Making Men

About this book

This volume is concerned with how an understanding of rugby football can provide insights into what it has meant to 'be a man' in societies influenced by the ideals of the Victorian upper and middle classes. The essays chart rugby's development from its origins in the English public schools and ancient universities to its acceptance in the farthest reaches of what was once the British Empire. Despite widespread geographical and cultural diffusion the game remained resilient in upholding the Victorian qualities of self-sacrifice and manliness. Making Men highlights the changes and continuities which the game of rugby and its masculine traditions have undergone in different times and places. It shows that, while rugby has been used as a means of promoting male exclu-sivity it has also been a means of cultural incorporation. The book concludes with a discussion of the present and future of rugby and the impact of the World Cup, professionalism and commercialism on the game.