Louis Argentieri

Determining the Conditions for Rugby’s Survival in the Former British Colonies:A Game Theoretic Analysis of the Early Sports Cultures in New Zealand and India Louis Argentieri

Thesis • As a result of the violent nature of rugby, the aggressiveness of the population is the overriding factor in determining whether the colony adopts the sport • I will show this through analyzing the introduction of rugby in New Zealand and India

Background: Important Quotes • “War was a supreme recreation of the Maori and they were expert handlers of the taiaha and mere. They carried this expertise into the complex skills of handling and kicking a rugby ball. The tribal warfare with its stratagems and savagery in the attack was transferred to the storming of the goal-line. The missionaries did much to end the bloodshed between the tribes of Old New Zealand; in more modern times the game of rugby football provides some kind of outlet.” • Ryan, Greg. Tackling Rugby Myths: Rugby and New Zealand Society, 1854-2004. p. 89.

Background: Important Quotes • “Gandhi taught the Indians to accept the good that was in the British, while rejecting the harm that they were doing to India and its people. This meant that, after Independence, there was no contradiction in accepting cricket – it could very simply be seen as one of the British ‘good things’ which ought to be retained.” • Bose, Mihir. A History of Indian Cricket. p. 17.

Choosing a Dominant Sport in New Zealand New Zealand R F N R Britain F N

Choosing a Dominant Sport in New Zealand New Zealand R F R Britain F NE-pure = {(R, R)}

Choosing a Dominant Sport in India India R C N R Britain C N NE-pure = {(N, C)}

Evolutionarily Stable Strategies • For A to be a pure Evolutionarily Stable Strategy (ESS), such that A ≠ B, the following two conditions must hold: • (1) V(A|A) ≥ V(B|A) AND • (2) V(A|A) > V(B|A) OR V(A|B) > V(B|B)

Rugby vs. Football in New Zealand: ESS approach • Rugby satisfies conditions 1) and 2) and therefore constitutes a pure ESS: • V(R|R) = Pr – n > 0 = V(F|R) • Football fails to meet condition 1) and therefore is not an ESS: • V(F|F) = Pf + c < M = V(R|F) R F R F

Rugby vs. Cricket in India: ESS approach • Cricket satisfies conditions 1) and 2) and therefore constitutes a pure ESS: • V(C|C) = Pc > 0 = V(R|C) • Rugby fails to meet condition 1) and therefore is not an ESS: • V(R|R) = Pr - n < v + B = V(C|R) R C R C

Conclusion • The difference in the success of rugby in the two countries primarily stems from how each country accepted the rough nature of the sport. • Extending results to Australia, Fiji, and Tonga

Louis Argentieri