Ryoma Suzuki -
As the Rugby World Cup came to a climactic close in Paris last October, the impressive performances of the Pacific nations highlighted the legacy of British colonialism in the Pacific regions. Introduced to New Zealand in 1840 by British colonists, rugby found its roots in Oceania with the first match held in New Zealand in 1870, two years before the end of the Māori Wars. Rugby thus provided an opportunity for both the British and Māori to channel strength and authority, and rebuild peace after 25 years of conflict, through the game allowing both communities to express their combativeness away from the battleground. Ever since, rugby has spread across the Pacific region and become a reminder of British colonial influence, transcending sport and symbolising the newfound cultural identity of nations in the Pacific. New Zealand’s famous Ka Mate Haka dance exemplifies this fusion, merging Māori culture with colonial influences, reflecting a distinctive Pacific identity.
Bibliography:
Mackay, Scott, and Daniel Guinness. “Coloniality of Power and the Contours of Contemporary Sport Industries: Fijians in Australian Rugby.” In Labour Lines and Colonial Power: Indigenous and Pacific Islander Labour Mobility in Australia, edited by VICTORIA STEAD and JON ALTMAN, 207–32. ANU Press, 2019. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctvp2n5k6.15.
Jaurès, Jean. “The Development of Rugby in the Pacific Islands.” Université Toulouse, 2014
Developers, Oceanic. n.d. “History.” Official Website of Fiji Rugby Union. https://www.fijirugby.com/rugby-house/history/.
“Maori and Rugby.” n.d. Nzhistory.govt.nz. Accessed February 20, 2024. https://nzhistory.govt.nz/culture/nz-natives-rugby-tour/maori-and-rugby.
“New Zealand Rugby History.” n.d. All Blacks Experience. https://www.experienceallblacks.com/insider-information/introduction-to-rugby/#:~:text=Rugby%20arrived%20in%20New%20Zealand.
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