Customer Reviews

Rugby and the South African Nation: Sport, Culture, Politics and Power in the Old and New South Africa (International Studies in the History of Sport)

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This book was very interesting. It presented a unique view of the way rugby shaped South African society and influenced the way whites percieved themselves. It also includes a scholarly discussion oof the ways in which rugby influenced apartheid. This book is very different, and quite mind-expanding.

In their book, David Black and John Nauright delve deep into the roots of sporting history in South Africa - tracing it to its British origins - while also tracing the roots of South Africa's widely-known racist ideologies and exploring their effect on each other through the sport of Rugby. Black and Nauright imply that rugby is one of the most important sports in South Africa, if not the most important, and that sanctions imposed by international sporting organizations on the game had the most deeply-felt effects on the apartheid government.
The first few chapters of the book provide a general history of sports in South Africa and follow the development of rugby. The middle chapters present the meat of apartheid and sport in South Africa, with stories of international sanctions and particular focus on South Africa's relationship with New Zealand and Australia. Writing about the 1995 Rugby World Cup held in South Africa, Black and Nauright make a clear statement that many government efforts at presenting a reformed face to the sporting world were superficial and short lived.
Overall I found the information in the book to be helpful, but hard to swallow at times. The highly academic language was a factor, as well as the sheer volume of information crammed into such a small space. Both factors served to dull an otherwise fascinating topic. The notes at the end of chapters however, were useful, and there is no doubt that the authors presented a well-researched project in their book.

David Black and John Nauright's Rugby and the South African Nation steps the reader through the history of rugby in South Africa. From the early 1800's until the late 1900's, rugby was brought by the British, developed in their missions and played key roles in the lives of both South African settlers and natives. Black and Nauright did a good job explaining the importance of each major topic on the overall effect of the people and government in South Africa. The use of words that leaves many readers going for the dictionary together with long complicated sentences made it obvious that they wrote this book for the well-educated reader. This book did discuss, as the title suggests, rugby and its role in South Africa.

Black and Nauright start with the history behind white and black rugby in South Africa and how it has helped form the nation. They write in depth on the secret society of the Broederbond as well as the sporting relationship with New Zealand and the Rugby World Cup of 1995. Each of these chapters are well organized individually, however, seem to be awkwardly organized in the overall structure of the book.

This book should not be read for pleasure purposes. It has a depth of information regarding the effects of rugby on the South African Nation that will inform anyone who reads the book. Black and Nauright are sometimes hard to follow, however, seem to know the material and write like their readers have at least a limited knowledge of rugby and the South African Nation. You may spend considerable time re-reading sentences in order to decipher the authors' thoughts.

This book thoroughly covers the topic of racial segregation in South Africa with a huge emphasis of rugby. It begins with a historical preview to the apartheid era and lets the reader gain the perspective through the use of sports in both white and black communities. During the apartheid era, sport was only partially accessible to the black population. This was due to white dominating elites suppressing the black population and limiting funding for their physical education.

The authors choose to highlight various aspects contributing to the topic of sports and politics. These include, the secret white society, the Broederbond, New Zealand's important sporting ties with South Africa, the 1995 Rugby World Cup, and various sub-topics. The concluding discussion considers South Africa's current position involving rugby's decreasing influence in politics and the future for South Africa integration.

The authors are repetitive at times and use unnecessarily advanced language to describe common ideas. This was frustrating and made the book fairly dull at times, but never the less, a very educational read with a plethora of knowledge composing this text.

Rugby and the South African Nation

The importance of rugby in South African life has served as a focal point for political change throughout the past two centuries. David Black and John Nauright's Rugby and the South African Nation is a detailed historic account of the role this sport has played in the forming, and eventual breaking down, of caustic government-sanctioned racism. Together these authors narrate the chain of events surrounding rugby competition that led to the strict apartheid policies for which South Africa became known--including the overwhelming worldwide response that has helped to bring reform to South African society. The book resembles a collection of essays, exhaustingly describing the different political aspects tied to rugby. Obviously the result of years of research and immersion into sport politics, the book is a dense collection of facts and insight into the world of South African sport.

The book begins by explaining the use of rugby as a status indicator among black and white South African societies. The reader is then led through the evolution of rugby in both races and how it came under white control--closely monitored by the powerful white supremacist Broederbonds. Through long-winded sentences and a sea of facts, the authors present the chain of key political events that brought on the international boycott of South African sport competition, the rise and fall of the Broederbonds, and their effect on the nation. The profound impact of the 1995 Rugby World Cup and the slow road to reform Nauright and Black describe also portray the ongoing battle South Africa faces against racist views in sport and politics. In this way rugby, being as much an indicator of social class as a sport of extreme athletic competition, is thereby portrayed to serve as a main force of change among South African government and international relations.

Rugby and the South African Nation is a wealth of knowledge and a true resource to the history of national politics centered around sport. It succeeds in relating the personality of the nation and the passion with which they embrace rugby, albeit hidden in a hard to follow mass of facts. The authors often relate the same period of history again and again, each time emphasizing different views. This method of writing is wonderful in making sure the reader gets a full picture of sports life in South Africa, yet may come across as disjointed and redundant. In all, if one can wade through long excerpts, obscure words, and a whirlwind of minor and major facts, the book reveals itself as a priceless historical account of the fight against apartheid.