1960-05-19 — Page 9

THE CHINA MAIL, THURSDAY, MAY 19, 1980.

SPORT WAS THEIR DESTINY

The star who was trained by a renegade

By

JOHN COTTRELL

It was a simple enough question. And the man who stopped him in the street seemed pleasant enough. Yet Augustus John Risman was alarmed.

He was 17, just out of school. But he knew enough about the ways of the world to realise the dire penalties for talking to this particular mán.

Rugby club notices reminded on November 23, 1937. Not be players that they could because he had a famous father ostracised for so much as talk-to coach him. But because he ing to a Rugby League scout. had inherited a natural ability A word in the wrong quarter for nearly all kinds of sport, could

.forever Juin

Gus's cherished ambition play rugby for Cardiff and Wales.

He looked anxiously about him to make sure no one was

watching.

to

And Frank Young smiled and repeated the question: Well, Gus, what do you think about Rugby League football?"

Desperate days

Risman could not turn away. These were the desperate days

SPORTING SAM

father and other League stars in action.

That early experience brought startling results.

now he told him: "I can't help you, son. This is a decision you must make for yourself."

by Reg. Wootton

London Express Service:

slty and has a golf handicap of 12-how displays much of the genius of the great Cliff Morgan.

All the skill

banda, abattering

a befiling

pack brain.

the instinctive.

A few days later Bev told his At 14 he was a will-o'-the-¦ father: "I've turned down, the wisp (4 ft 6 ins) school scrun offer. I don't regard myself as

can kick majestically halt. At 15 he played fly-half Welsh since I was born in Eng-, with either foot. He has a safe Always ready to on-in the school 1st XV as captain land and captained England as par his son. courage lads, he would take a of the Cumberland and West- a schoolboy!" car-load of boys to the sea-morland boys' team he scored side on summer, weekends and four tries and three conversionis

sessions continue practice

on in the 46-0 trouncing of

Northumberland. Athletics, goil, lawn tennis, the beach, soccer, cricket, gymnastics. He

Gus was never a Svengali of was above-average at them all. sport. Indeed, he missed some And he shone brightest at rugby od his son's chances through because it was the sport he had Army wartime service and over- the most chance to play.

seas rugby tours. But he did Gus tells me: "He would try ensure that his boy's natural his skill at any sport. But since talents were developed on the we always had a ball lying right lines.

about the house it was natural for him to take up rugby first."

Beverley started playing at the age of three.

While his father had once practised in the Cardiff streets of the depression. Thousands with. a bundis of magazines, were unemployed.

had three-year-old Beverley booted applied for more than 50 jobs a high-quality ball about the

back garden.

without success.

Gus

"All right," he said.

interested.

"I'm

Thus, after secret trials, Gus Risman of Cardiff's Tiger Bay became a 21-a-week professional, and went on to fame and fortune-becoming legendary figure of Rugby League, British captain, and now manager of the famous Salford Club.

But 30 years later the self- styled Rugby Renegade has one last connection with the amateur game he once loved so much.

Bey Risman, his 22-year-old son, has himself become a giant of international Rugby.

Augustus Beverley Walter Risman was destined for sport from the moment he was born

Army's big triumph in gymnastics

Army representatives finished first and second in the Indivi- dual Gymnastic Championships of Great Britain at Aldershot, and, os reward, the Army will have three, perhaps four, com- petitors in the British team for the Olympic Games in Rome.

CSMI "Nick" Stuart, from Thirsk, Yorkshire, won the title for the fourth year in succes- ston with 116.6 points out of a possible 120, and SI Jack Pancott, of Farnborough, was second with 107.25 points. Both, of course, were chosen for the Olympic team, plus Peter Star- Jing, of Norwich, who was third, Ken Buffin, of Cardiff, and SSI Dick Gradley, of London, who was unable to compete through Injury,

A sixth place remains open and may be filled by SI Rodney Covarey, of Hartley Wintry who won a standard certificate. It was appropriate that the Championships should be held at Aldershot for only the second time in their 50 years' history, for it is the Centenary Year of the Army School of Physical Training.

Stuart, by the way, won each of the six individual eventa.---- Banews Service.

Amazed

Al Ave, he amazed Gus's League colleagues with his pre- cise kicking and passing.

Side-stepping art

One of finest

At 16 he played for the Eng- and all-ages schoolboys against Wales. At 17 he captained England schoolboys &gainst France and Wales.

clinched the game five minutes

That England-Wales school- boy international was one of the finest ever seen. England, re Bev developed most between 10 and 16. During those forma-duced to 13 men for most of the tive years

match, won 6-5. And Beverley Gus concentrated kicked especially on teaching his son

all England's points

the including

that penalty the art of side-stepping. Today many experts judge that to be the finest feature of his game.

According to Gus: "The player

who cultivates side- stepping at an early age can develop it fully in later years. But I've found

ૐ

that when player is over 21 It is more "There was no compulsory difficult getting him to do it iraining," explains Gus. "He | properly. It's so much easier Just played whenever there when the player is between 10 was a game roing and I would and 12. often join the youngsters in the local park. We practised kicking, passing and receiving the ball.

"Bey is naturally left-footed, but sometimes I would get him to kick only with his right. Now he kicks well with both feet."

Never pushing, ever patient. That was Gus as rugby coach to

Four D. Jones BY MADDOCKS

of

attending

from time.

The calculated gamble paid off. On his 21st birthday Bev was chosen for the first English' trial. Two more trials followed and in the third his proud mother saw him score a brilliant iry and two, superb goals.

Lesene player of 'ali

But Gus, who has seen his son Bey's lifelong smbition was develop from * 71⁄2-Ib baby to a fulfilled on January 17, 1959. 12 st 4 12 bundle of dynamite, in the quagmire that was takes little credit for the many Cardiff Arms Park he made talents of bis son. hia England debqt--watched by his mother and the Eugby : Renegade who had plise dreamed of football glory on Welsh ground that he held mered.

the

Injury

Risman has held his place in the England fifteen until an in- jury put him out temporarily last January. In Dublin, his superb penalty brought

Eng- land's only victory of 1959. Then, after only one season international rugby, he was

"Any boy who has a natural aptitude can be trained to high standard, he tells me. "But be must have that naturs! aptitude to begin with.

"Even then no one can MAKE

a really great rugby player."

Sports Diary

IN-RAK

Gus cheered proudly as his Own country had victory snatched from its grasp. Mrs Ethel Risman, an ardent rugby fan, wept unashamedly at the triumph of her son. Three years on-and Beverley chosen for the British Lions! SCM Post Board Room, 3.30 p.m." received the chance that had been his father's schoolboy Zealand.

of

tour of Australia and New

Meeting

ASF and OC Council meeting.

Tennis

Men's "D" Division Section "A": CRC (1) v Ket; Stanley Club v

EL JU; HKCCSA UC. Section "B" HRCC v RAF; CRC (2) UC: KTGCA Recreio.

Mixed" "B" Division: UC v SCAA:

dream: An invitation to play in the first Welsh trial of the Some critics said he was too While Gus had gone to 1958-59 season.

inexperienced, that the gruelling soccer school, Bey had all the

33-match tour would damage advantages

Now he faced the biggest de-his progress. Instead, he was rugby-playing Cookermouth cision of his 20 years. Should one of the brightest stars on KCC (Cumberland) Grammar be play for Wales, land of his that brilliantly successful trip. father, or decline in the hope of playing for England, land of his

School.

He played in school matches birth? on Wednesday afternoons and Saturday mornings. Nearly Gus Risman has never tried every week he watched his to shape his son's career. And

CHAIR!

YOU DON'T CALL THAT A CHAR DO YOU,

MATE

FERDINAND

NANCY

CHAIR! SEAT, "CALLIT||WELL I DON'T LIKE WHAT YOU LIKE, |ITY AND WHY THE

ROUND TABLE:

UKE SQUARE

TABLES

| MON AMI, MATE. JUST

SIT DOWN

The tour helped to mature bis play beyond all expectation.

Alt-rounder Bev he plays tenols for Manchester Univer-

¡EGAD! THIS IS SHEER

CHILDISH NONSENSEP BICKERING OVER

TABLES

ME BLOOD HIS RUSEN ISHALL

By Mik

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I HAVE TO WRITE

A COMPOSITION ABOUT THE RUBBER

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BRICK BRADFORD

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EACHING YOU TO ASSUME THE IPENTITY OF BACT

By Ernie Bushmiller

RUBBER AND ITS MANY USES

By Paul Norria

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