Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Golf and Cricket connected to 'imperial exploitation', academics say

The exhibition at St Andrews University in Scotland points out how raw materials from British colonies were utilised to make equipment for the sports played by empire builders.

Golf and Cricket connected to 'imperial exploitation', academics say

The University of St Andrews has said that Golf and Cricket were ‘imposed’ around the world by the British Empire, according to a report in The Telegraph.

A new exhibition by the University examined the sport’s contentious links and found out that Golf balls were the product of colonial exploitation. 


The Fife town of St Andrews is known as the 'home of golf' for its 600-year playing history.

According to the institution, Cricket also was an imposition as it was similarly carried across the globe by amateurs from the UK.

The display information at the St Andrews exhibition said that Golf balls were once made using rubber harvested from colonial territories.

It added that British enthusiasts established Golf clubs from South Africa to Hong Kong.

“By recreating and imposing British sports in colonised countries, golf and cricket were spread around the world. Natural resources from colonised countries were exploited to make sporting equipment," the display information says.

“Gutta percha, a natural rubber material found in trees native to south-east Asia, was harvested to make golf balls for the European market.”

The information is displayed next to the Karahi Golf Club Cup, the prize given by one of the many British-founded clubs in India during British rule. Such clubs were also formed in Canada, Egypt, Sri Lanka and Malaysia.

Gutta rubber grew most abundantly in Malaysia, which was formerly held by the British.  Victorian scientists discovered that rubber was the perfect and profitable material for covering burgeoning telegraph wires.

Its natural bounce also made it ideal to make a new 'gutta ball'. According to the report, it was invented in 1843 by St Andrews student Robert Adams Paterson, replacing the older 'feathery ball' made from feathers and stitched leather.

Meanwhile, some experts warned about the ecological damage caused by rubber plantations in the region.

Museum Galleries Scotland funds the exhibition which also supports a nationwide review of national ties to the slave trade.

The event, which runs at St Andrews affiliated Wardlaw Museum until October, highlights the financial connections between St Andrews and the figures who profited from slavery.

The Re-collecting Empire exhibition also includes displays arguing that European textile mills created wares inspired by styles “that originated overseas” in the colonies - and therefore “exploited the originating culture”.

It is part of St Andrews pledge to continue 'examining the legacies of Empire in our collections and exploring how we can build a more equitable future'.

“The Re-collecting Empire exhibition opens at a time when museums and galleries across the UK and beyond are rethinking how best to care for objects in their collections that were acquired during periods of colonial rule," Dr Emma Bond, exhibition consultant and St Andrews academic, told The Telegraph.

Golf has been played in St Andrews since the 15th century. Land was set aside for people to play the sport in 1552.

The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, founded in 1754, is also credited with first codifying the rules of the game in its recognisable modern form.

More For You

11th UK Gatka Championship

All winners received medals and trophies

UK Parliament

11th UK Gatka Championship ends with Welsh debut and £1,000 support for Gatka Akharas

Highlights:

  • The 11th UK National Gatka Championship was hosted near Cardiff, marking the first time in Wales.
  • Winners included Roop Kaur (girls), Navjot Singh (boys), and Gurdeep Singh (men’s).
  • Gatka Federation UK awarded £1,000 to each participating Akhara to support martial arts promotion.
  • Chief guests included MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi and Harjeet Singh Grewal, President of the World Gatka Federation.

Gatka Championship marks Welsh debut

The 11th UK National Gatka Championship concluded on a high note near Cardiff, Wales, showcasing the traditional Sikh martial art with flair. Seven leading Gatka Akharas participated, thrilling spectators with their lightning-fast strikes, precision moves and elegant techniques.

Inauguration by global leaders

The tournament was inaugurated by Harjeet Singh Grewal, President of the World Gatka Federation (WGF) and the National Gatka Association of India (NGAI). He was joined by Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi MP, President of Gatka Federation UK, alongside other dignitaries including Jagbir Singh Jagga Chakar, President of Wales Kabaddi Club, and community leaders from the Haveli Hotel Pontyclun.

Keep ReadingShow less
Vantara

The site, located in Gujarat, houses hundreds of elephants, as well as 50 bears, 160 tigers, 200 lions, 250 leopards, and 900 crocodiles. (Photo: Instagram/Vantara)

India court probe clears Ambani family’s animal centre

AN INDIAN Supreme Court-ordered investigation has cleared a large private animal facility run by the son of Asia’s richest man, rejecting allegations of wildlife violations.

Vantara, described as the “world’s biggest wild animal rescue centre,” is operated by Anant Ambani, son of Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani.

Keep ReadingShow less
Starmer

Starmer, who has faced negative coverage since taking office in July 2024, defended the appointment process.

Reuters

Starmer: I would not have appointed Mandelson if aware of Epstein ties

PRIME MINISTER Keir Starmer said on Monday he would not have appointed Peter Mandelson as UK ambassador to Washington had he known the extent of his links with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

This was Starmer’s first public statement since dismissing Mandelson last week. The prime minister is facing questions over his judgement, including from Labour MPs, after initially standing by Mandelson before removing him from the post.

Keep ReadingShow less
Trump

Trump said the suspect had been arrested earlier for 'terrible crimes,' including child sex abuse, grand theft auto and false imprisonment, but was released under the Biden administration because Cuba refused to take him back.

Getty Images

Trump says accused in Dallas motel beheading will face first-degree murder charge

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump has described Chandra Mouli “Bob” Nagamallaiah, the Indian-origin motel manager killed in Dallas, as a “well-respected person” and said the accused will face a first-degree murder charge.

Nagamallaiah, 50, was killed last week at the Downtown Suites motel by co-worker Yordanis Cobos-Martinez, a 37-year-old undocumented Cuban immigrant with a criminal history.

Keep ReadingShow less
Starmer Mandelson

Starmer talks with Mandelson during a welcome reception at the ambassador's residence on February 26, 2025 in Washington, DC.

Getty

Starmer under pressure from party MPs after Mandelson dismissal

PRIME MINISTER Keir Starmer is facing questions within the Labour party after the sacking of US ambassador Peter Mandelson.

Mandelson was removed last week after Bloomberg published emails showing messages of support he sent following Jeffrey Epstein’s conviction for sex offences. The dismissal comes just ahead of US president Donald Trump’s state visit.

Keep ReadingShow less