The relationship between sports and society is one of the themes that Colleen and I will tracing throughout this project. In fact, this project is inherently centered on the belief that sports are more than games- that they have symbolic value as cultural events and objects within their societies. According to Johan Huizinga, an early 20th century European sociologist, games are both objects of culture, and precultural, as he says that animals manage to play at games without the luxury of culture. Simultaneously, Huizinga continues, games are objects of human ritual, carefully crafted to represent the beliefs of the societies (highly developed) that play them (see Homo Ludens for more).
It is within this frame that I encountered a wonderful article in the New York Times today. Entitled “Rugby Fans Go Offside in South Africa” the article relates the recent event of thousands of white rubgy fans traveling into a very black (and apartheid resistant) part of South Africa. The white fans are concerned about the trip, wondering if the ghosts of apartheid still haunt the relationship between the races in Soweto. But once arrived, the white rugby fans find themselves welcomed into the community, finding common ground through sport. With just under eight days to the World Cup, the story nods at the promise of racial bonding and reconciliation hoped for in the celebration of this global event. In an abstracted view, the story presents sport as a healing agent within South African society, crossing boundaries long prepetuated, and willing social exchange where there head been none.
Which is of interesting comparison to gaelic games and their role in Ireland. Viewed historically, hurling and gaelic football have been activities restricted and celebrated by those identifying as ‘Irish’ alone. Played in opposition to the “garrison games” of the British in Ireland (as Michael Cusack liked calling football, rugby, and cricket) these games perpetuated the barriers between ideas of Irishness and ideas of Britishness. Simulataneously, they united those who would identify as ‘Irish’ through the geographic totality of Ireland, and unity that continues today with the GAA’s presence in all 32 counties of Ireland (26 in the Republic of Ireland, and 6 in Northern Ireland). At this unity, I am left to beg the seeming absurd (but earnest) question: can Gaelic Games heal rifts between the partitions of Ireland?
