Bright Future For Rugby League
The Mercury (Hobart) 11 December 1953
Rugby League, which will be played competitively for the first time in Tasmania next year, would eventually take the place of Rugby Union in the State. The secretary of the Australian Rugby League Board of Control, Mr. H. R. Matthews, who is on a five-day visit to Hobart to arrange the introduction of the code in Tasmania, said this yesterday, but added that the game would not displace Australian rules.
The Tasmanian Rugby Football League was formed at a meeting of about 50 at Hobart on Wednesday night. It is hoped about five teams will be fielded next year.
There was sufficient population in Tasmania to support both codes of Rugby, Mr. Matthews said. He believed Rugby League would become more popular than Rugby Union and in time would be the only code played in Tasmania.
There was no chance of Rugby League becoming a major Winter sport in Tasmania, and the Board of Control was satisfied as long as the game was played., Mr. Matthews said.
With the introduction ol Rugby League to Tasmania, the code was now played in all Australian States.
It was hoped to bring international teams to play in Tasmania later.
Mr. Matthews yesterday discussed the introduction of Rugby League into school with the Premier (Mr. Cosgrove). Mr. Cosgrove was "sympathetically inclined," Matthews said.