This was a writers' group exercise. We were given the opening paragraph and then30 minutes to write a story. 

"Rider Sanders was up late that morning because he had been paid seven guineas to play for Sir John Hart's eleven against a Sussex Team. The winners were to share a bonus of one hundred guineas."

He had not been a fervent convert to Leap Frog but it was the only professional sport that did not threaten his status as a Rugger Man. The team kits were very colourful and not unlike those worn by the fairies that played Soccer. It was at least twelve noon before he could face up to meeting his new team's members.

They were an odd crew. One of them was an established novelist and playwright! He always led the team out as his position was "Jellyman".  He merely ran onto the pitch and stood crouched waiting for the first leaper. The sport had grown up as an alternative winter sport for cricketers. It was hoped that it would in time replace soccer.
 

The game was played on a standard cricket wicket. There was no limit to the number of teams involved for they lined up alongside each other. A chum had told him that it was a bit like the Eton Wall Game in that no side had ever scored a goal.
 
In the case of team leap frog the goal being for each member of the team to have jumped over each of the players that had preceded them. So Jelly Down, then twosie jumps over him and then bends down. Threesie then jumps Jelly and Twosie and then he bends down and so on.

There were only two teams contesting today, however it was a prize event and Oscar the Thespian had donated a Handsome Trophy. It was a large cup which depicted nude Adonii playing leap frog. The umpires arrived and called the two teams to order. They shouted "line up"; then gave the command, "Jelly Down". The Jellies took up their positions.  The Umpires then commanded "twosies off".

The next two men should have leapt over the Jellies, however Rider was outraged by what he saw. He exclaimed, "The next man who does that sort of thing will meet me at dawn tomorrow! He can chose between pistols or sabres. "

All of a sudden both teams started leaping as though their lives depended on it, which in fact it did. It was neck and neck as the two elevensies started their run up. However the rather obese opponent ran out of puff by the time he reached sevensie and Rider finished four leaps ahead.

The umpires and the other twenty-one players looked shocked. One of the Umpires said "gosh what a wizard game we must play by these rules more often". Sandman was awarded the Cup and the purse money.

The trophy is still in existence, though Sandman had the decorative Adonii removed, as close inspection showed them not to be playing leap frog at all!

When leap frog died out in the 1920s the trophy was given to an up and coming sport. It is still contested for and is known as the Rider Cup.

FOOTNOTE-Rider was one of those popular Victorian Muscular Christians. So what made his blood boil was that to his mind the other froggers were cheating!

If not Leap-Frogging what were the Nude Adonni on the Trophy doing? The one thing that would truly have upset Rider; they were playing Soccer!