Saving Fooball 1905 – Part Ii

Saving Fooball 1905 – Part Ii

By Allyn Freeman In review, an article in the spots page of the Chicago Tribune in 1905 uncovered the horrific truth that gridiron football accounted for nineteen-deaths nationally in the 1904 season. The sport had spread exponentially, abetted from Walter...
Football Reformed (1905) – Part I

Football Reformed (1905) – Part I

By Allyn Freeman In 1905, a headline in the sports pages of the Chicago Tribune shocked the nation: “FOOTBALL YEAR’S DEATH HARVEST.” The article’s sub headline enumerated the 1904 season’s horrific tally of fatalities: “Nineteen...
Slade McDowall: Otago-Bred, Roommates & Playing Nola

Slade McDowall: Otago-Bred, Roommates & Playing Nola

By Joe Harvey Heading into last weekend’s clash with Rugby ATL, the New England Free Jacks’ visit to Georgia was described as one of the biggest games of the 2022 season so far. By the conclusion of the clash at Silverbacks Park, the Free Jacks had racked up 41 points...
Le Roux Malan: Loving Rugby In New England

Le Roux Malan: Loving Rugby In New England

By Joe Harvey Less than an hour before picking up the phone, Le Roux Malan has found out that he has made the Major League Rugby First XV of the week. His efforts against the Austin Gilgronis in Texas were certainly warranting of this recognition, the inside center...
The Ascendance of Gridiron Football (1883-1905)

The Ascendance of Gridiron Football (1883-1905)

By Allyn Freeman The two decades after the International Football Association’s rugby rules changes, gridiron football witnessed two parallel events that would significantly impact its future. The first was that the new five yards to retain possession produced a...