We join two Tudor TV presenters as they talk sport in Tudor times.
COMMENTATOR 1: Oh. Welcome, welcome, sports fans to another edition of Plays of the Week with me your host, Wynkyn Thomas, and my co-host Lettice Play…
COMMENTATOR 2: Thanks Wynkyn. All ready for a thrilling show today. Where shall we begin?
COMMENTATOR 1: And we start off today over at the hallowed turf of Sudeley Castle, home to a number of Henry VIII's most famous jousting victories, until that horrific tumble in 1536 put an end to his career.
COMMENTATOR 2: Hmm, interesting. You know that sounds about the exact time he became a bit of a tyrant, if you ask me. I'm sure the two are connected. Tell us a bit more about the jousting.
COMMENTATOR 1: Alright. Well, you've got your weapons, you know, your lances made of ashwood, your axes, swords. You've got your transport of choice: usually your horses, reaching speeds of up to 40 kph; and you've got your head-to-head fights for money, or even for the favour of a lady; two riders, one at each end, ride each other and try to knock each other off.
COMMENTATOR 2: A violent sport, is it? One for the rich or for the poor?
COMMENTATOR 1: Oh, definitely a sport for noble folk and potentially very dangerous. You can knock them off. But you also get points for striking the helmet or the coronel - the head to you and me - of the lance; while hitting an opponent's horse is a no-go.
COMMENTATOR 2: Oh, thank goodness for that.
COMMENTATOR 1: What have you got for us, Lettice?
COMMENTATOR 2: Well, I've been receiving news about this football match for eight hours now and it's not even close to finishing. I tell you. The two entire villages have turned out. Yeah.
COMMENTATOR 1: Always a good turnout at the football.
COMMENTATOR 2: Oh, no, not a watch, to play… Who's at home looking after the cattle? That's my question. No, but seriously. There's no limits on the number of players and no limit on brutality, either, it seems. I've seen plenty of broken bones, bloody noses and some teeth flying about, let me tell you. I think we're going to need a few magic sponges from the old apothecary. Let's put it that way.
COMMENTATOR 1: What's the referee playing at? Has he lost control? Where's VAR when you need it?
COMMENTATOR 2: The ref's about a kilometre down the road trying to catch up. Think Capture the Flag, but with a ball made out of a pig's bladder. To get it between the goalposts, you can kick it, carry it, throw it. This game I'm watching now, three kilometres apart, the posts!
COMMENTATOR 1: Oh, sounds awful. I don't even know why we're still reporting on it. It's been banned since 1540.
COMMENTATOR 2: It's the beautiful game. You can try to ban it. But people keep playing it!
COMMENTATOR 1: Moving on…maybe something less violent?
COMMENTATOR 2: Sure, we can go over to Hampton Court Palace and speak to our real tennis correspondent, Annette Sirviss.
ANNETTE SIRVISS: Thanks. Lettice. I'm here in the viewing gallery, which also just happens to be one of the goals, keeping a close eye on the game of real tennis playing out in front of me.
COMMENTATOR 1: Aren't you supposed to just hit it over the net? You'll have to tell me more.
ANNETTE SIRVISS: Of course. Real tennis, the sport of kings, once played with hands. We now use racquets - handy. There's a play line six metres up on all four different-sized walls. The ball can't hit above there, but it can hit the rest of the walls, and, unbelievably, the sloping ceiling too. There's a net, though sometimes it's just a cord. The main aim? You win points by getting the leather, stuffed ball as far as you can past the net without it coming back to you. There are lines on the floor to measure how far away the ball has landed and hazards or goals to hit in the other side of the court. Points win games. Games win matches. I think that's about all there is to it.
COMMENTATOR 1: Always straight to the point, Annette. Right, Lettuce, any more for any more?
COMMENTATOR 2: Last up on my script, the ever-popular…public executions.
COMMENTATOR 1: That's all we've got time for this week! Join us next week for more Plays of the Week!
8. Tudor sports
This episode imagines what a TV sports programme might have been like in Tudor times. The sports covered are:
- Jousting. Jousting was the exclusive preserve of wealthy knights and lords. Contests were arranged by heralds and there was much money to be made by jousting champions. There were strict rules to follow and the jousters sought to earn points - for example by breaking the lance of the opponent. Those taking part did not seek to hurt each other, but the sport could be dangerous. Henry VIII was a keen jouster and was seriously injured on more than one occasion. In 1536, aged 44, Henry's horse fell on top of him. It is generally agreed that Henry's health - both physical and mental - began to decline following the accident.
- Football. Football was popular in Tudor times - but it was very different to the game we know today. The matches would be played across open countryside and often were played between entire villages. The aim was to capture the ball and bring it back to your own village. Injuries were commonplace - one Tudor 'commentator' observed that: Sometimes their necks are broken, sometimes their backs, sometimes their legs, sometimes their arms, sometimes one part is thrust out of joint, sometimes the noses gush out with blood. Perhaps it is not surprising then that a law was passed in 1540 banning football.
- Real tennis. Another sport for the wealthy. This early form of tennis was played indoors and allowed the ball to be bounced off the walls of the court, with the aim of hitting three 'goals'. Henry VIII was a keen player and had a court built at Hampton Court in 1530, where he is said to have spent a great deal of time.
Video questions
- What is the name of the castle where Henry VIII won some of his jousts? (Sudeley Castle)
- What are you not allowed to do in jousting? (Hit the opponent's horse)
- Was jousting a sport for the rich or poor? (For the rich - you'd need a horse, armour, equipment and somewhere suitable to arrange a tournament)
- How many people were in a Tudor football team? (As many as wanted to play!)
- How is real tennis different from tennis today? (The ball can be bounced off the walls; the aim is to strike the ball into one of the 'goals' placed high on the court)
- What other form of 'entertainment' is mentioned at the end? (Bear-bating)
Further resources
Teacher Notes
Download / print the Teacher Notes for this episode.
Downloadable Transcript. document
Download / print the transcript for this episode.
This film is relevant for teaching History within the National Curriculum at KS2 in England and Northern Ireland and equivalent levels in Scotland and Wales.
7. Tudor jobs. video
Merchants, servants, farm workers, the Groom of the Stool - exploring the world of Tudor work.
How the Tudors rose. video
Explaining how Henry Tudor became Henry VII, King of England.
2. Henry VIII. video
Exploring the circumstances that led Henry VIII to marry six times.
See also...
Music - Songs about life in Tudor times - a collection of songs about life in Tudor times
Dance - The reign of King Henry VIII - exploring the time of Henry VIII through movement and dance
The Tudors - Audio - comic sketches and powerful dramas exploring life during the Tudor dynasty
