Not so soft
From Mr Howard Blackett Sir: I was delighted to see that Dover Col- lege was featured in Simon Barnes's article on sport in schools (No rough stuff, please, we're British', 9 October). We have, indeed, abandoned rugby in favour of soc- cer — a somewhat controversial decision after 128 years with the 'elliptical ball'.
I would like to reassure you that the change from rugby to soccer has not led to OUT pupils becoming a 'bunch of softies' or 'big girls' blouses'. Far from it — the boys (and girls in due course) have played soccer with the grit and determination expected of public-school pupils.
The decision to drop rugby was a person- al blow — I was brought up on the playing fields of St Edward's, Oxford and I even played twice on the hallowed turf at Rugby School. Nevertheless, I am very conscious of the moral decline of rugby: late tackles, eye-gouging, huge player wages and drug scandals seem at odds with the 'muscular Christianity' with which the game has tradi- tionally been associated. It is only a matter of time before the undeniable educational benefits of playing rugby will have gone for ever and then its decline in public schools will indeed be serious, if not irreversible. Howard Blackett
Headmaster, Dover College, Dover, Kent
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