“Volkekunde” in the academic and rugby world of South Africa’s Dr Danie Craven

This article is a foray into the field of anthropology (“volkekunde” in Afrikaans) and sport history. It examines aspects of the sport-related thinking of a noted luminary in South Africa’s rugby world, Dr Danie Craven of Stellenbosch. He was not only an outstanding rugby player but also for many ye...

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Main Authors: Marizanne Grundlingh, Albert Grundlingh
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: AOSIS 2021-12-01
Series:Contree
Subjects:
Online Access:https://newcontree.org.za/index.php/nc/article/view/16
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author Marizanne Grundlingh
Albert Grundlingh
author_facet Marizanne Grundlingh
Albert Grundlingh
author_sort Marizanne Grundlingh
collection DOAJ
description This article is a foray into the field of anthropology (“volkekunde” in Afrikaans) and sport history. It examines aspects of the sport-related thinking of a noted luminary in South Africa’s rugby world, Dr Danie Craven of Stellenbosch. He was not only an outstanding rugby player but also for many years an influential chairperson of the South African Rugby Board. The possibility is probed that his outlook was at least in part informed by his background as an anthropologist or the Afrikaans variant of a “volkekundige” with its own emphases. It is argued that to some extent his academic exposure to “volkekunde” heightened for instance his understanding of the role of the New Zealand Māori in that country’s rugby culture and some insights spilled over into his attempts to bring coloured South African players closer to the mainstream of rugby in South Africa, not always with the necessary political sophistication or finesse. Finally, it is argued that what he called the “spirit” of rugby, might have been informed by anthropological precepts.
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spelling doaj.art-11332f4712484f8d8c81e79c12d99bc92023-06-08T15:05:51ZengAOSISContree0379-98672021-12-0187010.54146/newcontree/2021/87/0516“Volkekunde” in the academic and rugby world of South Africa’s Dr Danie CravenMarizanne Grundlingh0Albert Grundlingh1IIE Varsity CollegeUniversity of StellenboschThis article is a foray into the field of anthropology (“volkekunde” in Afrikaans) and sport history. It examines aspects of the sport-related thinking of a noted luminary in South Africa’s rugby world, Dr Danie Craven of Stellenbosch. He was not only an outstanding rugby player but also for many years an influential chairperson of the South African Rugby Board. The possibility is probed that his outlook was at least in part informed by his background as an anthropologist or the Afrikaans variant of a “volkekundige” with its own emphases. It is argued that to some extent his academic exposure to “volkekunde” heightened for instance his understanding of the role of the New Zealand Māori in that country’s rugby culture and some insights spilled over into his attempts to bring coloured South African players closer to the mainstream of rugby in South Africa, not always with the necessary political sophistication or finesse. Finally, it is argued that what he called the “spirit” of rugby, might have been informed by anthropological precepts.https://newcontree.org.za/index.php/nc/article/view/16sport and anthropologyrugby culturemaorifandomapartheid“volkekunde”stellenbosch
spellingShingle Marizanne Grundlingh
Albert Grundlingh
“Volkekunde” in the academic and rugby world of South Africa’s Dr Danie Craven
Contree
sport and anthropology
rugby culture
maori
fandom
apartheid
“volkekunde”
stellenbosch
title “Volkekunde” in the academic and rugby world of South Africa’s Dr Danie Craven
title_full “Volkekunde” in the academic and rugby world of South Africa’s Dr Danie Craven
title_fullStr “Volkekunde” in the academic and rugby world of South Africa’s Dr Danie Craven
title_full_unstemmed “Volkekunde” in the academic and rugby world of South Africa’s Dr Danie Craven
title_short “Volkekunde” in the academic and rugby world of South Africa’s Dr Danie Craven
title_sort volkekunde in the academic and rugby world of south africa s dr danie craven
topic sport and anthropology
rugby culture
maori
fandom
apartheid
“volkekunde”
stellenbosch
url https://newcontree.org.za/index.php/nc/article/view/16
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AT albertgrundlingh volkekundeintheacademicandrugbyworldofsouthafricasdrdaniecraven