It appears the British spead their own games far and wide, soccer, cricket, Rugby and polo. The French did not do so the same extent. However, in Africa, the French introduced Rugby quite successfuly to their then colonies. However, soccer remains the top sport by Rugby has a strong base in al former French spheres of influence.
jimbo
Guest
Correction, Barcelona snapped up Messi when he was just 13 and . . . one of those big bad Barry brain snaps . . .
jimbo
Guest
Sherry, Is it football or is it soccer? 300K for a Wembley game is a little inflated - 126,947 is the recorded attendance for that game. Interesting article, got me thinking if my auntie had balls what could she have been? Over the years South Americans have been exposed to all sorts of influences from overseas travellers – and that’s how football was introduced to South America in the early 1900s. They have also been exposed to Gridiron, Rugby, tennis and lots of other things including Butt Shaking, for which Brazil is also a world champion. They seem to be naturally talented at football and that’s where they’ve done best. South American countries are also a little poorer so the players represent good value for overseas clubs for their entertainment and skill levels – particularly if they get them as youngsters. Valencia snapped up Messi when he was just 13 and paid for all his expenses including growth hormone treatment to try and make him grow a bit taller. Rugby is certainly growing internationally but it might be a while before Brazil or even Argentina win a World Rugby Title.
jimbo
Guest
Jecker, That would be Montevideo in Uruguay with Penarol and Nacional having a good record in the Liberators Cup.
Art Sapphire
Guest
The Answer - is Montevideo - 8 cups (Penarol 5, Nacional 3) But a Uruguayan team has not won the Copa since 1988. Nacional got knocked out by Estudiantes in the semis a few weeks ago. The year's final is between Estudiantes and Cruzeiro. The first leg finished 0- 0 in Argentina. The second leg will be played on Thursday morning in Brazil and I expect Cruzeiro to win. It will be on Setanta.
True Tah
Guest
Jecker re: Hugo Porta's decision to pass up contract with Boca, I understand he wanted to become an architect, and it would have been hard for him to be a professional architect and a professional futbol player. He was a damn fine rugby player, and Argentine rugby is eternally grateful for his achievements for Los Pumas.
Jecker Bonds
Guest
Sherry is absolutely correct. I grew up in Miraflores, Lima, and a school outing to the sports section of the museum would outline how the British who came to build the railways and the trams in SA brought the game of futbol with them. Tru Tah is correct re Brit sailors first introducing the game, but they played on 24-hour leaves then got back on their ships and sailed away while the immigrants who came for the rail and factory jobs stayed and opened schools and clubs and spread the game. And as these workers came mainly from industrial Britain, while some workers went to Brazil and Argentina from Germany – and to Peru which is how I got my first name - and to Uruguay from Italy, (great pasta in La Boca) they naturally played the game that prevailed at home, the one with the round ball. The British introduced rugby to Argentina but it was soon swamped by futbol and remains so partly because the Pumas never produced a god like Maradona, Batistuta, Zanetti and Messi. Hugo Porta, the only Argentine to be inducted into the Rugby Hall of Fame, was never forgiven by a lot of people for passing up a contract with Boca Juniors. Also, the best the Pumas could do in a RWC was a semi-final appearance while the Argentines won the FIFA World Cup twice and were runners-up twice. And for those who follow the game in SA, here’s a quiz - In the Copa Libertadores from 1960 to 2006, BA has won it 17 times. Which city has the next best record – Santos, Rio, Montevideo, Lima, Sao Paulo or La Plata? Answer supplied late tomorrow.