Soon after, in the United States, the playing of the national anthem before baseball matches became a feature during the first world war. Given the major role sport played in the establishment of empire for Britain, it is no surprise that the first sporting event to feature a national anthem was a rugby match in 1905 between Wales and New Zealand. In the context of the British Empire, this process involved both the celebration of conquest and, as is typical of imperialism, the subjugation and control of indigenous cultures. So, it is not surprising that many of the ideas and assumptions associated with national identity are rooted in what historian Eric Hobsbawm has deftly labelled “ the invention of tradition”. The modern nation state is a product of the 19th and 20th centuries. Intriguingly, the concept of “the nation” – and anthems invented to represent them are – historically, young.
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