Barette (sport)

Barette, Barrette or Barrette Acquitaine was a form of football, originating in the south-west of France. Very similar in outward appearance to rugby union, it was codified in the 1880s and evolved into a popular women's team sport in the 1920s before disappearing shortly before the Second World War.

Background

La Barette, or "the football", was played for many years prior to the nineteenth century in southern and central France. Also known as hien in Picardy, Artois and Brittany, and sometimes soule or shul its name comes from the name for the ball - the "barette".[1]

Originally there were fairly large local differences: in some areas the ball or barrette could (or had to) be struck "with the fist" (sometimes protected by a gauntlet, a leather cuff, or wood) while elsewhere only the foot could be used, although in all versions the ball could also be carried. The shape of the ball was also variable: sometimes it is spherical, sometimes ovoid, and it also varied in size. The "goal" also varied: here a simple line on the ground, there a pair of poles or stakes driven into the ground, elsewhere, a hoop.

However, by the end of the nineteenth century the rules adopted in Paris had prevailed. Players (and particarly schools [2]) from across France wanted to play against each other, and a common set of rules were required. An inter-school tournament began in 1890, initially with only three teams, but the number of entries grew quickly as over the next decade.

"Paris" rules (circa 1889)

The following is a summary of the nationally adopted "Paris rules" of Barette, as played in schools and clubs at the end of the nineteenth century.[3]

Rugby, and the decline of barette

Rugby was first played in France in 1879[4] - at the same time as barette was codified and began to expand. This appears to have created fertile ground for rugby to expand, which it did - especially in the main barette-playing areas of the south-west.[5] As rugby expanded so barette declined.

After the First World War the game did have a brief revival as a purely women's team sport. With the active support of leading French rugby players such as André Theuriet, national championships are developed.[6] Film and photographs from the period[7] show a sport almost identical to a 12-aside form of rugby, other than having some restrictions on tackling below the waist.

However, by the early 1930s the revival was over and after the Second World War the barette had virtually disappeared.

Famous players

Simone Weil - French philosopher, Christian mystic, and social activist - is widely reported to have "played rugby", though the sport she was playing was almost certainly barette.[8]

References

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