Abstract

In this article it will be concluded that if a sporting institution is to thrive it must abandon harmful practices and conventions. This inquiry will focus on the harmful practices that enable and preserve female-targeted sexism, paying particular attention to the Henley Royal Regatta, a British sporting event, and its female counterpart, Henley Women’s Regatta. It will be argued that, in adhering to “cultural preservationism” some sporting institutions perpetuate morally culpable traditions, preferring to place greater value on their historical significance and associated cultural prestige over an egalitarian agenda. In this cultural examination, it will be demonstrated that women are severely disadvantaged—both socially and in sporting aspects—by the practices that Henley Royal Regatta rigidly enforces, while further illustrating that Henley Women’s Regatta does little to rectify the situation. It will be suggested that holding women-only competitions, at least in the context of rowing, reinforces what is referred to as the Beauvoirian concept of “Otherness.” While acknowledging the overall significance of cultural preservation and tradition in British sport, this article will employ the “preservation of moral sport argument,” which suggests that traditions that are morally culpable should be abolished. The overall conclusion will be that, although traditions can be an important part of sport, the abolition of harmful practices and conventions is essential if sport is to remain relevant and reflective of the moral values of the society it represents.