Banter, masculinities and Rugby Union : exploring the relationship between masculinity and humour in men's lived realities of gender in a Northern rugby club

The term ‘banter’ refers to a specific type of jocular interaction that is playful in nature, but characterised by it’s often impolite, offensive, and abusive tone. An interactive practice that permeates many spheres of the social world, it is particularly prevalent within male-dominated sporting arenas. Indeed, banter is often an inevitable part of masculine rugby settings, and the people and interactions that help to construct them. Drawing on data from a three-year ethnographic study of a Northern Rugby Club, this thesis is concerned with how men experience and negotiate the gendered structures which underpin such sporting sites. In doing so, it provides an empirical examination of the ways in which banter is used to engage with hegemonic masculinities in practice. Moving beyond current conceptions of ‘the rugby lad’ to introduce the idea of ‘mischievous masculinities’, the thesis offers a nuanced way of theorising the relationship between masculinity and humour that enables greater flexibility in our understanding how men construct, deconstruct and negotiate the boundaries of their gendered identities. Indeed, by examining how banter is used within contemporary sporting communities, we can begin to be more productively account for, and problematize, the agency and diversity that characterises lived experiences of hegemonic masculinity.