The mimicry of men : rugby and masculinities in post-colonial Fiji

While the literature on post-colonialism and modernity in post-colonial societies is vast, perspectives on gender performances in this context remain scarce. As a part of a larger study of masculine performances in Fiji, this research paper draws upon historical material and ethnographic case studies to discuss contemporary constructions of Fijian masculinities in light of Bhabha’s notion of colonial mimicry. By focusing on the specific case of rugby union football as a constitutive masculine practice, I will argue that contemporary Fijian masculinities are shaped by mixing ideals from the particular colonial experience of Fiji with culturally specific notions of manhood. As a case of colonial mimicry, rugby will thus be discussed as a gendered practice through which Fijian men are producing discourses and playing out series of “ironic compromises” between an imposed, colonial masculine ideal and a notion of a Fijian masculine identity post-colonialism.