Themes

The Navy's People

• Naval Lives

• In Focus: Women in the Navy

• In Focus: Recreation and Time off

  • Personal Time

  • Living Conditions

  • Sports

  • Crossing the Line across the century

  • Parties onboard

  • NAAFI

• In Focus: Discipline and Punishment

Learning

• How To: Understand Naval Medals

Sports

Keeping fit and healthy

During the early 1900s the Royal Navy became increasingly interested in organised sports both for physical training and recreation.

The Navy made Physical Training a specialist branch in 1900. By 1908 the PT course had grown so much that the Physical Training School moved from HMS Victory, Portsmouth's Naval Barracks, to new purpose-built premises just outside on Pitt Street.

Sport has become very important to the Navy and they use it as a tool for fitness, teamwork and to engender community relations

PT instruction on on HMS Argonaut, 1941 (RNM)

Article highlights

• Keeping fit and healthy

• Sport in the Navy

• Sports at sea

• Sports and community relations

• Record breakers and extreme sports