Does The "Spirit Of The Game" Matter In Sport?

The Luke Alfred Show

There’s been great deal of talk about “spirit of the game” in recent months, some of it erudite, some of it hot air. Most recently we were told that a 7-1 forwards backs split on the Springbok bench for the Twickenham friendly against the All Blacks wasn’t the done thing.
Before that we were told by certain sections of the English media that Alex Carey’s run-out of Jonny Bairstow was against “spirit of the game” too.
But what is the “spirit of the game” exactly? Does a notion that belongs to a time when sport was played by amateurs for the purposes of moral upliftment have relevance in today’s sporting world? If it does, how does one define it?
We all instinctively feel that we know it when we see it but we also recognise that it’s not a law, so those who are found wanting in it application can’t be sanctioned. Why bother if it seems so nebulous. Through a series of anecdotes, in this week’s podcast we have a long hard look at that slippery sporting notion the “spirit of the game”.

Donate to The Luke Alfred Show on Patreon.
Get my book: Vuvuzela Dawn: 25 Sporting Stories that Shaped a New Nation.
Get full written episodes of the show a day early on Substack.
Check out The Luke Alfred Show on YouTube and Facebook.