Monday, April 14, 2014

Sports




Well, we may have missed the Super Bowl and March Madness; however, in Scotland students and faculty have been able to catch some of the fever surrounding rugby, football (aka soccer), and other sports. It has taken a bit of practice for me to call soccer “football,” but I think that I have gotten it. 


Cheering the Edinburgh Rugby team
In the intercultural communication class, students were required to attend either a football or rugby game. Ahmyn, Seryahna, Djanko, and I joined some of the students and faculty at a rugby game. Edinburgh Rugby played a Welsh team. I will admit that I know very little about rugby, but I can see how American football originated from rugby. The ball is similar, and there is a lot of passing, tackling, etc. However, in rugby, you can only pass the ball to the side or backwards – not forwards. Also, there are multiple ways to score. Interesting terms used in rugby are scrum, maul, and ruck, none of which will I define. Instead I will refer you to the following:  BBC’s explanation  http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/rules_and_equipment/4200680.stm, a brief how to video on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIvVqJSlx1A, and the more exciting highlights of an Edinburgh win over the Newcastle at Hawick team http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uroN3cP5Iwc

Fans for the Welsh team -- Cheeseheads can't say anything about the daffodils
One thing that folks here in Scotland like to say is that football is a gentlemen’s sport played by thugs, and rugby is a thugs’ sport played by gentlemen. Hmmm… One thing that you might notice about the difference between football and rugby matches is that the fans seem to be slightly quieter at rugby matches, not yelling the whole time but only during exciting moments. Football games tend to be louder. Surprisingly, you can buy alcohol at rugby matches but not at football matches. Of course, this restriction may just be evident at the stadiums where our friends and we have attended. 

Djanko and Ahmyn excited for the Glasgow Celtic football game

Ahmyn went to two football games, a Celtic game in Glasgow and a Hibs game in Edinburgh. Uncountable are the bigger games watched in pubs and at the palace. At least in the palace, you do not have to worry about wearing the jersey of your favorite team. In some pubs, though, you cannot wear the “colors” of your favorite football or rugby team. One reason is that there have been fights and violence that have broken out based on which team you supported. In Glasgow, this rivalry runs deeper than simply which team you support: the Celtic or the Rangers. These two teams have religious foundations, with the Celtic fans traditionally being Catholic with the Ranger fans traditionally being Protestant. The sectarian divide that has plagued and shaped much of the United Kingdom’s history can still be seen on and off the football field in Glasgow. Sadly, violence spikes after matches between the Celtic and Rangers, even domestic violence. For more information on the divide between Rangers and Celtic fans and what those teams may represent historically, see the articles in The Guardian and The Independent: 

Football is the national and international sport for most people around here. Although it may divide some, it also unites many. People gather for football matches big and small. 

One sport that I have not seen but would love to is the game of hurling. Some of the faculty and students who have visited Ireland have watched televised games, and I can imagine that a live game would be stupendous. Hurling’s roots are in Ireland, and it seems to be a mix of lacrosse, hockey, and baseball. Hurling’s fans call it the “fastest game on grass.” Check out this video and decide for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmzivRetelE

A sporting event known world-wide is the Highland Games, with versions of these games occurring all over the globe. Here at Dalkeith, we had our own version of the Highland Games, celebrating Scottish culture. Our games included some traditional Highlands events, such as the caber toss, the sheath toss, stone put, and Maide Leisg. We also included some less strenuous events like the welly-wanging and haggis-malt toss events. Even though we did not have dancing or piping events as the traditional games often do, we had plenty of fun.

Madeline, Erin, and Dutch sporting clan colors


Anna Lehman shows her clan spirit

Seryahna is ready for the games to begin

Facial hair (even fake) is important to keep you warm


Djanko and Seryahna show their Scottish pride

One clan struts their stuff

Chris gets ready to wang the welly

Missy's welly in the air

Djanko is excited to participate

Emma gets ready for the caber toss

Dutch Shultz was a strong competitor at the caber toss

The kids got into the spirit of the games, too.

Ready for competition

Katrice and the sheaf toss -- not very successful





Djanko in the Maide Leisg competition

Seryahna and Renae in the Maide Leisg





The students ready for the games
The Highland Games mark a tradition that is more than a thousand years old. However, after the Jacobite Rebellion, gatherings such as the games and the wearing of traditional dress (like the tartan kilt) were outlawed. This law was repealed in the 1800s, and the games became increasingly popular (“Highland Games,” 2012). In our 21st century version in Dalkeith, the caber toss, one of the quintessential events, generated a lot of enthusiasm as students attempted to toss a huge log end over end. The even with the most laughs may have been the more modern welly-wanging, where students had a welly, or rubber boot, on their foot and flung it into the target area. The Maide Leisg was an interesting event where opponents face off by holding a stick between them while sitting down and trying to pull each other over. Students and staff all enjoyed a day of friendly competition.

We have all had great opportunities to explore Scottish culture through its sports. Do national sporting events that are quintessential help define our cultural identity? Does our culture shape which sports we choose to pursue? Something to ponder…

1 comment:

  1. Something to ponder indeed! Of course we just had our Master's golf here last week-end; another Scottish influenced American tradition. It was great to see the pictures of the students and staff having great experiences together. It looks like everyone is getting along just fine and are in the glow of new learning and growth. I suspect Dutch and Anna are doing great. I knew they would be great ambassadors for our college.

    Still no leaves on the trees? Still snow on the ground here, but it is melting quickly and has rained vs. snowed a couple of times. Never so happy to see rain as this spring.

    Take care and keep giving it your all!

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