Rugby Reloaded #106 - 'The English Game': How football did not begin →

This week's 'Rugby Reloaded' looks at the new Netflix series about the early years of English soccer 'The English Game. Does it present an accurate account of the rise of working-class teams in soccer and the importance of Scottish players to the game? Or is it ultimately a romantic defence of the British class system and a distortion of the history of football? The episode also looks at the use of the term ‘Scotch Professors’ and discusses why it is unhelpful and ahistorical to look at nineteenth century football through the lens of the present.

For background on the series, there’s an excellent interview with its historical consultant Andy Mitchell on the ‘Narrowing the Angle’ podcast that can be heard here.and you can listen to a fascinating round table discussion from the Football Scholars’ Forum here. Update: for an in-depth analysis of the series, I’d highly recommend Christiano Presutti’s article in Medium The English Game, quasi tutto, non tutto, quello che ho da dire [The English Game: Almost everything, but not everything I have to say]. If you don’t read Italian, it’s worth wrangling with Google Translate [other translation programmes are available] to read his deep-dive into the series and the issues it raises.

Rugby Reloaded #105 - Face to Face with Global Crisis. RugbyLeague and the start of World War 2 →

The new ‘Rugby Reloaded’ looks at the last time British rugby league faced a global crisis: the outbreak of World War Two. How did it cope with travel restrictions, stadium requisitioning and equipment rationing? What was the response of players and fans? This is the first of a two part episode that looks at the impact of war on the game.

For a much more detailed look at the impact of the war on the game, see chapter 5 of my Rugby League in Twentieth Century Britain and for the broader context of sport in World War Two, take a look at Matt Taylor’s new book ' Sport and the Home Front: Wartime Britain at Play, 1939-45.

Rugby Reloaded #103 - Union/League Convergence? with Rhiannon Garth Jones

Eddie Jones’ England team is making a habit of switching players out of their traditional positions and making them multi-positional. Is this simply innovative coaching or is it related to deeper changes in the way that rugby union is played. Rugby union journalist and analyst Rhiannon Garth Jones has written extensively on the topic and this episode of ‘Rugby Reloaded’ talks to her about the evolution of rugby union and its relation to rugby league, asking how similar the codes are and how similar they could become.

Take a deeper look at Rhiannon’s work on www.rugbypass.com and her article on England’s use of Tom Curry and on rugby union forwards who can play like backs.

Rugby Reloaded #101 - 'Power Meri', women's rugby league in PNG with Joanna Lester →

To celebrate International Women’s Day on 8 March, this week’s Rugby Reloaded talks to journalist and broadcaster Joanna Lester about her amazing film Power Meri, which charts the rise of women's rugby league in Papua New Guinea and follows the national team, the Orchids, to the 2017 Rugby League World Cup. It's an incredible story about rugby league in PNG communities and how it has helped in the fight against women's oppression. If you haven’t seen the film yet, it is essential viewing!

Rugby Reloaded #102 - Rugby union in a divided Ireland, with Dr Liam O'Callaghan →

In the divided nation of Ireland, rugby union seems to offer a unique form of unity, with one national team representing two countries. This week's 'Rugby Reloaded' talks to Dr Liam O'Callaghan about the roots of Irish rugby and the reality behind its apparent national unity between North and South, and Catholics and Protestants.

Liam is the foremost historian of Irish rugby, the author of the essential work on the game in Ireland , Rugby in Munster: A Social and Cultural History, and works at Liverpool Hope University.

Rugby Reloaded #100 - Rugby's Class War in the UK Parliament with David Hinchliffe →

To mark the 100th episode of 'Rugby Reloaded' we have a special interview with David Hinchliffe, formerLabour MP for Wakefield from 1987 to 2005, one of the founders of the All Party Parliamentary Rugby League Group, and author of Rugby’s Class War . We talked about his time in parliament, his attempt to outlaw rugby union discrimination against league, and his thoughts on rugby league today and its 'deference' problem.

Parliamentary debates on David’s Sports Discrimination Bill can found here., and I’d also highly recommend his book on the 1968 ‘Watersplash’ Challenge Cup Final, which can be obtained from Scratching Shed Publishing.

Rugby Reloaded #99 - Bradford's Great Split: Soccer v Rugby in the Woolopolis →

In 1903 Bradford City became the only club ever accepted into the Football League without ever playing soccer. They had begun as Manningham and were the first Northern Union champions but decided to depart for the greener grass of soccer. Four years later, local rivals Bradford followed suit, but many fans rebelled and formed what would become today's Bradford Bulls.

This episode looks at the events that led to Bradford's Great Split, how it sparked the creation of what would become Leeds United, and examines how soccer exploited the difficulties faced by rugby league clubs in the decade after rugby broke in two in 1895.

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Rugby Reloaded #98 - What Really Happened at Vichy, with Dr Melissa McMahon →

What really happened in Vichy? The new ‘Rugby Reloaded’ discusses new research on why French rugby league was banned in 1941 with philosopher and translator Dr Melissa McMahon (@batsyblog). Using original sources from the period, she analyses why league was singled out and how amateurism became weaponised as part of the Vichy government's attempts to return France to a reactionary past.

For more on the history of rugby in France, take a listen to earlier Rugby Reloaded episodes on Jean Galia, post-war French rugby league, and an interview with Mike Rylance, author of The Forbidden Game and The Struggle and The Daring.

Click on the title to listen to the episode.

Rugby Reloaded #97 - Six Nations History: The 1920s-1930s with Huw Richards →

The Six Nations is back - and this week's 'Rugby Reloaded' talks to rugby journalist and historian Huw Richards about the tournament in the inter-war years. Why did England and Scotland dominate the 1920s? Why were the French expelled? And what impact did rugby league have on Wales? Settle in for a deep dive into international rugby union history…

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Rugby Reloaded #96 - 25 Years of Super League with Sean McGuire →

2020 is the 25th anniversary season of Super League, so this week's Rugby Reloaded catches up with former St Helens chief executive Sean McGuire to take a deep dive into the lessons and legacy of British rugby league's biggest leap since 1895. We talk about its origins, the impact of the salary cap, the balance sheet of franchises, the expansion experience of the Crusaders and the Dragons, the switch to summer, and much more.

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Rugby Reloaded #95 - Rugby League History in New Zealand with Ryan Bodman →

This week we talk to Ryan Bodman about his forthcoming book on the social history of rugby league in New Zealand. As Ryan explains, league in NZ has always been a game of the excluded and dispossesed: industrial workers, Maori and Pacific Islanders. He talks about the deep links between the sport and the labour movement, discusses how anti-Catholic sectarianism saw Irish Catholics come into the game, and why NZ schools even today are a battleground between league and union. For more on Ryan’s work and the history of New Zealand rugby league, visit his Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/rugbyleaguenzhistory/

Click on the title to listen to the episode.

Rugby Reloaded #94 - What You Know About Soccer is Wrong, with Dr Kevin Moore →

This week’s ‘Rugby Reloaded’ chats with Dr Kevin Moore, former Director of the National Football Museum in England and author of a new book, What You Think You Know About Football is Wrong: The Global Game's Greatest Myths and Untruths. We discuss the myths and unquestioned narratives of soccer, such as why did soccer defeat rugby, could soccer have America's national sport, the history of ancient Chinese football, the eventual death of the game, and much more. For more information on Kevin, take a look at his website here, and follow him on Twitter at @doctorkevinmoo1

Click on the title to listen to the episode.

Rugby Reloaded #93 - Barette: French women's rugby in the 1920s with Lydia Furse →

This week’s ‘Rugby Reloaded’ talks to Lydia Furse about the history of Barette, a version of rugby that became popular with French women in the 1920s. Lydia is a PhD student at De Montfort University researching the history of women’s rugby union, in collaboration with the World Rugby Museum at Twickenham. Her research has uncovered the previously unrecorded history of Barette, and her paper on the subject at the 2018 International Society for the History of Physical Education and Sport (ISHPES) conference won the 2018 Early Career Scholar Award. A shorter version of that paper can be found at www.scrumqueens.com.

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Rugby Reloaded #92 - When Kangaroos were Underdogs: Australian rugby league in the 1920-30s →

This week's 'Rugby Reloaded' takes a ten-minute trip back to the time when Australians wondered if they'd ever beat the British, fretted about stopping the player drain to England, and raised money to keep rugby union afloat. The 1920s and 1930s were the time when the Kangaroos were underdogs and today's league world was its mirror opposite.

For more on Australian league in the interwar years, take a look at ‘Leagues Apart, 1919-39’ chapter 19 of The Oval World and ‘The Kangaroo Connection’, chapter eight of Rugby League in Twentieth Century Britain.

Click on the title to listen to the episode.

Rugby Reloaded #91 - The History of Aboriginal Rugby League with Professor Heidi Norman →

This week's 'Rugby Reloaded' talks to Professor Heidi Norman about her work on the history of Aboriginal rugby league in New South Wales. Starting with Jackie Brooks in the early 1920s, she discusses the long and complex story of Aboriginal players, teams and carnivals in New South Wales, and asks what this tells us about rugby league and Australian society. 

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Rugby Reloaded podcast archive - episodes 81-90

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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. 

Rugby Reloaded podcast archive - episodes 61-80

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61.  Rugby Wars in Two World Wars

This week we take a look at how the war between union and league played out in the UK during World Wars 1 and 2 - with union’s league ban lifted, league stars shone in union. But it still wasn't a level playing field, as the Welsh league player forced to play for the England rugby union side discovered. And when the world war was over, the rugby war resumed with a vengeance. 

62. Race, racism and the origins of Aussie Rules with Roy Hay

This week's 'Rugby Reloaded plus' talks to Roy Hay about his new book Aboriginal People and Australian Football in the Nineteenth Century: They Did Not Come from Nowhere which looks at the contribution of Indigenous Australians to Aussie Rules football in the nineteenth century. It's a story of racism and resistance to racism as Aboriginal players fought their right to play football.

63. From the Football League to the Champions’ League: How Soccer’s league system began

Following Saturday's Champions League final, this week's 'Rugby Reloaded' looks at the origins of the first league of football clubs, soccer's 1888 Football League. Is a European soccer super league inevtiable? And what does the history of the Football League have to teach the rugby codes? Take ten minutes to get the historical perspective on the debate on the shape of football leagues to come. 

64. Football Firsts… The Last Thing Historians Need?

How important are 'firsts' in the history of the football codes? Does it matter if a club is the 'oldest'? Do they distract from the bigger issues in the history of how the different games emerged and evolved? For this week's ten-minute trip through the football code time tunnel I'm giving the talk I gave at last week's International Football History Conference - @footycon - on whether 'firsts' matter.

65. From Chooms to Poms: How Rugby League explains Anglo-Australian Relations

It's State of Origin Game 2 on Sunday, but 50 years ago the same intense focus would have been on a Great Britain v Australia Ashes series. This week's episode looks at why Origin overcame the Ashes and explores the history of Anglo-Australian rugby league. Discover how rugby league explains Australia's changing relationship with its former 'Mother Country'.

66. A Short History of Samoan Rugby

The Samoan rugby league team broke its drought at the weekend with victory over Papua New Guinea, while Samoan rugby union remains at its weakest point for decades. But how did it become a powerhouse of rugby? This week's Rugby Reloaded looks back at what makes Samoan history unique and how globailsation could be the saviour of both codes.

67. Rugby in Brazil: Past, Present and Future with Victor Ramalho

This week's 'Rugby Reloaded' plus edition talks to Victor Ramalho, historian of Brazilian rugby and ESPN Brazil rugby commentator. Victor talks about how rugby lost out to soccer, its slow growth in the 20th century, its new popularity, the women's game, and the emergence of rugby league.

68. Queenslander! with Joe Gorman

With the deciding State of Origin rugby league match just two days away, Rugby Reloaded plus chats with Joe Gorman about his outstanding book Heartland: How Rugby League Explains Queensland. We talk about why Origin is so important for Queenslanders, what it says about their identity, how racism has been undermined and why the future of the game could be female. 

69. How Rugby Union became An Afrikaner Game

For over a century, rugby union has been a symbol of Afrikaner culture and white South Africa. But why did the Afrikaners play the game of their British war-time enemies and rivals? This week's 'Rugby Reloaded' takes ten minutes to look at the legacy of the Boer War and the 1906 Springbok tour, and discover what made rugby so appealing to Afrikaners.

70. Harold Wagstaff: A Northern Union Man

Harold Wagstaff died 80 years ago on 19 July 1939. This week's 'Rugby Reloaded' takes a ten-minute tour of his life and times to explore why he was he arguably rugby league's greatest-ever player, and also how he came to symbolise league culture in Britain and Australia. For more information about 'Ahr Waggy', go to www.HuddersfieldRLheritage.co.uk, where there are also details of the Wagstaff Heritage Trail organised by David Thorpe. There is also a new biography of Wagstaff out this week by Robert Gate and Graham Williams, called A Northern Union Man published by London League Publications.

71. Springboks versus All Blacks: Rivalry, Racism and Ranji Wilson

The titanic rivalry between the All Blacks and the Springboks has dominated international rugby union for one hundred years. But the origins of that rivalry were based on racism and racial exclusion. The latest 'Rugby Reloaded' goes back to 1919 to discover how the great All Black Ranji Wilson was excluded from the first tour to South Africa and how race defined the relationship between New Zealand and South Africa. 

72. Why Isn’t Soccer Australia’s Premier Football Code? with Ian Syson

This week's 'Rugby Reloaded' plus talks to Ian Syson about his book The Game That Never Happened which looks at the origins and struggles of soccer in Australia's four-cornered football world. Ian discusses why soccer never became the premier football code down under and how it lost out to rugby league and Aussie Rules. It's a fascinating discussion which throws up lots of questions about why and how different types of football become dominant in different places.

73. The 1982 Invincibles: The Tour That Changed Rugby forever

In September 1982 the Australian rugby league Kangaroos landed in Britain. When they left at the end of November they were acclaimed as the Invincibles, the greatest rugby league touring team ever. Not since the 1905 All Black rugby union tourists had any visiting sports team had such an impact on Britain. This week's 'Rugby Reloaded' talks to Mark Flanagan about his new book The Invincibles: The Inside Story of the 1982 Kangaroos, the Team That Changed Rugby Forever about the tour, its consequences and what it tells us about rugby league.

74. The Triumph and Tragedy of Don Fox

It's the Rugby League Challenge Cup Final on Saturday, so the latest 'Rugby Reloaded' looks back at one of rugby league's most iconic moments: Don Fox's dramatic last-minute missed conversion in the 1968 Final. Why has this become a defining event in the history of the Wembley final and why does it continue to resonate with us today after more than fifty years?

75. Dicky Lockwood and Rugby’s Great Split

Ahead of Thursday's anniversary of the founding of the Northern Union in 1895, 'Rugby Reloaded' looks as the forgotten genius of English rugby, Dicky Lockwood. A manual labourer who captained the England rugby union team, Lockwood symbolised the rise of the northern working-class rugby player in the 19th century amd became the living embodiment of rugby's great split, yet his story was ignored and his legacy disappeared. Find out why in this week's ten-minute time tunnel. 

76. Fabulous Fiji: Its Rise, Fall and…?

Fiji has been a hotbed of rugby for over a century. It provides stars to the NRL and to rugby union around the world. In the 1950s northern England was lit up by the talent of its players. And it continues to dominate the world of rugby union sevens. Yet it has always been treated as a second-class citizen by world rugby union, and in today's globalised world, it looks like the future pf Fijian rugby could be league. 

77. Rugby's First World Cup: the 1954 Rugby League World Cup

As the kick-off for rugby union's world cup in Japan approaches, this week's 'Rugby Reloaded' steps back sixty-five years to explore the origins and tangled history of rugby's first world cup - the 1954 Rugby League World Cup. Initiated by a leader of the French Resistance, the RLWC has a tangled history whose promise has yet to be fulfilled. Could the 2021 RLWC be the turning point?

78. The Origins of Rugby Union's World Cup, with Huw Richards

Rugby Union's World Cup kicks off on Friday - but why did it take the game until 1987 to stage a world cup? 'Rugby Reloaded' plus talks to journalist and historian Huw Richards about the tangled pre-history of the world cup and how it eventually kicked off Down Under.

79. Don't Scrum With A Racist Bum!' The 1969 Springboks' Tour of Britain & Ireland

This autumn is the 50th anniversary of the now infamous 1969 South African rugby union tour of Britain and Ireland. On Wednesday, BBC Wales will screen Gareth Edwards' 'Rugby, Apartheid and Me' in which he re-examines his decision not boycott South Africa in the 1960s and 1970s. So this week's 'Rugby Reloaded' looks back at 1969, and the tour that was historic for all the wrong reasons. 

80. Unholy Union with Michael Aylwin

This week we talk to Michael Aylwin, rugby union correspondent of the Guardian and the author of a new book, Unholy Union: When Rugby Collided With The Modern World. It’s a ‘state of the nation’ review of the problems and challenges facing rugby union today, almost 25 years since the sport took the momentous decision to go professional. Is its future conditioned by its amateur past, or can it become a purely commercial entertainment? 

Rugby Reloaded podcast archive - episodes 41-60

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41. Soccer and the 1914 Christmas Truce

At Christmas 1914, British and German troops on the Western Front left their positions, crossed into No Man's Land, and fraternised with each other. In some places, football matches were played. This special Christmas edition of 'Rugby Reloaded' explores the myths and reality of the Christmas football matches, and discusses their importance to soccer's global image.

42. The Past, Present and Future of the Rugby League Challenge Cup

The Rugby League Challenge Cup is the sport's oldest continuous tournament. But in recent years, the thrill of the cup has been declining - and now the RFL are asking overseas clubs for six-figure bonds to take part. Are knock-out cup tournaments like the Challenge Cup and the FA Cup doomed to fade away? Find out what history tells us about the future of one of British sport's most prestigious tournaments on your latest ten-minute trek through the past.

43. Ebenezer Cobb Morley and the birth of the Football Association

Was Hull-born Ebenezer Cobb Morley the 'father of football'? Not unless his child was switched at birth. Morley's rules bore little resemblance to modern soccer and his leadership of the TA was a failure. But why do we need stories about 'fathers of football codes'? 

44. Refereeing & Philosophy with NRL referee Tim Roby

Rugby Reloaded plus is back - this week I'm talking to NRL and former Super League ref Tim Roby. Tim chats about his career, discusses the uses of philosophy for referees, contrasts league in Britain and Australia, talks about his experiences at the Koori Knockout Comp, and much, much more.

45. Red Star, Rumania & Eastern European Rugby

To mark Red Star Belgrade's debut in the Rugby League Challenge Cup, this week's episode looks at the history of the rugby codes in Eastern Europe, discovers what happened to Yugoslav rugby league, and investigates why Rumania never became part of the Six Nations. 

46. When Six Was Four - The Roots of the Six Nations

This week's Rugby Reloaded plus chats with journalist Huw Richards about the origins of the Six Nations, its early rivalry with soccer, how Rugby's Great Split of 1895 changed the tournament forever, and much more. 

47. Italy’s Other Football Code: The Rise of Italian Rugby

This week's Rugby Reloaded looks at the history of rugby in Italy and how national politics have shaped the game. From Mussolini to Berlusconi, the sport has always been seen as a way to influence society and business - and along the way it has fought its own civil war between union and league. 

48. 'When Ellery Was King': Sean McGuire on the 1980s and League Expansion

Rugby Reloaded plus this week talks to Sean McGuire, former St Helens' CEO and London rugby league pioneer. Sean chats about his experiences in London in the 1980s with the Hornsey Lambs and reflects on what that means for the future of rugby league, opportunities for expansion, and the never-ending thrill of the game. 

49. French Rugby League: ‘The Struggle and the Daring’ with Mike Rylance

This week's 'Rugby Reloaded plus' chats with Mike Rylance about his new book The Struggle and The Daring, just published by Scratching Shed. We talk about the history of French rugby league, its fabulous origins, ban by Vichy, the post-war struggles, immortal sides of the 1950s, and its fall from grace.

50. 100 Years since the King's Cup - but was it Rugby's 'first world cup'?

This week sees the centenary of thekick-off the 'King's Cup', the international military tournament that celebrated the end of World War One. But was it really 'rugby's first world cup' as some claim? As this week's podcast discovers, it was not a world cup but something far more interesting and complex, which shaped the future of international rugby union for the next fifty years. 

51. 'Numbering Up' Statistically speaking with the Rugby League Project

This week's 'Rugby Reloaded plus' interviews Andrew Ferguson, one of the brains behind the 'Rugby League Project' website, which aims to compile a complete database of the game's statistics. We talk about where the Project gets its stats, the problems of assessing matches, and why there are no unified records for the sport - not to mention swapping notes on ganglions, the old-school researcher's curse.

52. A Short History of the Scrum

The shape of things to scrum? This week's 'Rugby Reloaded' looks at the past, present and future of the scrum. Take a ten-minute trip back to the time when scrums worked the wrong way round and discover why the scrum's problems have always been a headache for all codes of the oval ball game. 

53. Rugby Union’s 50-22 proposal and the Evolution of Union and League

This week we take a deep dive into the announcement that rugby union may introduce a 50-22 rule modelled on rugby league's 40-20. Is it another case of union stealing league's clothes? This week's ten-minute rugby time tunnel looks at the evolution of rugby rules and asks if it is inevitable that union will go down the same road as league.

54. 1906: The Year That Changed the Oval World Forever

1906 was the year league went 13-a-side, the All Blacks transformed rugby union, and America football legalised the forward pass. Discover how 1906 revolutionised the Oval World in the new ‘Rugby Reloaded’ podcast. 

55. The American RL All Stars & lessons for today with Gavin Willacy

This week's 'Rugby Reloaded' plus talks to Gavin Willacy, author of No Helmets Required about the incredible story of the 1953 American All Stars tour of Australia. We chat about how it happened, why its promise failed to materialise, and what lessons can be learned as rugby league once again discusses expansion into North America. (With apologies for the poor sound quality on this episode)

56. Game of Throw-ins: A History of the Line-Out

This week we step in the ten-minute time tunnel to look at the history of the line-out in both rugby union and rugby league. The throw-in from touch is one of the few common rules remaining in soccer and rugby union, so we trace its evolution, discover why league abolished it, and consider what the future holds for it. 

57. Before the Wolfpack: A History of Rugby League in Canada

The Toronto Wolfpack kick-off their home season on Sunday, and so this week's 'Rugby Reloaded' travels back in time to unravel the forgotten history of rugby league in Canada before the Wolfpack. It's a tale of heroic pioneers in the 1930s and missed opportunities in the 1950s… 

58. Argentina: Why Soccer Defeated Rugby

In Argentina today, soccer is without question the passion of the people. Yet in 1900 soccer and rugby were equally as popular - so what happened? How did rugby lose out to soccer? This week's ten-minute time tunnel examines how social and political changes in Argentina not only changed the nation but also transformed sport, leaving rugby the sport of Argentina's social elite. 

59. Rugby in Asia and the Far East

Why was there no rugby in India? And why is rugby in Sri Lanka one of the sport's best kept secrets? This week's ten-minute time trek through rugby history examines the game in Asia and the Far East, looking at how China, Malaysia, India and Sri Lanka reflected both the past and the future of rugby union. 

60. Hybrid Heaven or Merger Most Foul? When Aussie Rules voted to merge with Rugby League

Rugby league and Aussie Rules to merge? Gridiron fusion with Aussie Rules? It could never happen - but it has, or at least been attempted. This week's 'Rugby Reloaded plus' sits down with Spencer Kassimir to explore the times when rugby league and Aussie Rules sat down to create a hybrid game, discover the World War Two game that brought together the best of the NFL and the VFL, and chat about the International rules AFL-GAA games.

Rugby Reloaded podcast archive - episodes 21-40

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21. Once in a Lifetime: John Sutcliffe, Soccer’s Rise and Rugby’s Fall

This week's ten-minute time tunnel looks at the career of John Sutcliffe - from Bradford and England rugby, to Manchester United and England soccer, to European football management. Sutcliffe's life tells the story of football's incredible development in the space of a single lifetime. 

22. Did Sheffield Invent Soccer?

This week I'm investigating the claim that Sheffield is the true birthplace of modern soccer. Take a ten-minute tour of the early history of sport in the Steel City and discover Sheffield's intriguing football history - and how rugby played a vital role in its early years.

23. How the Rugby League Challenge Cup Final got to Wembley

It's Wembley Week for British rugby league - and to celebrate the game's annual day in the sun, this week's podcast takes ten minutes in the time tunnel to discover why and how rugby league's big day out ended up in London. 

24. Countdown to Rugby’s Great Split

On Wednesday 29 August it will be 123 years to the day since twenty-one of England's top rugby clubs met at the George Hotel to create the Northern Union. This week's ten-minute history tour takes a deep dive into the events of 1895 that led to that momentous meeting. 

25. What Happened After Vichy: French Rugby League Since World War 2

It's well known that the Vichy government in France banned rugby league in 1941. But what happened to the game after that? This week's episode looks at rugby league players in World War 2 and the faboulous rebirth and calamitous fall of the French game in the post-war years.

26. Women and football in the Nineteenth Century

Women have always played football - but the modern football codes of the 19th Century tried to keep them out. This week's bitesize time tunnel looks at how women fought to be part of football in Victorian times, both on the terraces and on the pitch. 

27. Spencer Kassimir on rugby league in North America

Ahead of the 2018 Tom Brock Lecture in Sydney, we talk to Tom Brock Scholar and sports consultant Spencer Kassimir about the history of the relationship between rugby league and girdiron football, and the prospects for the sport in North America.

28. Origins and Myths of Australian Rules Football

This week we look at the origins of Aussie Rules football and ask just how unique are the origins of the game? For most of its fans, it's an original Australian code of football, and many others believe that it is derived from the games of Aboriginal Australians. But, to paraphrase Oscar Wilde, the beginnings of the game are neither pure Australian nor anything like simple.

29. Glasgow. Football’s First Capital City

Look around the world and in almost every football code, the game is the sport of the city. This week's bitesize glimpse into football history looks at the orginal world capital of football: Glasgow. No other city was dominated by football like Glasgow, and it provided the template for the great footballing cities of the world.

30. The Birth of Gaelic Football

This week we're continuing our look at how the different football codes started - this week it's Gaelic football. How did the distinctive Irish game emerge? Is it really an ancient game? We'll debunk the myths and deconstruct the history... all in just ten minutes. 

31. A Short History of Black Players in Rugby League

It's Black History Month, so this week's podcast looks at the history of black players in British rugby league. Take a ten minute tour of the hidden history of a century of black achievement - and the obstacles still to be conquered - as players, captains and coaches in rugby league.

32. How Canadian Football Began

12-a-side, three downs and a Maple Leaf at its heart. This week we look at Canadian football, the unsung cousin of rugby and gridiron football. Take a ten-minute trip through Canadian history to discover how Canada came to have its own football code and how it paved the way for American football. 

33. Walter Camp and the Invention of American Football?

Did Walter Camp invent American football? Most of the history books say yes, but the reality is much more complicated. American football began as rugby but quickly started to change the rules to make a better spectacle - just like many other rugby-playing regions. Discover how and why it changed in your ten-minute intro to the orgins of the gridiron game. 

34. South African Rugby before it was an Afrikaner Game

Discover the origins of South African rugby and the hidden history of black and mixed race involvement in the game in our latest ten-minute tour of rugby history. This was a time when Afrikaners were a rare sight on the rugby field and the game was a symbol of the British Empire. 

35. Scotland and the Birth of International Rugby

The Scots have always felt they were as important as the English in the story of how rugby was born. This week's ten-minute trip back through time examines how Scotland kick-started international rugby and why their rivalry with the RFU went so deep and lasted so long. 

36. Empire of the Scrum: the History of Rugby in Japan

How did rugby come to Japan? Alone of all the Asian nations, Japan is the place where rugby is part of the national culture, despite it being a rival to (and a war-time enemy of) the English-speaking rugby-playing countries in the Pacific. Discover how rugby took the way of Bushido in our ten-minute time travel trip through 150 years of Japanese rugby. 

37. Tonga: From Tupou College to the Taumalolo Revolution

In October 2017 Jason Taumalolo started a rugby revolution when he opted to play for Tonga, the country of his parents' birth, in the Rugby League World Cup. But how did rugby start in Tonga? Why does the national rugby union side struggle, while its league side has never been more popular? 'Rugby Reloaded' takes a ten-minute tour of Tongan history for some answers.

38. The Lions' Tale: A Short History of England Rugby League International Team Names

Whatever happened to the Lions, British rugby league's national team?The answer is more complicated than you might think, showing how changing conceptions of nationality are reflected in sport, and why history is about more than the simply what happened in the past. Take a ten minute tour through 114 years of international and changing team titles with this week's 'Rugby Reloaded' podcast.

39. World War One & the Rise and Fall of Women’s Soccer

World War One gave birth to women's football football as a mass participation sport. For the first time ever, thousands of women could play the game they loved. But why did it take a war to give women the opportunity to play the game and why did it disappear so quickly? This week's ten-minute time tunnel podcast takes a deep dive to explore the link between war, football and women's struggle to play the game. 

40. The Birth of Rugby in Ireland

Rugby in Ireland can perhaps boast of having the world's oldest rugby club, and for a generation rugby had no rivals in Ireland. Yet within a decade it had been overtaken by soccer and Gaelic football. This week's podcast explores the birth of Irish rugby and its complicated history.