Rugby Reloaded #146 - Peter Harvey: from St Helens to Twickenham and Back Again →

This week’s episode talks to former England schoolboys’ rugby union captain and St Helens centre/stand-off of the 1960s Peter Harvey about his life in rugby. Peter grew up watching rugby league in St Helens, but he passed his 11+ exam and went to grammar school, where he began playing rugby union. He played for Lancashire and captained England schoolboys, before signing for St Helens and becoming a central part of the great Saints side of the mid-1960s.

His life is, in many ways, that of the archetypal working-class grammar school boy of the post-war era, and Peter’s social awareness and understanding gives him an insight into how his experiences reflected British society at that time. This is a fascinating insight into one man’s journey through rugby and the British class system.

Peter’s 2014 autobiography, Redhead With Fire in his Boots, is still available (at £7.50 including postage and packing) and can be ordered directly from him at redheadbooks2440@gmail.com

Rugby Reloaded #145 - Christmas Day football and rugby league →

Christmas is just around the corner - and in past times soccer and rugby league supporters would have been looking forward to watching a match on Christmas Day. It was a tradition that brought record crowds and festive-style football. But how traditional was it - and why did it die out?

The new episode of ‘Rugby Reloaded’ unwraps the history of Christmas Day football and asks if it’s a tradition that could be re-invented for the 21st Century?

You can find Ian Nannestad’s fascinating article on Christmas Day soccer on his excellent Soccer History website, and Martin Johnes’ Christmas and the British is available here.

If you’d like to find out about football and the 1914 Christmas Day truce during World War One, check out Rugby Reloaded episode 41, Football and the 1914 Christmas Truce.

Artie Beetson breaks his leg playing for Hull KR in the 1968 Christmas Day derby. Johnny Moore and Colin Hutton look on.

Rugby Reloaded #144 - 'Puddings, Bullies & Squashes': Early Public School Football →

To mark the publication of a new book on the origins of British public school football games - Puddings, Bullies and Squashes, edited by Malcolm Tozer - this episode of 'Rugby Reloaded' goes back to the 19th Century to look at the development and influence of schools football.

Did the public school codes influence modern games of football? What was the role of Muscular Christianity? How did the school game relate to the adult football clubs that also emerged at the same time? Join with me in a ten-minute trip back to the primodial origins of the world's football codes.

Puddings, Bullies and Squashes is available from Amazon or direct from the publishers, Sunnyrest Books, email: sunnyrest-books@outlook.com

Puddings, Bullies and Squashes – pb ISBN 978-1838538996 (£19.00 + £4.00 p&p)

Puddings, Bullies and Squashes – hd ISBN 978-1838538989 (£29.00 + £4.00 p&p)

Rugby Reloaded #143 - Talkin' Salary Cap Blues with Sean McGuire →

What's the point of rugby league's salary cap? Rugby was was the original salary cap sport when it banned payments to players in 1886, which led directly to rugby's great split in 1895.

Super League introduced the sport's first salary cap in 1998 wth the aim of equalising competition and protecting clubs from themselves. But has it met it aims? This episode of 'Rugby Reloaded' talks to former St Helens' CEO Sean McGuire about the history of wage control in the game and future of the salary cap.

You read about the principles of the RFL salary cap policy here and the detailed rulebook is here.

Credit: Steve Mascord

Rugby Reloaded #142 - Once Were Kangaroos - looking back on the 1986 Kangaroo tour with Mark Flanagan →

In the wake of the BBC's excellent Once Were Lions documentary, 'Rugby Reloaded' looks back on the 1986 Kangaroo tour of Britain with Mark Flanagan, author of The Invincibles: The Inside Story of the 1982 Kangaroos, the Team That Changed Rugby Forever.

Were they the greatest touring team of all time? What did their success tell us about the state of British rugby league, or about the future direction that rugby league would take?

Two parts historical analysis, one part nostalgia, this episode of 'Rugby Reloaded' looks back at the origins of the modern era of rugby league.

Opposite: the December 1986 front cover of the short-lived British monthly Sportsweek.

Rugby Reloaded #141 - Anglo-Welsh rugby union rivalry, with Huw Richards →

It's England versus Wales at rugby union on Saturday, the latest instalment in a rivalry that stretches across nation, class and playing style.

To discuss the roots and the history of a contest that dates back to 1881, this week's ‘Rugby Reloaded’ feature’s is longtime friend of the show Huw Richards, rugby historian, journalist and author of The Red & The White: A History of England vs Wales Rugby.

Huw examines the myths, legends and realities of rugby's most complicated rivalry - and looks at how rugby’s great split of 1895 forever altered the relationship between the two nations.

Rugby Reloaded #140 - State of the Rugby Codes in 2020 with Mark Evans (part two) →

In the second part of our wide-ranging interview with Mark Evans, the former Harlequins and Melbourne Storm CEO who is now head of Global Rapid Rugby, we talk about at the state of the two codes in the northern hemisphere and look at the prospects of South Africa joining the Six Nations, the difficulties of private ownership in rugby clubs, and the way forward for rugby league in Britain.

Mark and Michael Aylwin’s excellent look at the state of rugby union Unholy Union: When Rugby Collided with the Modern World is now out in paperback and is high recommended.

Rugby Reloaded #139 - State of the rugby codes in 2020, with Mark Evans (part one) →

This week's episode is the first of a wide-ranging two-part interview with Mark Evans, the former Harlequins and Melbourne Storm CEO who is now head of Global Rapid Rugby, the Asia-Pacific rugby union competition. This week we look at the state of the rugby codes in the southern hemisphere, starting with the emergence of rapid rugby, then examining the consequences of the end of Super Rugby, before looking at how the NRL has come out of the pandemic better than its rivals. Along the way, we look at how the historical cultures of the different codes have shaped their decision-making today - and why we can't unwind 1895.

You can find out more about Global Rapid Rugby here and the details of Mark and Michael Aylwin’s Unholy Union: When Rugby Collided with the Modern World are here.

Rugby Reloaded #138 - Gus Risman: Rugby Renegade?

Gus Risman was one of the greatest of Cardiff’s rugby codebreakers. The son of immigrants who grew up in Tiger Bay, he played top-class rugby league for more than a quarter of a century, was a Championship and Challenge Cup winner with two clubs, and captained the 1946 Lions. Not only that, but he also captained the Wales in war-time rugby union internationals while a rugby league player.

This week’s ‘Rugby Reloaded’ looks at his career and argues that he was not just one of the greatest rugby players of all time, but one of the greatest footballers in any code.

You can buy a copy of Gus Risman’s autobiography ‘Rugby Renegade’ (with an extended introduction that looks at the topics in this episode in more depth) from Scratching Shed Publishing here.

Rugby Reloaded #137 - The 'Corinthian Spirit', soccer and amateurism with Prof Dil Porter →

You often hear talk about the 'Corinthian Spirit' in sport. But who were the Corinthians? And why has the club's name passed into the folklore of almost all the football codes?

This week's 'Rugby Reloaded' talks to Professor Dil Porter about his book 'English Gentlemen and World Soccer: Corinthians, Amateurism and the Global Game' (co-written with Dr Chris Bolsmann) which looks at the history of Corinthian FC and examines the myths which surround the club.

Could they really defeat professional soccer clubs very easily? Did they always refuse to take penalty kicks because they considered it 'ungentlemanly'? Dil digs deep into Corinthian history to separate fact from fiction.

The book, English Gentlemen and World Soccer: Corinthians, Amateurism and the Global Game by Dilwyn Porter and Chris Bolsmann is available from Routledge here.

Rugby Reloaded #136 - 'The Rugby Codebreakers' redux with Carolyn Hitt →

This week's episode talks to award-winning journalist Carolyn Hitt about the BBC's 'Rugby Codebreakers' documentary on the Welsh rugby players, many of whom were black, who left Wales to play rugby league. We talk about the personal journey she went on as the presenter of the programme, the history of Welsh players 'going North', the differing responses of league and union fans, racism in rugby, and how things have changed over the past thirty years.

The Rugby Codebreakers is available to watch on BBCiPlayer until 2 November 2020. You can read Carolyn’s regular columns for the Western Mail here.

To find out more about the campaign to build a statue to the rugby league heroes of Cardiff Bay, go to www.rugbycodebreakers.co.uk.

Rugby Reloaded #135 - Sky Sports' Brian Carney on Gaelic football and Rugby league →

This week we talk to Sky Sports' rugby league and GAA presenter Brian Carney about Gaelic football and rugby league. We compare and contrast the cultures of the two sports, ask what they can learn from each other, explore the importance of history and heritage to sport, and, because he's a dual rugby international, we discuss relations between the codes. And, of course, we chew the fat about future directions for rugby league.

You can find Brian’s GAA club, Valleymount, here and there are photographs of the club’s stunning location here. The episode of Rugby Reloaded on the origins of Gaelic football that Brian mentions is episode 30, How Football Began: The Birth of Gaelic Football.

Rugby Reloaded #134 - Sports’ archives and mapping Irish women’s football with Helena Byrne

This week’s ‘Rugby Reloaded’ talks to Helena Byrne (@hbee2015), web archive curator at the British Library’s Web Archive Unit, about sports history web archiving and her work with the Mapping Irish Women’s Football Project, charts the history of women’s involvement in all football codes in Ireland. Helena also talks about her fascinating research into the unique story of women’s indoor football in Ireland in the 1960s. 

For more information on the topics Helena discusses in this episode, follow these links:

Mapping Irish Women’s Football Project: https://blogs.bl.uk/thenewsroom/2020/06/mapping-irish-womens-football.html 

British Library UK Web Archive: https://blogs.bl.uk/webarchive/2018/09/sports-collections-in-the-uk-web-archive.html  

Helena’s article on the history of Irish women’s football: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17460263.2019.1604422 

British Library blog on its work on sports history: https://blogs.bl.uk/webarchive/2020/09/national-sporting-heritage-day-2020.html

Rugby Reloaded #133 - O Canada: Lessons of British Rugby League Expansion →

On Friday the Super League clubs deferred a decision whether Toronto Wolfpack could take part in the 2021 competition.

But what can be learnt from British rugby league's attempts to expand beyond northern England since the 1900s? The latest ‘Rugby Reloaded’ asks if it is doomed to failure or are the lessons going unheeded... and why might Canada offer an answer?

For more on the early history of rugby league in Canada, listen to Rugby Reloaded episode 57: Before the Wolfpack.

The first RL exhibition match in Canada… in 1928

Rugby Reloaded #132 - TV, the BBC & British rugby league →

Rugby's relationship with television is starting change. As the Rugby Football League annouces that it is putting its TV rights out to tender, this week's 'Rugby Reloaded' looks at the game's historic relationship with the BBC. Over-dependency on TV money, concerns about the style of presentation and a constant comparison with other codes - just as in 2020, these were the same problems that faced the sport in 1970…

For more about rugby league and the BBC, look no further than Tony Hannan’s outstanding biography of Eddie Waring: Being Eddie Waring: The Life & Times of Sporting Icon.

Rugby Reloaded #131 - 40 Years of Fulham and London rugby league expansion →

On 14 September 1980 Fulham rugby league club ran out for its first match at Craven Cottage - and professional rugby league returned to London. But the history of London rugby league stretches back to 1908 and Fulham were the latest attempt to establish a pro club in the capital. What does the past forty years tell us about rugby league expansion in London? This episode explores the struggle to keep the league flame burning in London and the lessons it has for future expansion.

The Fulham team from the first match on 14 September 1980: Back row: Harry Beverley, Tony Gourley, Roy Lester, Ian Van Bellen, John Wood, Dave Allen, John RIsman, David Hall, Tony Kinsey. Front row: Adrian Cambriani, Derek Noonan, Mal Aspey, Tony Karalius, Neil Tuffs, Reg Bowden, David Eckersley, Iain MacCorquodale.

Rugby Reloaded #130 - The Secret History of Leeds Utd →

The new Premier League season starts this week so, as Leeds Utd once again take their place in the top flight, the new 'Rugby Reloaded' looks at the secret history of the origins of professional soccer in Leeds in 1904. It's a tale of intrigue, double-dealing and concealed conflicts of interest of businessmen and journalists that led to the death of a rugby league club and the birth of commercial soccer.

For more on the background to the clash between rugby league and soccer in the early 1900s, take a listen to Rugby Reloaded episode 99, Bradford’s Great Split: Soccer versus Rugby in the Woolopolis.

Holbeck FC (c. 1895): the rugby club that built Elland Road.

Rugby Reloaded #129 - 25 Years of Professional Rugby Union with Ben Darwin →

Last week marked the 25th anniversary of rugby union abandoning amateurism and legalising professionalism on 26 August 1995. To mark the occasion, we chat with 28-cap Wallaby prop and CEO of Gainline Analytics Ben Darwin.

Ben played before and after 1995 and experienced rugby as an amateur and a professional, so he brings his personal insights as well as a deep knowledge of both rugby codes to our discussion about the reality of amateurism, the problems of professionalism, and the real differences between union and league.

You can follow Ben on Twitter at @BenDarwin and discover more about his work with Gainline Analytics here.

Rugby Reloaded #128 - 'Rugby League: A People's History' book launch →

This week's special edition marks the 125th anniversary of the founding of rugby league, with guest presenter Dr Kevin Moore interviewing me about my new book 'Rugby League: A People's History' which is published this week by Scratching Shed Publishing. 

We talk about the origins of the sport, the strengths and weaknesses of its culture, and its prospects in the 21st Century. In 13 questions, we dissect rugby league's past, present and future. 

You can buy the book now direct from Scratching Shed at just £14.99 by clicking this link.

Rugby Reloaded #127 - The 1946 Indomitables' tour of Australia and New Zealand →

Less than a year after the end of World War 2 rugby league’s Lions toured Australia and New Zealand - a tour that was made possible thanks to an aircraft carrier, a military train & the President of the General Assembly of the United Nations.

This week's ‘Rugby Reloaded’ tells the story of the incredible 1946 ‘Indomitables’, the tour that relaunched international rugby league and, in hindsight, was the last summer of unrivalled British dominance of the game.

The 1946 tourists take a break on their marathon train journey across the Nullaboor - the Bradford great Ernest Ward is centre looking at the photographer, Welsh scrum-half Dai Jenkins.