Ethnic Persistence: Towards Understanding the Lived Experiences of Pacific Island Athletes in the National Rugby League

The emergence of Pacific Island (PI) ethnicities in the National Rugby League (NRL) over the past 18 years is widely acknowledged. At present, participants who have PI or Maori heritage represent 38% of the NRL's senior roster plus 37% at the National Youth Competition (NYC) level. This paper will examine the complex personal and ethnic biographies, and the process through which these athletes create their identities as a minority group within the culture of professional rugby league. In particular, the theoretical concept of ethnic persistence provides a way to understand the identity formation of PI athletes currently in the NRL. Rather than being assimilated into Western culture, the cultural discourses that are inextricably linked to ethnic PI identities are crucial to understanding the experiences of footballers in the NRL. The experiences of the footballers, characterised by a lack of understanding and acknowledgement of PI traditions, suggest that national identities, rivalries and conflict that have shaped the history of these island nations are overridden in favour of common traits, experiences and heritage.