historic scoring systems

[Kaarlo Tuomi]

I am an athletics historian researching the life of one of England's premier quarter-milers in the 1880s. I have just come across a report of him playing what The Ipswich Journal (Tue 2 Jan 1877) calls a "football" match, but it seems fairly obvious to me that it is in fact an early form of rugby. the game was played the previous Saturday, 30 Dec 1876, on the cricket ground in Ipswich, Suffolk between Ipswich Football Club and a scratch team from Woodbridge in Suffolk.

we know it's rugby because there are fifteen men on a team. Woodbridge had 3 half-backs, 2 backs, and 11 forwards. Ipswich were 2 men down and had 2 half-backs, 2 backs, 1 three-quarter, and 8 forwards. also, it clearly says, "J. M. Longe then ran in and got a try for Ipswich. The kick proved a failure."

okay, so it's rugby not football. but I have a question about the scoring in this game.

at the end of the game the newspaper report says, "Woodbridge were finally victorious by one goal and three rouges to one try and two rouges after an hour and a quarter's play."

does anyone have any idea what a rouge is/was?


many thanks,

Kaarlo Tuomi

[Mellsblue]

http://www.rugbyfootballhistory.com/scoring.htm

[Kaarlo Tuomi]

thank you

Kaarlo Tuomi