Sport is often considered one of the most unifying tools for peace in the world and it may even be having an influence on Tasmania’s North-South divide.
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In an article on North-South relations in The Companion to Tasmanian History, Judith Hollingsworth said the conflict and rivalry between the two halves of the island has been an enduring factor for two centuries.
From as early as British settlement in Tasmania in the early 1800s “historical events conspired to develop a spirit of rivalry between the north and south of the island”, Hollingsworth said.
After all this time, could it be possible that a team with ‘Hobart’ in its name is helping to lessen the divide?
It may sound foolish but there are countless examples throughout history which show how sport can bring people together in spite of war, disaster or fear.
The Olympic flame is a symbol of harmony, with athletes and spectators spreading a message of peace.
This week the Queen’s Baton Relay will come to Launceston, a tradition aiming to celebrate the Commonwealth’s diversity, inspires community pride and excites people about the world-class festival of sports and culture to come.
So it is not entirely out to the realm of possibility to believe the Hobart Hurricanes could help to remove a small part of the parochialism in Tasmania.
Our SEABL teams are rivals, we don’t have a statewide AFL or A-League team but we do have the Big Bash.
While the first BBL match played outside a capital city saw the Hurricanes outgunned by Sydney Thunder, the Launceston crowd of 16,734 showed how eager we are for further involvement in the national twenty20 competition.
Even if you are only a casual watcher of the cricket, it’s likely you would have noticed how often the word ‘Launceston’ is spoken aloud.
It helps when one of the best players in a generation is from our humble city, but Ricky Ponting is not the only reason people across the state are joining the Cane Train.
Even our politicians appreciate the power of the purple haze, with funding to support more matches in the North one of the Liberal’s election promises.
Despite the Hurricanes not taking home the win one thing is for sure, all Tasmanian cricket fans were supporting them last night.
