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81. Fifty Years A Robin, with Keith Pollard
On Friday 11 October it will be the 50th anniversary of my father taking me to my first-ever Hull Kingston Rovers match. To mark the anniversary, this week's 'Rugby Reloaded plus' chats to 1960s Hull KR forward Keith Pollard about his life in rugby league in England and Australia, and talks about his autobiography, Red & White Phoenix: the adventures of a Hessle Road lad.
82. Lucius Banks, America’s First Pro Rugby Player (Black History Month)
To mark Black History Month, this week's podcast looks at the pioneering life and times of Lucius Banks, the first Amercian to play professional rugby and the first black athlete to play professional rugby league. This is a remarkable life story of an African-American man born two decades after the end of slavery, travelled across the Atlantic to play a sport he had never seen, and returned home to struggle against racism for the rest of his life - a pioneer on and off the pitch.
83. Cheltenham and the Origins of GB v New Zealand Test Matches
This week sees the start of the Great Britain Lions' tour of New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, so we look at the origins of the GB-NZ rivalry and go back to Cheltenham, the genteel town which staged the deciding test match of the 1908 series. Yes, Cheltenham! Step into the ten-minute time tunnel to discover its historic role in rugby league history.
84. Rugby and Society in New Zealand with David Scott
As the All Blacks enter four years of self-doubt, 'Rugby Reloaded' talks to David Scott about his book Return to Rugby Land and his reflections about the place of rugby union in New Zealand history and society. It's a book that combines his own personal memories with observations on rugby in NZ culture and the position of Maori, Polynesians and Women in the game - and we end with his thoughts on rugby in Sir Lanka where he now lives.
85. Rugby League’s Radical Traditions
As the British general election was called last week, a think-tank suggested that Boris Johnson's Conservative Party should target 'Workington Man' in areas with 'strong rugby league traditions'. But rugby league was born in revolt against ruling elites and has a long tradition of radicalism. This week's 'Rugby Reloaded' looks at the rebel origins of league and its radical DNA.
86. The Future of Rugby Union: Unholy Union part 2, with Michael Aylwin
This special edition of 'Rugby Reloaded' is the second part of the interview with Michael Aylwin about his fascinating book Unholy Union: When Rugby Collided with the Modern World. What does the future hold for rugby union and how does it overcome the cultural baggage of its amateur heritage?
87. Penalty Goals in Rugby Union: Discipline and Punishment in the Oval World
Rugby Union is unique in world sport because of the importance of the penalty goal to match results. But why did the penalty goal become such a crucial aspect of the game? 'Rugby Reloaded' digs back into the history of the game to discover how it emerged in response to new players taking up rugby in the Victorian era.
88. David Storey and Lindsay Anderson’s This Sporting Life
Lindsay Anderson's film version of David Storey's novel This Sporting Life was released in 1963 and is one of the few movies to portray sport accurately on screen. But did it do rugby league a disservice, or was it aiming at something different? Dig out the popcorn and take a ten-minute intermission while 'Rugby Reloaded' unravels the many layers and complexities of rugby's cinema classic.
89. Women and Rugby League with Dr Victoria Dawson
When was the first organised women's rugby league match in Britain? All is revealed as this week's 'Rugby Reloaded' plus talks to Dr Victoria Dawson about her PhD research into the history of women's involvement in British rugby league. But as the interview reveals, it's not just on the pitch where women have made their presence felt in the game. Dr Dawson is also looking for interviewees for her 'Wembley Women project, so go to www.wembleywomen.wordpress.com for further details.
90. The 1905 All Blacks: the tour of unintended consequences
The 1905-06 All Black tour was arguably the greatest ever, setting the template for all subsequent tours of Britain. Not only did the All Blacks win all but one match, but they despatched most of their opponents with stunning ease. But beneath the brilliance, Southern Hemsiphere rugby players were at breaking point - and the defining tour of rugby union would be the catalyst for the creation of rugby league in Australia and NZ.