New England Online > Culture & Society > Sports & Recreation
Sports & Recreation
New Englanders are avid sports players. A culture of healthy living has emphasised the importance of exercise and outdoor activity, and so most people participate in some form of sport and recreation. Most of New England's national sports teams carry the name of The Rams, or other like terms.
While New Englanders love sport, but have always shied away from the glitzy commerical events that surround events like the Olympic Games and other big international events. The government does not fund elite athletes, which has to many leaving to play for other nations, notably New Zealand and the United Kingdom. As well, many sports that were once popular in pre-independence times have faded as New England has changed. Sports like Golf and Horse Racing have almost vanished, owing to strict county planning controls preventing such large amounts of land given over for what is little than excusive private use by a small club. Motorsport is banned outright because it wastes precious fuel and promotes poor driving skills amongst young drivers.
Most Popular Sports
There is nearly every sport imginable played in New England. Most sportspeople participate in one of the major five sports. All have mens, womans and mixed competitions and are played on well prepared and funded venues in all the villages, towns and cities. The five most played sports are, in order:
Rugby Union Football - Rugby is the most popular team sport in New England. The sport is controlled by the New England Rugby Football Union. The national team usually plays between three and five home games a year from Kings Park in Armidale, with he most popular opponents are Australia and New Zealand. The premier domestic competition is the Rugby County Championship, which is made up of twelve teams that play from July to October every year.
Cricket - The game of gentlemen is the most played sport over the summer months, and is the second most popular overall. The sport is controlled by the New England Cricket Control Board or NECCB. The national team has been a test playing nation since 2029, and has enjoyed some success against much stronger Cricketing nations. The domestic competition is divided into limited over (County Cup) and first class (A.C. Windsor Shield) games, with each county represented by a team in both forms of the game. At the junior level, there are teams in every town and village, playing in competitions all through the summer.
Netball - Once played only by women, Netball is today a unisex sport in New England, having supplanted Basketball. The game is run by the Netball Association of New England. It is third most popular sport in New England. The female team, which are unofficially known as the Ewes, compete on an international level with some success. There is also a New England side that competes in the domestic competetion in New Zealand.
Australian Football - The Australian game is the number fourth most played sport in New England, and is especially popular amongst men. The New England Australian Football Association is the controlling body for the code. Most large towns have at least one team and compete in county-wide competitions every winter. The elite level of the code is the National Football Premiership played between twelve club sides between April and September.
Tennis - The fifth most played sport, tennis in New England is controlled by the Lawn Tennis Association of New England. There are six professional tennis players from New England who complete on the ATP circut. New England also competes in the Davis Cup and Hopman Cup competitions as a national team.
Other Sports
Most sports are played in some form, albeit in some cases by only a handful of people. Water sports like Sailing, Rafting and Canoeing are all popular, but the costs of boats can sometimes mean that it is too expensive for all people to enjoy. Swimming is taught to all children as public safety inititive and so almost eveyone can enjoy the water is some form. In summer, this is especially useful as a means of getting away from the heat.
Horse sports like Campdrafting and Polo are also popular in the rural counties of New England. Other sports that involve the showing of animals are common, especially in towns that have an annual Agricultual Show.
Indoor sports are, in all reality probably played by more people than any other, but actual numbers are not known. The most popular indoor games that people are known to play are Snooker, Volleyball and Squash.
