At a session on the Eisteddfod field, a panel of philosophers, academics, and former players will discuss hot topics such as nationalism, anti-doping, and player safety on the field.
The session will be led by Professor Carwyn Jones, a lecturer in Sports Ethics at Cardiff Metropolitan University, who recently won an award from Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol for his Welsh-language podcast discussing sports ethics.
The discussion at the Eisteddfod will follow some of the themes covered in the podcast and will range from who should be allowed to represent their country, the effectiveness of anti-doping efforts, and measures to reduce the risk of head injuries in sport.
Joining Carwyn on the Eisteddfod panel will be former international rugby player Dyddgu Hywel, Sports historian Beth Jones and Dr Meilyr Jones, who completed his doctorate under the sponsorship of Coleg Cymraeg, examining the use of the Welsh language in football clubs and sporting governing bodies.
The discussion will be chaired by Aneirin Karadog, who has a particular interest in one of the topics to be discussed - who should be allowed to play for their country.
According to Carwyn Jones, “I know Aneirin well and have often discussed nationalism on the playing field with him. He was a natural choice to chair the discussion. Our debate will look at elements such as who should be allowed to play for their country and how strict the rules are.
“We’ll also discuss topics such as whether it's reasonable to expect players to ensure no banned substances enter their bodies unintentionally, and whether it’s realistic to eliminate the risk of concussion entirely in contact sports such as football and rugby.”
Sports historian Beth Jones, who has just started a doctorate funded by Coleg Cymraeg looking at the history of football in north Wales, is also on the panel and is looking forward to discussing the position of women in sport.
Beth said, “I’m really looking forward to the discussion and the variety of topics that will be covered. We could have a very interesting conversation about how women are assessed after head injuries—and how these assessments have been created for evaluating men, which isn’t always suitable for women.
“There are also interesting recent studies looking at the potential connection between the menstrual cycle and injuries, and whether women should consider what time of the month it is and whether that affects their game or risk of injury.”
According to Emily Pemberton, Equality Officer at Coleg Cymraeg, “This is going to be a fascinating discussion that will deal with some of the ethical themes featured on the podcast. The themes on the podcast include racism and racial stereotyping in sport, issues related to the rights of transgender athletes, sportswashing, fairness, role models, and nationalism.
“These are important and current topics, and it’s great that this session is being held at the National Eisteddfod so they can be discussed through the medium of Welsh.”