ABSTRACT
Based on research from sources primarily within South Africa, this chapter examines sport played by both the British military and the Boers during the South African campaign. In doing so, it explores selected cases where sport crossed the boundaries of politics and warfare and, in particular, highlights sport played in the prisoner of war camps by both sides during the war. Organized Boeresport (rural sports), including athletics and horse racing, and informal fun and games were popular throughout the war and especially prevalent on the traditional feast days and public holidays of the Republics. The development of sport and physical training in the late Victorian British army meant that for the soldiers serving in South Africa during the 1899–1902 campaign, sporting activity formed an important part of their daily existence. South Africa was highly unstable around the time of the Anglo-Boer War, with both Britain and the Boer Republics keen to impose their influence over the populace.
