The juridification of sport: A comparative analysis of children’s rugby and cricket in England and South Africa1

Abstract

This article takes as its point of departure the notion of juridification in sport and, in particular, the perspective that the term has previously often been used in sport and law literature in a too narrow and limiting sense. Using the work of Ken Foster as a platform, the article examines a more nuanced notion of juridification. It does this by first unpacking two levels of juridification – the more well-known notion of increased legal intervention is considered before moving on to a more sophisticated application of the idea in terms of its impact upon rules and practices in sport. Foster termed this juridification as domestication. The article then applies these ideas in a practical context by examining two applications of the two children’s sports (rugby and cricket) in England and South Africa. The article concludes as to the future developments that are likely to occur. Despite the economic and cultural differences it seems likely that South Africa will continue to follow England, as is the case with the first level of juridification, and that the rules and their enforcement will themselves become more domesticated. It is likely that coaches and educators will find themselves under increased pressure to conform from both a general fear of litigation and a changing internal regulatory regime of sport codes.

Hierdie artikel het as uitgangspunt die begrip juridifikasie in sport, en in die besonder die perspektief dat die term in die verlede dikwels in sport- en regsliteratuur in ’n te eng en beperkende sin gebruik is. Met die werk van Ken Foster as basis, ondersoek die artikel ’n meer genuanseerde siening van juridifikasie. Dit word gedoen deur eerstens twee vlakke van juridifikasie te ondersoek: die meer bekende begrip van verhoogde intervensie van die reg in sport, opgevolg met ’n meer gesofistikeerde toepassing van die idee in terme van sy impak op reëls en gebruike tydens sportbeoefening. Dit is wat Foster getipeer het as juridifikasie as ’n vorm van ‘domestication’: die opname van regsbeginsels in die huishoudelike reëls, regulasies en bestuur van sportsoorte. Die artikel pas daarna hierdie idees in die praktiese konteks toe, deur twee toepassings in sportdeelname (rugby en krieket) van kinders in Engeland en Suid-Afrika te ondersoek. Die artikel sluit af met ’n bespreking van die verwagte toekomstige ontwikkelings. Ondanks die ekonomiese en kulturele verskille skyn dit asof Suid-Afrika steeds Engeland gaan volg, soos met die eerste vlak van juridifikasie, en dat die huishoudelike reëls, en die afdwinging daarvan, volgens regsbeginsels benader sal word. Afrigters en opvoeders sal toenemende druk ervaar om hierby aan te pas, op grond van sowel die vrees vir litigasie, as die veranderende interne reguleringsbenadering van sportsoorte.