I read this interesting book about English manners and behaviour which led to an interesting theory on why so many of the world's sports (football, cricket, tennis (I think), rugby etc.) are invented by the English.

What the book suggested was that English people (and particularly men) find it completely impossible to admit, even to themselves, that they enjoy the company of others and want to spend time with them and so, as a result, have invented a vast array of activities, sports and hobbies that enable them to spend time socialising with other people whilst being able to maintain that they've met to engage in the sport or activity rather and that they happen to spend time with other people as a side product of this, rather than going out with the specific objective of spending time with others.

What are your thoughts on this? I can see how it would apply to many other thngs (forming bands, the way many people talk about going out to a pub to drink, rather than in terms of meeting other people there etc.) but am not sure it it's wholly true. I'm also not sure how this differs to other countries.

Anyway. Thoughts?