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.