Boxing Day Sport

Boxing day is the day we commemorate the first Christian martyr, Stephen. For most people Boxing Day is a sporting day to wear off some of the excesses of yesterday.

Many coaches come to Scarborough for Christmas bringing those who want an hotel based break where everything is done and organised for them by others. Today those coaches will take them out of town into the surrounding countryside to participate in the colourful spectacle of one or other of the local hunts. Down on the beach the traditional football match will be in progress.

A couple of news items, with pictures, attracted my attention.

"Unbeaten Chorister's rugby team hit the right notes"

Durham cathedral chorister's school has an under 13 rugby XV this season have played 10 games, won 10, with points for 486, points against 0. The housemaster in charge of the team comments 'I have taught here for 18 years and had some very good rugby teams, but none compared with this one. They really are a team, working for each other in every practice and every match. Winning every match is one thing; conceding no points is just incredible. They can be very proud of themselves."

"Vatican hopes to field a team of premier league priests"

The Vatican wants to put together a football team of priests in training capable of competing in Italy's top league. However they will insist that games will not overlap with Mass. Pope John Paul II was a goalkeeper in his youth whilst the present Pope received Pele during the last World Cup and paid a visit to the German training camp. A Cardinal promoter of the scheme says 'Football can play an exemplary role in the lives of young people and football stadiums are an ideal spot for Church recruitment'.

Every diocese in the Church of England has a clergy cricket team sponsored by the Bishop. They play with keen rivalry in a league which results in the premier team being awarded the Church Times Cricket Cup each season.

The Advent Calendar "Advent Stories" referred to in an earlier blog had a window which was about "Ambassadors in Sport" where Jessica Iddam of Manchester A in S ("bringing hope through football") witnesses to his faith and evangelistic outreach through this successful organisation (http://www.aisint.org/).