By Joe Boaden, ECB Reporters Network
Welsh language version of this article available by clicking this link
Cricket Wales’ move to increase the use of the Welsh language in cricket is helping to engage more people into the sport.
On St David’s Day three years ago Cricket Wales sought to appoint an advisory group, known as Grŵp Cymraeg, to support them with their commitment to increasing the use of the Welsh language at all levels of the game.
It was part of a wider strategy to improve equity within cricket, with language identified as important in terms of participation and engagement within communities.
Cricket Wales knew that 17% of their coaches spoke Welsh and, with one in five people living in Wales speaking the language – a figure that is reported to be growing – successful steps have been taken.
Modules to grow the number of coaches who can use the Welsh language were introduced, highlighted the positive aspects of delivering bilingual sessions, and equipping coaches with the correct Welsh terminology for their sessions.
Grŵp Cymraeg was formed to ensure that Welsh cricket remains relevant to Welsh speakers and to support clubs to have the confidence to use Welsh in their activities. It is largely made up of club representatives who are passionate about using Welsh.
The group is run by members and reaches out to clubs who aren’t sure how to get started with incorporating the Welsh language at their club or, where clubs already use Welsh, accelerate what they already do.
Where there have been a high proportion of Welsh speakers at cricket clubs, coaches have conducted sessions either bilingually or exclusively in Welsh. Additionally, All Stars and Dynamos cricket sessions can now be advertised and conducted in Welsh.
Gareth Lanagan, who chairs Grŵp Cymraeg, said: “For people to engage and feel ownership of their sport they've got to feel that the sport represents them in some way.
“There's always anxiety or nerves around going to a new session. When you're having to do that in a language which is far more difficult to you often we're putting kids off before they get to a point where they engage with the sport.
“That element of being able to speak and hear Welsh in the first session is important to relax people and make them think that's an environment where they can be comfortable.
“For example, Grŵp Cymraeg have created free-to-use social media templates for clubs to use so that their communications can go out in Welsh and English, giving clubs confidence of the correct use of Welsh.”
Cricket Wales has identified that social media has been a powerful way of broadcasting the work clubs do in their communities and that this reach could be extended even further by publishing content in Welsh.
“The initial thing was to increase the visibility across Cricket Wales’s platforms and amateur clubs in general to show people that cricket was a sport that did use Welsh and for those Welsh speaking communities that it was something that they can engage with,” Lanagan added.
Included in the social media templates are templates for fixtures, team sheets, and results on slideshow that can be edited by clubs to add their own logos, colours, and sponsors. In addition, Cricket Wales have produced a document with translations of key cricket terminology in English and Welsh.
Lanagan added: “Cricket is a very terminology heavy sport and so when that's done in a language that you don't 100% get that just makes the barrier a greater one.”
The Welsh Language Commissioner has also highlighted work Grŵp Cymraeg have done.
Other initiatives to promote the use of the Welsh language in cricket include the Taste Of Cricket cookbook in which six recipes were translated from English into Hindi, Urdu, and Welsh.
“What we want is bilingual settings because that's what our society is. Our society is generally bilingual,” Lanagan said.
“Cricket is sport that’s given me absolutely loads. I think that the increased use of the Welsh language will allow more people to engage with a sport that can give you loads.”