When we speak of sports history, England is one of the countries that are the pioneer of many of the popular sports today. Though many have attended on some of the sports that England has participated, it is still not enough.
In the coming year of 2012, show the United Kingdom national team by putting on that England wristband to show the English contribution to Great Britain. But first, we should know what are the sports that England popularizes and when were they introduced? This way, we can know better and understand each player’s passion for those sports and put it in our hearts as well.
The most popular and Englands national sport is the football, commonly called in United States and some countries as “Soccer.” Even the word Soccer is originally English. Let me take you way back to the Gentleman sport of Association Football. In the University of Cambridge it would be commonly known to abbreviate everything. Example the student took the letters ‘soc’ from Association Football and invented what the Americans call today is Soccer. This was a slang that they used to lable the game. Same goes with rugby and the name ‘rugger’. It was quite a common practice and the international students from the United States took that back with them and ALAS! the word soccer became a internation co name.
The sport’s history can be traced from the early 1800’s English rugby foundations, where it is identical to football. Football is so popular that 3.5 billion people across the globe is watching or playing it and is considered by many as the most popular sport in the world.
To support this, the FIFA World Cup, a football event that is held every 4 years, pits 32 teams around the world for the title of world champion. With an average of 700 million viewers worldwide, The World Cup is regarded as the most popular sporting event in the world. Continents that football is popularly played and viewed includes Europe, Asia, and the South America.
Rugby football or commonly called rugby is also a developed version of football, and in fact was one of the different versions that were played at English schools. Its history can be traced during 19th century where it is played at Rugby School. Rugby can be played by carrying the ball and pass it only through kicking and this was introduced by William Webb Ellis in between 1859 to 1865. The Rugby Union can be played through an amateur or professional game. It is currently lead by first tier unions including England, Scotland and Wales.
Tennis originally was invented in France but the popular lawn tennis, known as the modern tennis, originated in United Kingdom. It was a very popular game in England and France during the 16th century and was a favorite game of Royalty. Today, tennis has attracted an estimated 1 billion people around the world, players and watchers alike. It has been popular now throughout Europe and in the United States, Asian countries and Australia are also tennis lovers. Tennis has four core tournaments, which is universally called “Grand Slam”, is played by many people (restricted to 128 per gender in singles draws) around the world. They are played in a formal order where the Australian Open is the first, followed by French Open, the Wimbledon, and finally the US open. This event is considered as the most notable event of tennis tournament in the world.
Another sport that is considered to have been invented and popularized in United Kingdom was Golf. Specifically, the modern form golf can be traced in Scotland where its popularity has spread within the UK and was also a popular sport played by the Royalty. The golf as we know today has a standard “round” of eighteen holes in which the playing order is established relative to the course layout. Overall, there are a total of 20 or more professional golf tours, either run by the PGA or an independent organization. The most popular tour is the PGA Tour which pits the best golfers around the world.
Cricket is a type of bat-and-ball game which is played by two opposing teams with each consisting of 11 players. The origin of the game cricket can be traced back in the 16th century England, during the Tudor times. The Laws of Cricket was developed during the 1788 by the Marylebone Cricket Club or MCC. The later part 18th century was when New Laws was introduced. England has made the cricket as its national sports.
Other sports that can trace its roots in UK include the Ice Hockey, the biggest indoor sports of Britain. Boxing can also attribute its modernization in England, with the widely known Queensberry Rule founded in the 19th century. The most widely held sport in England using rackets is Badminton. Baseball games, too, are codified and termed in England during the 18th century.
England has made a first on these games, though some of the countries are dominating on some of them, it should not be the reason to make the English people disheartened. Athletes and players have made every effort to win and give pride for their country but roaring support of their countrymen chanting for victory can give them an invaluable boost of performance.
It is not about the quality of the players that should matter, it is instead the country’s support that has the biggest impact on their performance. Next year, all of these games are coming to England and it would be the perfect time to unite with one voice and give the support for the United Kingdom team by putting red silicone England wristband signifying the symbol of a unified nation and show to the other countries what the country can give.This wristband says a huge statement to the rest of the world “England, We made the game, you play it!”. The world should best not forget that we are coming to take back the trophies and STICK it to any other nation but flashing our wrist to anybody else.
Come on now, don’t be cheap put on that red silicone wristband and show the one love and assistance we can give to the national team.