It is no exaggeration to say that Great Britain has been the cradle of sports, with many of the world’s most popular sports having their origins or their codification in Britain. They were quickly taken up across the world. Just in case they need it, here is a brief introduction to some of them.
Football
Football is the most popular team sport in the world. A simple set of rules and the minimal equipment required probably have much to do with its popularity. More than 240 million people in 200 countries across the globe regularly play football (let alone the hundreds of millions of fans), according to FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association) figures. In its most ancient form, football was described in Chinese sources from 2,000 years ago, and soon after it was quickly spreading in Japan. In Europe, an ancient form of the game, connected to pagan traditions, appeared in medieval England and France. In the 14th century, Florence was home to the first game of calcio, played on a surrounded field under the supervision of a referee. What is known as football today developed from a game played by students in the 1820s. Sheffield FC, the first non-professional football club, was founded in 1857. The Football Association (hence “soccer”, from association) was set up in 1863, the year the rules of the game were standardized. Apart from the in the United States and Japan, football has surpassed all other ball games in terms of popularity throughout the world. The football World Cup, held every four years, ranks as the sports event drawing the largest number of viewers across the globe.
Rugby
Rugby probably has its origins in the Spartan game epyscuros and the ancient Roman game harpastum. Centuries later, in 1823, at a school football game in Rugby (England), William Webb Ellis seized the ball, ran into the net with it, put it down there, and yelled Goal! Although football rules had not been universally agreed upon at the tome (different schools and towns played by their own rules), handling the ball was already forbidden. But others liked the new game and it was named Rugby football, after the school. The game separated from soccer quite soon, with standard rules of its own from 1846. The 1871 game between England and Scotland was the first international match. Rugby was an Olympic game until 1924. The most prestigious competition series is the Six Nations, an annual tournament with teams representing England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. The winner unofficially ranks as European Champion. Rugby World Championships have been organised since 1987. The southern hemisphere has a prestigious tournament of its own, the Tri Nations (from 1996) involving Australia, New Zealand, and the South African Republic.
Cricket
The name cricket probably comes from the crooked stick used by shepherds, which was called cricce in the 1200s. The early sticks developed into heavy, straight bats that can be used to hit balls thrown at a low height with great impetus by the 18th century. Initially, the ball was made of stone, but today’s cricket balls are made of cork with a leather cover. The first recorded game took place in Coxheath, Kent, in 1646. The first official set of rules was published in 1744 and rules have changed a lot since. (That was the period when baseball, the most popular game in the United States, developed from cricket.) The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) was founded in 1787, and continues to be the publisher of the official rules. Today, there are versions for women and the blind as well. The cricket World Cup is held every four years. In spite of its popularity, cricket has not spread to countries outside the British Commonwealth.
Tennis
Tennis is an advanced version of a French ball game, jeu de paume. The game was introduced in England by Charles d’Orleans when he was being held hostage there. The word tennis comes from the French tenez (hold), cried out to the game partner when striking the ball. The system of scoring (15, 30, 45) also come from jeu de paume. In the medieval era, 60 was the most widespread symbolic number, and a golden dinar was worth 15 sou. The French game also used the multiples of 15 to record scores. It is not known how 45 eventually became 40.
What is known as tennis today developed some 400 years later. The first ever tennis competition was held in 1876 and the first Wimbledon tournament took place in 1877. Thus Wimbledon is the oldest tennis tournament still existing today. The Davis Cup was established by Dwight Davis in 1900. The “open era,” with professional players also allowed to take part in all tournaments, began in 1968. The four Grand Slam tournaments (the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open) have also become open and they continue to be the four most prestigious tournaments up to this day. Doing the Grand Slam, winning all four of these tournaments in single calendar year, is the ultimate dream for a professional tennis player.
Golf
The greatest attraction of golf is that anyone can play it, regardless of age or fitness. The social networking and prestige of golf are getting stronger day by day. It is a game with a great tradition and an estimated 50 million players worldwide.
The first written records on golf date from 1457 when King James II and the Scottish Parliament banned football and golf. Golf was imported to France via Mary Stuart Queen of Scots, who was the first female known to play golf. The first international game, where the Scots beat an English couple, took place in 1682. That was also when the first caddie, Andrew Dickson, was described as the Duke of York’s assistant. The Royal Burgess Golf Society was established in 1735, with the rules of the game recorded and published subsequently. Golf was an Olympic game in 1900 and 1904. In 1971, Alan Shepard struck the first golf ball on the Moon.
Darts
Everywhere in the world, darts is customarily played in pubs. Legend has it that an English archer walked into a nearby pub and, relaxed by the comfort and the warmth there, threw his shortened arrows into the piece of wood log hung on the wall. Then another archer also gave it a try, and the game was created. According to the first written records on the game, English archers played a form of darts during the Battle of Agincourt in 1415; so did the Pilgrim Fathers on their way to the New World aboard the Mayflower in 1620. Initially, darts spread in areas under British control. The rules valid today were created in Great Britain in the late 19th century, the period that also saw the creation of the first darts associations and clubs. The first British national association was set up in 1924. Soft darts, the computerised version of darts, has given its popularity a huge boost. As a result of the growing reputation of darts, the British Parliament officially declared it a sports game and applied for its classification as an Olympic game in 2001.
