The Relationship Between Sport and Identity

Sport and identity together have a unique relationship in which any regional or national place can use sport as a means to create a sense of identity. The relationship is complex and varied. Identity can be explained as understanding what or who a person or a thing is. Sport is capable of creating a feeling of nationhood and this is an important factor. It is important too for a nation to create a sense of identity but it is especially important for a regional area. For a small country to host a major sporting event is a significant achievement especially with having rivalry with bigger neighbouring countries. Nationalism can be expressed in a less aggressive manner through sport because there is a clear winner and loser; it is a clear cut way of asserting superiority of your notion over others. In this essay, one regional and one national example will be looked upon to see how they use sport to assert their sense of identity. Cricket in Yorkshire County Cricket Club will be used as a source of a regional example and rugby in South Africa will be used as a national example. We will look at the factors they used to inflict sport as a means to promote their identity and also if these identities are sustainable.

National identity can be explained as a group of people belonging to the same nation no matter what their culture or religion is. They share a common national anthem, language, history, laws and government. Segregation and discrimination have been problems rooted in South African history for a long period. There is a diversity of cultures and languages and therefore tension is high among the various groups. In 1994, the African National Congress was elected. Along with this National Congress came the notion to achieve a uni...

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...of sport. On the world stage, South Africa was recognised as a country in change and in change for the better. Yorkshire, a middle class working area was helped by the industrial revolution to help increase its population to raise the levels of interest in cricket. A local community can be united significantly by the power of the locals’ passion and pride in the club. They attain a sense of belonging in the area. Regional press raised the awareness of the club and identity of the area through its coverage of the local cricket team to which the locals felt they belonged to. Sport and identity together have a healthy relationship together in which one can benefit the other greatly. If positive identities are attained by the nation or region, they do become sustainable as everyone will follow in the positive image created around the nation or region in question.