Most countries in the world have their own well known sport that is unique to the country. Each of these sports have a different origin and why they are unique to the country.

Australia: rugby

In Australia, rugby is considered the most popular sport to watch and to play. The first rugby club was formed in 1863 at a Sydney University. After the start of rugby, Queensland experienced their first inter-colonial match that was administered by by the Queensland Football Association. Later on 1865, the Waratah Rugby Club invited the Austrian Rules Football Club and the Carlton Football Club to play two matches. These matches attracted 3,000 spectators to watch the defeat of the Carlton. To this day, rugby still remains the most popular sport in Australia, with hundreds of matches each season.

Canada: hockey

The first known record of hockey in Canada was on Oct. 25, 1825, where Sir John Franklin, an Arctic explorer, noted in a journal that “men from his party skated and played hockey on Great Bear Lake.” After this, hockey quickly spread across Canada and became a very well known sport. The governor, Lord Stanley, later on donated a trophy to the sport which is known today as the Stanley Cup. By 1890, almost every Canadian province or territory had their own hockey team, which led to the formation of The National Hockey League (NHL) in 1917. Today, hockey is the most popular sport to both play and watch. With seven teams in Canada, each person has their own team to root for.

China: martial arts (Kung Fu)

Martial arts was first developed in China as a form of self defense and to fight off attacks. Kung Fu, the form of martial arts we refer to today, was formed under the Shaolin Temple. In their fitness program, the monks developed physical movement and breathing exercises. These exercises were focused on the improvement of health and control of the mind. Today, Kung Fu is practiced all over China not only as a form of self defense, but as a way to feel in control of the your body.

England: football

Before the sport football was founded, Mesoamerican cultures from over 3,000 years ago would kick around a rock. The ball would symbolize the sun and the captain of the losing team would be sacrificed to the gods. The real game developed in the 12th century, but included rough behavior such as pushing, kicking and shoving. In 1863, the first football association was formed in London when it was decided that a person could not use their hands during the game and a standardization of the size and weight of the ball was established. Today, every one in five adults in England play football in some form and have a team to root for.

US: American football

The roots of American football come from the sports rugby and soccer. On Nov. 6, 1869, the first college football game was played, Rutgers v. Princeton. By the 1880s, football spread to athletic clubs and star players were awarded trophies. Today, football is celebrated every weekend during the fall, leading up the final game of the pro season, the Super Bowl. Many children in the U.S. get involved in football and strive to be a famous athlete one day.