Is Cricket Canada's National Sport?

When you think of the leaders in international cricket, the Canadians don't exactly spring to mind, so as England and Canada face each other this weekend in the cricket world cup, it's interesting to ask if cricket is Canada's national sport?
So is it? Er, no it isn't.
Canada's has 2 national sports, defined by law in the 1990s. They are ice hockey for the winter, and lacrosse for the summer.
Cricket used to be huge in Canada, as an ex-British colony. In fact, the match between the USA and Canada held in Sept 1844, is not only the oldest known international in cricket, it's the oldest known international fixture in *any* sport!
I did some research, and it turns out that the game was between a New York team and a Toronto team, but both teams sought players from their countries, so in effect they were representative teams, and it has long been held that it did count as a US v. Canada match!
I love that kind of history in sport - it's one of the things that's great about it - a rich history, which is always being added to, only getting ever richer as time goes on!
Cricket didn't last as a popular sport in Canada, nor in the US for that matter, unlike other ex-Brit colonies like Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, etc.
Maybe it's the cold weather, maybe it's infiltration of other sports from the US, but the cricket world cup in 2007 sees Canada as just there to make up the numbers.
Having said that about cricket, that is not the case with the sport of curling! Canada has a huge percentage of all the world's curlers. As a newcomer to the sport, I will be watching that sport's World Champs this week also, where the Canadians are *always* expected to do well.
So, as you enjoy the cricket, the curling, or any sport, you can now show off your knowledge about the oldest sporting international!
Gordon Bryan is the author of 'Make Money From Sport,' a guide where he takes you through the single technique he uses again and again to profit from any sport! Find out more at: http://www.gordonbryan.com/sport
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