A "stunning" video of men playing lacrosse in 1932 may surprise those who think the sport is rough now.

None of the players wore helmets back then and you can see the referee drop the ball and sprint away to protect himself. The players, who are not wearing much protective equipment, frequently whack each other with their sticks, and the match eventually winds up in a brawl.

Just released by British Pathé, whose website boasts of having 90,000 historic film clips, the video shows the first time Montreal and Toronto played lacrosse. A description from that time notes, "Box lacrosse is a stunning game." It also goes on to say the sport "already threatens [the] popularity of the comparatively mild excitement of all-in wrestling."