Sports have an uncanny ability to demolish the dominant barriers that exist between humanity, such as race, language, and culture. Sports are the common denominator between seemingly different people, and there is always a shared community around a particular sporting endeavor. However, the sport is also infamous for its displays of violence and cheating. Throughout its history, sport has consistently challenged the social norms imposed by a nation, such as materialistic inequality and racism. A striking example of this is the 1995 Rugby World Cup, where a nation discovered a common denominator, which ultimately transcended the oppression imposed on the non-white population. That factor was sport and the desire to support their team to the final against all odds. And South Africa's success at the World Cup was undoubtedly due to the tireless support of an unprecedented united nation. When Nelson Mandela emerged from the tunnel onto the field to congratulate François Pienaar, a white Afrikaner, with a handshake, it symbolized the coming together of a divided nation. In his book, Humphrey argues that sport creates a barrier between groups. Most people would agree with this statement, as it is natural for staunch supporters to have their own "clique." Without these cliques and barriers between fans, no team would have an elite group of fans, because everyone would support every team. However, these barriers could also lead to violence and aggression towards people on the other side of the “barrier”. Despite this, sport manages to eradicate these barriers. In 2011, retired footballer Fabrice Muamba collapsed in the middle of a match following a cardiac arrest. Teams across Europe showed their support for Muamba as he...... middle of newspaper ...... and was stripped of all titles after admitting to doped for much of his cycling career. Additionally, violence is common in many sports, particularly football; On April 2, 2014, Chelsea supporters wreaked havoc in Paris, before the Champions League match between Chelsea and PSG: they vandalized stores and cafes, committed neo-Nazi gestures and started a brawl with the PSG supporters during which there were many injured. Sport therefore has the strange tendency to have a negative influence on the world, through cheating, racism and violence. Sport – a simple five-letter word – can bring a tear to the stoic Briton; it evokes a passion within humanity that nothing else can compare to. It controls our lives with gentleness and enthusiasm and will always have a positive impact on society, despite sports' tendencies to incite cheating and violence..