This article may be seen by some as a riposte to an article written by Rollo Manning titled "Rugby can confuse," which was published 10/24/2004.

However, it is not .All I am trying to do is make an attempt at correcting some of his "facts," because there were a number of them that were incorrect.

This article consists of two parts. The first part will deal with the correction of the facts, while the second part explains the reason behind this article and also why there was such a large number of feedback responses written about Manning?s article.

Getting the facts straight

The first incorrect fact in the article was that the game between the US Tomahawks and the Australian Kangaroos would be played on December 1st.

Wrong! This game is being played on Nov 30th at Franklin Field. I will give Manning some credit in this instance because the date of the game had been changed. This was not his fault, but is a correction just in case any fans wanted to go and see the game.

Fact number two that was incorrect was in reference to the game of Rugby League. Manning stated, "This game is the first professional version of rugby that broke away from the traditional rugby in 1908."

Wrong! Rugby League broke away from the sport of Rugby Union in the year 1895, which is in fact a different century. Originally the sport was called Northern Union.

The reasoning behind the breakaway is the third incorrect fact. According to Manning, "The players at the time were upset at not receiving payment especially if they were injured and so started to get paid."

Partially correct! The reason behind the breakaway was two fold. First, players wanted to be recompensed for the time they had to take off work in order to play the game. Secondly the "gentlemen" involved with the Rugby Union at the time said no, if you want to play Rugby Union you stay amateur. The Northern clubs disobeyed this order though, and eventually decided that it would be better to form their own league where the payment of players was allowed.

I would like to add here that the majority of players weren't earning a large wage. The majority of these players would have to work down a coal mine during the week and would play for a couple of pound on the weekend. Being paid to play was the only way that these players could carry on playing and look after their family.

The next fact in question was that Rugby League is only played in any great form in Australia.

Again, this is WRONG! Rugby league is played in Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain and Ireland, Russia, USA, France, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji and many more countries. If Manning is talking about professional players, than admittedly that is a different story. As far as I know, professionally, the sport is only played in four countries, these being Australia, France, New Zealand and Great Britain and Ireland. However I also would like to point out that it is the national sport of Papua New Guinea.

The final fact that was incorrect that, "The game in Pennsylvania in December is the minority form of rugby world wide and a hybrid of the game keenly contested across the USA."

Although I would agree with Manning that Rugby League is the minority of the two sports worldwide in terms of playing numbers (although the reason for this could be another article in itself), the game is in no way, shape or form a hybrid. It evolved from the sport of Rugby Union to become a more attractive game for the spectator, not a hybrid. And, in my opinion, a better game than its predecessor.

Those were the inaccuracies within the article written by Manning.

Now, some people reading this may think my reactions were over the top, a bit extreme. If that is the case, then please read on.

Why I wrote the article

Can you imagine growing up seeing a sport that you wanted to play or wanted to watch, but were told by teachers that you were not allowed?

Can you imagine seeing a sport that attracts many thousands of people to watch a game yet doesn?t get newspaper coverage?

Can you imagine your favorite sport that you have played, your father played, your grandfather played, that is the bed rock on which your whole community is built being constantly "mocked" in the media?

Can you imagine being ridiculed and constantly "put down" or "put in your place" because you choose to follow a certain sport?

Would you like to?

Well if you can?t imagine it, why not ask a Rugby League fan what it feels like?

Rugby League fans, such as myself, have had to listen, hear and see this ridicule for over a hundred years.

Why? Did I hear someone ask why? I will tell you.

The people who have done this, either at school, in the media or in the street are Rugby Union fans. They have felt the need to constantly denigrate our game.

The reason they have been able to do this is because they were the educated upper classes. They were the ones that became teachers, headmasters, journalists or politicians.

They were the ones who had a voice.

I don?t know why they have felt the need to do this, perhaps it was because they felt threatened by this new sport?

Perhaps they didn?t like the fact that the English northerners saw fit to start our own competition?

The truth is I don?t know why. I don?t think anybody but the "aggressors" do.

I do know, however, why they were allowed to continue. It is because these "aggressors" held the positions of power.

Rugby League fans never had a voice. Whenever we complained, we were censored yet the vitriol aimed at our sport went unchecked.

It still happens to this day, and that is why Manning?s article got such as response and nothing personal against him.

So, that is why I wrote this article. IT was not to denigrate anybody or any sport, but to fight back. To stand up and find my voice.

Can anybody hear that?

At last, Rugby League has a voice -- Mine!

Questions, comments: Email me at: league_lover@hotmail.com