Managing Community Sport Events for Heritage Outcomes

Increasingly, scholars have examined the relationship between sport events and both tangible and intangible heritage. However, few have examined this relationship in the context of community sport events organized by and for local residents. Thus, the purpose of this study was to understand how a community sport event is organized for outcomes related to heritage and rural culture. Using an instrumental case study approach, drawing on interview and observational data in the context of the Opeongo Heritage Cup, we investigated how organizers and participants use sport as a platform to engage with heritage and rural culture. Two main themes were developed: enabling playful enactments of culture, and fostering intergroup connections and relations. The findings are discussed through a lens of heritage sport events and liminality. This research has empirical and theoretical implications, extending understanding of sport’s relationship to rural heritage and culture.