One of the most interesting aspects of the world of modern sport is its intersection with religion.
This is something that has spanned several centuries and is complex (to the point of contradiction) in many ways.
On the one hand, some churches tried to ban the practice of certain sports and even the practice of all Sunday sports. On the other hand, other churches immediately understood the power of being associated with physical activity.
This second aspect worked in different ways. Sport was presented as a way to fight against “degeneration” and against the ills of modern life, particularly for the urban working class, seen as polluted by middle-class clergy.
Aside from serving as a broader response to saving people from drunkenness and debauchery and other acts of ungodliness, there was also an ambition to use sport to attract people to an active pursuit of religion. It made sense for religious organizations to get involved in the formation of sports organizations.
Southampton Football Club, for example, owes its origins to a football club founded in 1885 at St Mary’s Church in the city.
Likewise, the formation of clubs such as Aston Villa, Glasgow Celtic and Everton were closely linked to religious institutions.
The strains of religious association with the sport in English football have dragged on over the decades. This is a question of symbolism as well as substance.
This is symbolized by the fact that for almost 100 years the Christian hymn “Abide with Me” has been sung in the last few minutes before the FA Cup final kicks off.
The sheer scale of modern sport, the fact that it is absolutely central to so many aspects of social and cultural life, ensures that it remains a focal point of activity for people who believe in spreading the message of Christianity.
One such organization active in the UK is Christians in Sport. This organization had its origins in a meeting at the Park Lane Hotel in London in July 1976.
About 80 people attended, including former Wimbledon champion Stan Smith. And from that meeting, Christians grew into sports and began to thrive.
The scale of Christian activity in sports is significant now. It is a registered charity and the Charity Commission for England and Wales shows there were 36 staff working there for the year ended 31st August 2021. There are also more than 150 active volunteers.
His total income for that year was more than £1.7million; This included donations of more than £1.4million and more than £77,000 from the government. Total revenue over the past five years is close to £10m.
The organization also operates an online store selling branded merchandise across a wide range of sports gear, all branded with the Christians in Sport name and logo. There are gym bags and sweatbands, jerseys and water bottles, hats and bumper stickers, and an extensive selection of books, including one featuring “24 Bible Studies to Help Players and Coaches Grow in Christ as They Compete.”
The money that is used, among other things, to pay regional employees who work for “young people, students, adults and top athletes”. This goal is to “equip Christian athletes to live and speak for Jesus in their colleges and sports clubs.”
One of the things the workers are involved in is running summer sports camps for 12 to 17 year olds.
There are also outreach staff for elite athletes. This is a significant challenge. Jonny Reid of Christians in Sport stated: “We try to help athletes connect sport and their faith for themselves. We’re also trying to equip them to talk about Jesus with their teammates. Covid has helped in one way by allowing peer group meetings to be held on Zoom. So we would have 30 coaches and maybe 25 elite players coming together on Zoom to read the Bible and pray together. We also help these people connect to communities in their area.”
These are Protestant churches, but across all sports and all religions, how players should act when their religious beliefs conflict with their chosen sport is not a simple one. And it’s a question that gets even more complicated when the chosen sport is also the player’s job?
A great example of this is the brilliant Australian rugby league player William Hopoate, who plays for St Helen’s in the European Super League.
Hopoate is a Mormon, refused to play on Sundays and in 2011, when he was considered the hottest rugby league contender in the southern hemisphere, left the game and began a two-year Mormon mission. And that despite the fact that clubs across the NRL took advantage of his services and offered lucrative contracts.
In refusing to play on a Sunday, Hopoate explained he was following Scripture about the meaning of Sunday: “It is a holy day reserved for sacred activities such as attending church and studying the scriptures. In addition, we avoid work and free time whenever possible.”
His former coach at Australia’s The Bulldogs supported Hopoate’s decision not to play on Sundays, even if it meant missing important games. Des Hasler said: “His convictions set him apart. That makes him tick. We are very proud to have such a person within our walls. To deny a person something so basic is to deny that person the right to be who they are.”
Another aspect of the influence of religion can be seen in the recent game between Manchester United and Leicester City. In a weak game, Leicester centre-back Wesley Fofana was the best player on the field.
What made his performance all the more remarkable was the fact that Fofana was just returning from action after suffering a horrific leg fracture earlier in the preseason.
Not only that, his manager Brendan Rodgers said afterwards: “He just started Ramadan. He hasn’t eaten or drunk anything. Playing like that shows what kind of player he is.”
Regarding Christians in Sport, former Ulster second-row player Peter Browne is tasked with working with professional rugby players across the UK. His father – Leonard – had been involved in sport at Christians since the 1970’s and Peter himself had been in sport at Christians in his teenage years.
While in Ulster he was part of a weekly Bible study group with some other teammates. He retired in 2018 on medical grounds with multiple concussions. His job now is to encourage rugby players in their Christian faith and that includes elite Irish players.
In Northern Ireland, Christians in Sport summer camps sell out in 30 minutes. They start in the morning with a main sport chosen by the players – rugby, football, track and field or hockey, depending on which camp a player chooses. And in the afternoons there is some kind of multi-sport programme, including Gaelic football.
The plan for Christians in Sport is that they move to the south of Ireland to progress. They wish to register as a charity and will be supporting Christ City Church Dublin running a sports camp in Dublin, Sports Extra, this summer.
It is a reminder that the relationship between sport and religion has endured and evolved. And that will continue to be the case.
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