Stoolball: next stop, the Olympics

A medieval game that is almost exclusively played in the South East has been recognised as a sport.

The Sports Council agreed that Stoolball, which is played by up to 4,000 people in Kent, Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire, met its criteria.

A round willow bat and wickets made of wooden boards on stakes are used to play the game which has links to the development of cricket. . .

The game, which has a similar scoring system to cricket, is believed to date back to the 14th century with matches traditionally held during religious festivals.

There are also records of it being played in colonial Boston in North America.

From the BBC. The National Stoolball Association website is here.

Posted by David on April 2, 2008 12:37 PM