The Sparkes cup

• 1847 boxing trophy
• William Sparkes
• Bare knuckle boxing (pugilism)
• Emerging Australian national identity

The Sparkes cup

The Sparkes cup is a nineteenth century engraved solid silver goblet. It was awarded to Australian bare knuckle fighter William Sparkes for good sportsmanship in his bout against Nat Langham at Richmond, England in May 1847. William Sparkes was the son of convicts and the eldest of four brothers brought up in a town called Sparkes Run on Cooks River in New South Wales.

The Sparkes cup. The floral chasing and cartouche on the Sparkes cup are consistent with an 1847 presentation. Photo: Lannon Harley.

The cup, 13cm high, is sterling silver and hallmarked as being made in London in 1800 or 1801. The provenance of the cup is difficult to trace during period between Sparkes' death in the late nineteenth century and 1949. But in 1949 the owner tried to have the cup valued – we know this because of a letter, dated 25 January, from the editor of the Daily Telegraph newspaper, Mr Cyril Pearl. In this letter, Mr Pearl informs the owner of his intention to photograph the cup and to publish a story on its history. Mr Pearl also recommended that the owner place the cup in 'some Australian museum'. The cup later went into the hands of a private collector who subsequently offered it to the National Museum of Australia.

According to contemporary accounts of the fight, Sparkes led the fight until the 63rd round when his arm was broken. Sparkes fought on with one arm until the 67th round when his manager threw his hat into the ring as a signal of defeat. On his return to Sydney, Sparkes was greeted by a crowd at the Sydney quay as a national hero.

Bell's Life in Sydney and Sporting Reviewer, on 18 September 1847, declared that his return 'was more like the triumphal entry of a conqueror than of a vanquished man whose prowess had been compelled to yield to superior science, linked with accident'.

Sketch of William Sparkes, Bell's Life in Sydney and Sporting Reviewer.

Boxing's humble origins

The Sparkes cup highlights the contribution of bare knuckle boxing to the development of Australia's sporting culture. Pugilism, or bare knuckle boxing, was a bloody sport that was popular in Australia for about 70 years. It was phased out of mainstream competiton with the introduction of Marquis of Queensbury rules in the 1870s.

Born in 1820, Sparkes was one of the first Australians to pursue a sporting career overseas. He can be seen as a significant figure in the development of Australian boxing from an underground bare knuckle league to a multimillion dollar enterprise. Despite his loss, the fact that he was awarded a solid silver cup illustrates the close association that boxing has with gambling and the significant amounts of money to be made in the ring.

Australian sporting prowess

Bare knuckle boxing was an avenue through which colonial Australians could begin to explore the idea of national identity through the hero worship of sportsmen. The ongoing idea of boxers as celebrities can be seen in the mythology that still surrounds twentieth century champions like Les Darcy and Lionel Rose.

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