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Abstract
Few sports teams or sports events compare with the British and Irish Lions series for showcasing collectively the talents of elite-level male rugby union players from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The 2005 tour to New Zealand, which was billed by the Lions management team and media consultants as the ‘Power of Four: One Objective’, was widely regarded as ‘disastrous’ and tension-ridden, not least because of the outcome – 3-0 to New Zealand –, the size and national make up of the playing squad, the inclusion of public relations consultant Alistair Campbell in the tour party and the unintended consequences arising from this, and notable tour events such as the ‘staged’ photo shoot between Clive Woodward and Gavin Henson and the infamous spear tackle on Lions captain, Brian O'Driscoll. The Lions series provides an interesting paradox in its juxtaposition of Celtic and Anglo-Saxon rivalries with international rivalries whilst, at the same time, it reflects unifying and divisive elements of national identity between, and for, the four Home Nations. Set in this context, we examine press coverage of the 2005 series which included four English tabloid and broadsheet newspapers, two from Wales, Ireland and Scotland, including all Sunday editions. Particular sensitizing concepts derived from figurational sociology were used to identify categories of meaning within the coverage such as Lions building, national tagging and untagging, invented traditions and defence of home players. The findings of this study centre around the use of praise and blame gossip in reinforcing national habitus and invented traditions such as the ‘Welsh Way’, the related amplifying and de-amplifying role of the press, and a correlative heightening of the English–Celtic nations' rivalry despite attempts by the press and other commentators to temper this whilst invoking a sense of Lions unity.
Notes
1 Previous titles have included, in chronological order, the Home Nations (from its inception in the late 1800s), the British Isles (up to 1950), the British Lions (until 2001) and the British and Irish Lions (currently abbreviated to the Lions).
3 Thomas, The History, 262–3.
4 In a reflection on his involvement in the 2005 series, Campbell noted that ‘I warned him [Woodward] that I was such a neuralgic figure with the media that they might not be able to resist making me the story, particularly if things went wrong, and that might not be good for him … Fair to say, I failed spectacularly to make friends with the British and Irish media, or with the New Zealanders’ (The Sunday Times, October 14, 2007, 10).
5 The head coach of the 2009 Lions squad is Ian McGeechan, former Lions player, assistant coach to the 2005 tour and head coach of the successful 1997 tour to South Africa. His aim is to ‘learn from the lessons of the 2005 tour’ and to have ‘one coaching team and one group of players’ … ‘We will take about 35 or 36 players on the tour and unity will be critical’ (bbc.co.uk/sport, May 15, 2008).
6 Cited in Maguire and Tuck, ‘Global Sports’, 107.
7 This is despite the fact that the All Blacks have not won the World Cup in the post-1995 professional era.
8 CitationDonnelly, ‘The Local and the Global’; Maguire, Global Sport; CitationBairner, Sport, Nationalism; CitationBloyce and Murphy, ‘Baseball in England’.
9 Bairner, Sport, Nationalism; Maguire and Tuck, ‘Global Sports’.
10 CitationColley, ‘Britishness and Otherness’; CitationColley, Britons; CitationKiely, McCrone and Bechofer, ‘Whither Britishness?’; Ward, Britishness since 1870; CitationWeight, Patriots.
11 CitationWard, Britishness since 1870, 3, 5. For example, Ward notes that ‘in April 1916, the majority of nationalist Ireland supported a moderate form of devolutionary and parliamentary nationalism. This form of nationalism may not have embraced Britishness but it could certainly accommodate itself to remaining part of the United Kingdom’. Similarly, ‘two sides can also be seen in Scotland in the late twentieth century’ where one in three Scots ‘considered themselves at least equally British and Scottish’. (Britishness since 1870, 5.)
12 CitationMaguire and Tuck, ‘Global Sports’, 109–10.
13 Tuck argues that, in the British context, rugby union appears ‘to be significantly connected to a specific type of Englishness (which has ‘race’, class and gender connotations)’ (CitationTuck, ‘Rugby Union’, 178).
14 CitationFalcous and West, ‘Press Narratives’, have also examined New Zealand press narratives of the 2005 Lions tour and the ways in which the local sporting press establish, define and reinforce the boundaries of ‘national’ communities.
15 Maguire and Tuck, ‘Global Sports’, 105.
16 Inglis, Global Ireland, 118.
17 CitationMalcolm, ‘A Response to Vamplew, 261.
18 For example, CitationMaguire, Global Sport; CitationMaguire and Poulton, ‘European Identity Politics’.
19 See CitationMaguire and Tuck, ‘Global Sports’; Tuck, ‘Rugby Union’.
20 CitationMaguire and Tuck, ‘Global Sports’, 103.
21 CitationMennell, Norbert Elias; CitationMurphy, Sheard and Waddington, ‘Figurational Sociology’.
22 CitationElias, The Society of Individuals, 182–3.
23 CitationElias, The Society of Individuals, 209.
24 See, for example, CitationElias and Scotson, The Established.
25 CitationBloyce and Murphy, ‘Involvement and Detachment’, have also commented on several methodological flaws in the established-outsider work of Elias and Scotson, but conclude that the theoretical understanding generated by the approach, particularly in relation to differential interdependency, is a useful concept for analysing complex power relations.
26 Elias and Scotson, The Established, xvii. In his words, ‘by applying it as a gauge to other more complex figurations of this type, one can understand better the structural characteristics they have in common and the reasons why, under different conditions, they function and develop upon different lines’ (CitationBloyce and Murphy, ‘Involvement and Detachment’, have also commented on several methodological flaws in the established-outsider work of Elias and Scotson, but conclude that the theoretical understanding generated by the approach, particularly in relation to differential interdependency, is a useful concept for analysing complex power relations).
27 Elias and Scotson, The Established.
28 Elias and Scotson, The Established, 104.
29 CitationMaguire and Tuck, ‘“A World in Union?”’, 122.
30 Maguire, ‘Globalisation’, 297.
31 CitationCrolley and Hand, Football and European Identity, 2.
32 While we subject their contributions to the same type and level of analysis as dedicated sportswriters, it is important to clarify here that treating former players now working as guest writers in the same way as other reporters/journalists is not to assume these two form part of a homogenous group. We return to this point in our concluding comments.
33 CitationGoudsblom, Sociology in the Balance.
34 CitationGoudsblom, Sociology in the Balance, 181.
35 CitationElias, Involvement and Detachment.
36 CitationElias, Involvement and Detachment
37 CitationElias, Involvement and Detachment and CitationElias, What is Sociology?
38 For the most part, the established sports journalists were ‘natives’ of the respective nations and audiences for which they wrote. The national background of guest writers/experts (usually past players) did not necessarily match the national background of readers.
39 CitationGoudsblom, Sociology in the Balance, 183.
40 CitationBryman, Social Research Methods; CitationPayne and Payne, Key Concepts.
41 Bryman, Social Research Methods, 187.
42 Elias and Scotson, The Established.
43 ‘Clive: I won't feel obliged to pick the Welsh’, The Sunday Telegraph, April 10, 2005.
44 ‘Coach keeps faith in World Cup heroes’, The Sunday Times, April 10, 2005.
45 In the words of former Lions’ player, Clem Thomas: ‘The announcement of 21 Englishmen, 11 Irish, 10 Welsh and three Scots was startling given that England and Ireland had performed miserably in the Six Nations, while Wales had won the Grand Slam with some enterprising and inspirational rugby. That Ireland deserved more players than Wales was completely illogical and the over-abundance of Englishmen astonishing’ (The History, 261).
46 ‘I've chosen my Lions’, The Wales on Sunday, April 10, 2005.
47 ‘Jones in line for pivotal place in Test XV’, The Western Mail, April 12, 2005; emphasis added.
48 ‘I've chosen my Lions’, The Wales on Sunday, April 10, 2005.
49 ‘Eleven Irish go on Lions tour’, Irish Times, April 12, 2005.
50 ‘Only three Scots make the grade for Lions squad’, The Scotsman, April 12, 2005.
51 ‘Whitewash will get the job done’, Daily Mail, April 12, 2005
52 ‘Eleven Irish go on Lions tour’, The Irish Times, April 12, 2005.
53 ‘Insult to Scotland’, The Scotsman, April 12, 2005.
54 Maguire, Global Sport, 202.
55 For example: ‘Wales have supplied the finesse and scoring instinct with six of the Lions’ last seven tries being scored by our players' (‘Too many over-the-hill English, not enough Welsh players … It points to a Lions defeat, I'm afraid’, Western Mail, June 23, 2005); ‘The Lions saviour was, in effect, Ronan O'Gara’ (‘Lions tour'20’, The Irish Times, July 6, 2005).
56 ‘Snub for White as Dallaglio tour ends’, The Scotsman on Sunday, June 5, 2005.
57 ‘Lions bosses deny bias against Scots’, Daily Record, 6 June 2005.
58 The first XV selected for this first test were eight English, four Welsh and three Irish players, with five English, one Welsh and one Irish player named as replacements.
59 ‘Snubbing Scots duo will haunt Woodward’, Daily Record, June 20, 2005.
60 ‘We'll all be back say rocked Scots’, Daily Record, June 21, 2005.
61 See previous clarification concerning the use of this term. From here on, for ease of reading the term ‘press’ or a phrase involving the specific title of a newspaper (e.g. ‘The Scotsman wrote that’) is taken to refer to those journalists and editors who represent this medium in the particular national context.
62 ‘Bulloch makes last push for Test place’, The Scotsman, July 5, 2005.
63 ‘Thank you Sir Clive, for providing a perfect example of why we don't want a British Football team’, The Scotsman, July 6, 2005.
64 ‘What a load of Bullochs; Scots get third Test snub from Woodward’, Daily Record, July 8, 2005.
65 ‘Snubbed Gavin hits back with two-try show to prove his point’, Western Mail, June 22, 2005.
66 ‘Too many over-the-hill English, not enough Welsh players … It points to a Lions defeat, I'm afraid’, Western Mail, June 23, 2005.
67 ‘Zinzan rift warning’, Western Mail, June 24, 2005.
68 ‘New Zealand coaches in Woodward blast over the old guard Test’, Western Mail, June 29, 2005. For the second Test, six Welsh, six English and three Irish players were selected in the starting XV, with three English, two Welsh and two Irish players in the replacements.
69 ‘What a load of Bullochs; Scots get third Test snub from Woodward’, Daily Record, July 8, 2005. The 3rd and final Test XV was made up of six English, five Welsh and four Irish players, with three English and Irish players and one Welshman as replacements.
70 Cited in Goudsblom and Mennell, eds, The Norbert Elias Reader, 107.
71 CitationBarlow, Mitchell and O'Malley, The Media in Wales, 25–6.
72 Bairner, Sport, Nationalism, 63.
73 Bairner, Sport, Nationalism, 65.
74 Bairner, Sport, Nationalism, 51.
75 ‘Leslie hits out at unsociable Lions’, The Scotsman, June 18, 2005.
76 ‘JPR diagnoses that the Lions need to bond’, The Daily Telegraph, July 3, 2005.
77 ‘So Clive, what really are your reasons for leaving out Gavin?’, Western Mail, June 21, 2005.
78 ‘Woodward must open his eyes’, The Sunday Telegraph, June 26, 2005.
79 ‘Woodward fails with win and spin tactics’, The Scotsman, July 4, 2005.
80 ‘Old pals’ act was biggest error’, The Irish Times, July 5 2005.
81 ‘Woodward living in the past’, Irish Star, July 7, 2005.
82 Irish Star, July 7, 2005
83 CitationRowe, Sport, Culture. 110.
84 CitationElias, The Civilizing Process, 352.
85 ‘The priority is to get the basics right’, The Daily Telegraph, June 30, 2005.
86 ‘Editorial Comment: We just hope you've got it right this time, Clive’, Western Mail, June 23, 2005.
87 ‘Woodward discards Henson and plays English cards’, The Guardian, June 20, 2005. Anne Robinson, a British (English) television presenter, had wanted to put the Welsh into Room 101, a BBC television programme where celebrities are asked to place in the Orwellian ‘Room 101’ their most detested things. On the show first aired on 5 March 2001, Robinson declared that the Welsh were ‘irritating and annoying’.
88 ‘Woodward spins a line for Wales’, The Daily Telegraph, June 24, 2005.
89 ‘Too many over-the-hill English, not enough Welsh players … It points to a defeat, I'm afraid’, Western Mail, June 23, 2005.
90 Western Mail, June 23, 2005
91 Western Mail, June 23, 2005
92 ‘Welsh stars picked to rescue Clive's Lions’, Western Mail, 30 June 2005.
93 ‘Led a Maori dance’. The Scotsman on Sunday, June 12, 2005.
94 Woodward omitted six of the ten Welsh players on the tour for the first Test starting XV, and included only one Welshman in the replacements.
95 ‘Editorial Comment: We just hope you've got it right this time, Clive’, Western Mail, June 23, 2005.
96 ‘Why Woodward has no option but to go Welsh’, Western Mail, June 27, 2005.
97 Western Mail, June 27, 2005
98 ‘Will we play the Welsh Way? Wait and see, smiles skipper’, Western Mail, July 1, 2005.
99 ‘Lewsey looks for lilywhite lessons from testing tour’, Robert Kitson, The Guardian, July 9, 2005.
100 ‘Home unions ignore tour lessons at their peril’, The Daily Telegraph, July 11, 2005.
101 ‘Case for Welsh but not to play fast and loose’, The Guardian, June 27, 2005.
102 Maguire, Global Sport.
103 ‘Jenkins takes Carwyn route to fire that big assault’, Western Mail, June 6, 2005.
104 ‘Confidence high as Lions turn screw’, The Irish Times, June 9, 2005.
105 ‘Lions tour’, The Irish Star, July 6, 2005.
106 ‘He's Charlie Gorgeous’, The Sun, June 9, 2005.
107 ‘Blunder 'n lightning’, The Sun, June 16, 2005.
108 ‘Wilkinson at centre of a gamble’, The Guardian, June 23, 2005.
109 ‘Jonny's just right for the centre stage’, Daily Mail, June 24, 2005.
110 ‘Wales will be the real winners from this tour’, Western Mail, July 5, 2005.
111 ‘The only ones to gain are our boys’, Wales on Sunday, July 10, 2005, emphasis added.
112 ‘Dismal tour’, The Irish Star, July 11, 2005.
113 ‘That's how you crush Kiwis Clive’, Daily Record, July 6, 2005.
114 ‘Spin cannot disguise costly errors’, The Daily Telegraph, July 11, 2005.
115 CitationO'Sullivan, Dutton and Rayner, Studying the Media, 3.
116 ‘You can't hide your Lions eyes’, Wales on Sunday, June 26, 2005.
117 ‘Still a place in the game for tour de force’, The Daily Telegraph, July 4, 2005.
118 ‘How is this a success Clive?’, News of the World, July 10, 2005.
119 ‘Old pals’ act was biggest error’, The Irish Times, July 5, 2005.
120 ‘Comment’, Western Mail, July 8, 2005.
121 ‘Nice PR, shame about the rugby’, The Guardian, June 27, 2005.
122 ‘Lions into kittens’, News of the World, July 3, 2005.
123 ‘Campbell had no business on the Lions tour’, The Daily Telegraph, July 13, 2005.
124 CitationThomas, The History, 260.
125 CitationElias, The Germans, 353.
126 CitationElias, The Germans, 127.
127 CitationInglis, Global Ireland.
128 CitationInglis, Global Ireland, 118.
129 Barlow, Mitchell and O'Malley, The Media in Wales, 25.
130 CitationAndrews, ‘Welsh Indigenous!’, 345.
131 As we noted above, it was widely reported that, for instance, Campbell was involved in a team talk prior to one match.
132 CitationJarvie, Sport, Culture, 111.