Stoolball might not be a household name as a sport, but one academic at UCFB is hoping to change that.
Genevieve Gordon, Convener of Law at UCFB, has been elected to the board of Stoolball England to help with governance of the sport and its restructuring as it bids to become more commercially attractive to investors and attract more competitors.
Genevieve Gordon, Convener of Law at UCFB
What is stoolball we hear you ask? It’s not too dissimilar to cricket. There are two wickets that are shoulder height and stood 14 meters apart; a bat with a round face and a ball that’s thrown underarm. Scoring is exactly the same as cricket too – there’s a boundary to score four and six and players run between the wickets to pick up runs. The game is over 500 years old and is even referenced in Shakespeare’s play, The Two Noble Kinsmen.
Gen played the game herself as a youngster at school as the summer sport, but now it’s her experience in commercial sport law that is being sought by the board.
Stoolball England are aiming to promote the sport in schools and communities. They aim to grow the sport beyond its predominantly young female base. Historically the game was played by families, and mixed-gender games are common. In 2012, the first international match featuring England was played.
In the role Gen hopes to assist with the planning of the expansion of stoolball, promoting the sport in parts of the country where it’s not so well known with it more prominently seen today in southern counties. She also wants to further her experience of being a board member in a sport that’s going through a period of change.
She said: “It’s a pleasure to be invited to join the management committee of Stoolball England. I hope to lend my support to strategic projects to enable the game to grow and re-establish itself as the engaging game it is, creating more opportunities for communities and individuals to be involved, whilst assisting with the establishment of a team to represent the country. With there being more interest in sport than ever before, it is a pertinent time to get involved.”
