Thomas Hadfield looks back into Wales’ history and the once widespread sports played in the country, and where to still play some today.
Wales in the modern sporting world is best known as a country dominated by a love of rugby, and more recently, football. A proud sporting nation, Wales has produced many stars over the years in a number of different sports, but some of the traditional Welsh sports have been somewhat left behind and forgotten. So in a country with a passion for sport, can these pastimes make a comeback?
Bando is a sport not too different from hockey and hurling, and was played in Wales throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. It basically involves using a stick, called a bando, to hit a ball into a goal marked by two posts. Sounds very similar to hockey, expect for the fact that the pitches could be up to two miles long, and players weren’t afraid to hit their opponents with their bandos. Bando largely died out in the late 19th century, as rugby started growing in popularity in Wales, and the sport is now only played sometimes during Easter celebrations.
Another sport that hasn’t survived through the years in Wales is cnapan. This sport was usually played between rival parishes and is believed to be the sport that rugby evolved from. The object of the game was to get a small ball into the opposing team’s area, which could have even been a certain part of the town or even a church. Cnapan was known for being incredibly violent and even led to deaths in some rare cases. The teams were usually split into groups of bigger men who acted as blockers, like forwards in rugby, and smaller, faster men who could run with the ball and avoid the opposition, like modern wingers. There were even instances when richer members of the community would use horses to play, while everyone else had to run. Cnapan evolved into organised rugby, and although it was played briefly during the 1980s and 90s, it has unfortunately died out as it was altogether too violent.
Pêl-law, or Welsh handball, is a historic sport that originated in Wales and is thought to be the first national sport of Wales. It’s a bit like squash in that you hit a small ball against a wall, except you use your hands rather than a racket. The sport provided a much needed escape for many Welsh people during times of hardship throughout history, and enjoyed a revival during the late 20th century. In Nelson, the first ever purpose built pêl-law court was constructed, and still stands today as a Grade II listed building. People still play handball on the court today, but essentially you can play anywhere as long as you have a ball and a wall.
Welsh baseball is arguably the most well known traditional Welsh sport, as it was and still is played in many schools as part of PE lessons. Similar to rounders, Welsh baseball is played with a batting team and an opposing fielding team, with the object of the game to gain the most runs by getting around the bases. The sport is still played recreationally in Wales, with the Welsh Baseball Union and Welsh Ladies Baseball Union organising leagues and cups between teams. Although the ladies’ sport is flourishing, the men’s league has struggled recently, blaming a lack of interest from youngsters as the cause. However, you can still play for your local Welsh baseball side, by visiting the Welsh Baseball Union website and contacting them from there.
All in all, Wales seems happy to keep enjoying sports like rugby, football, and cricket as national pastimes. Saying that, there’s no reason traditional sports like pêl-law and Welsh baseball can’t make comebacks in the coming years if the people of Wales fancy trying something new by going back to their roots. But until then, at least we have Gareth Bale and Leigh Halfpenny to entertain us.
Info: www.wlbu.org / www.welshbaseball.co.uk