Sport Is as Old as Humanity
Sport is defined as:
“An activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.”
The Council of Europe expands this to include improving physical fitness, mental wellbeing, social relationships, and competition at all levels.
The earliest evidence of organised sport dates back thousands of years. Cave paintings in France from over 17,000 years ago depict sprinting and wrestling. Neolithic art in Mongolia shows wrestling matches with spectators around 7000 BC.
The Ancient Greeks formalised the Olympic Games more than 2,000 years ago, featuring boxing, wrestling, and racing. The Romans staged gladiatorial contests — brutal spectacles of combat between fighters and wild animals.
From the very beginning, spectators were drawn not just to competition — but to physical dominance, strength, and controlled violence.
Violence, Survival, and Evolution
Early sports mirrored survival skills:
- Running to escape danger
- Fighting to defend territory
- Throwing weapons with accuracy
Watching these contests allowed spectators to experience the thrill of survival without personal risk.
Psychologist Dr Jeffrey Kottler suggests that humans evolved with a capacity for violence as a survival mechanism. In modern life, we rarely face physical threats like our ancestors did — yet those impulses remain.
Sport may provide a socially acceptable outlet.
George Orwell famously wrote in 1945: “Serious sport has nothing to do with fair play… It is war without shooting.”
Modern research supports this metaphor. A 2023 study of rugby fans and players found that participants often described the game using war-like language. Athletes spoke of duty and defence; fans admired aggression within the rules.
Violence, when regulated and framed as “part of the game,” becomes not only acceptable — but admirable.
The Justification of Risk
One of the most striking findings in research on violent sport is how easily spectators justify harm. Fans often distinguish between:
- “Legal” pain (within the rules)
- “Illegal” harm (rule-breaking)
As long as the tackle is permitted, the injury becomes part of the spectacle.
Broadcasters also shape perception:
- Slow-motion replays of heavy collisions
- Commentators describing tackles as “beautiful”
- Players minimising injury in interviews
Hashtags like #beautifulgame and #beautifulmove reinforce this narrative.
Violence becomes aesthetic.
Identity, Belonging, and Community
Sport also satisfies a fundamental psychological need: belonging. Supporting a team provides:
- Shared identity
- Community
- Ritual
- Emotional release
Being a fan becomes part of who we are. For many, it forms a core part of social identity.
The more physically demanding and “tough” the sport, the more it may symbolise resilience, strength, and loyalty — values deeply admired in society.
The Conflict
Sport Isn’t the Problem — Priorities Are
Here lies the contradiction.
Most of us reject violence in everyday life, yet we celebrate it in sport.
The difference lies in consent, rules, and cultural framing. In sport, violence is ritualised, regulated, and purposeful.
But consent does not eliminate risk.
Today we know more than ever about:
- Concussion
- Sub-concussive impacts
- Cumulative brain trauma
- Long-term neurodegenerative disease
Former athletes diagnosed with CTE often say the same thing: they are not asking for their sport to disappear — they are asking for player welfare to come before profit.
Violent and collision sports are unlikely to vanish. In many ways, they reflect deep human psychology and centuries of cultural tradition.
The question is not whether these sports should exist.
The question is whether governing bodies are willing to:
- Follow the science
- Enforce stricter concussion protocols
- Improve reporting systems
- Extend recovery timelines
- Prioritise independent medical oversight
In other words: are they willing to truly put player welfare first?
