Rugby Reloaded

Super League's York rugby league club are one of the oldest rugby clubs in Britain. As with all clubs at that time they were formed by young men of the middle classes, but barely twenty years later they had become dominated by working-class players and spectators.
Ian Lockwood's new book - 'The History of York RL 1868-1914' - tells the story of the club's first five decades, its struggles, it successes and the controversies that saw it transformed from an elite rugby union club to a stalwart of rugby league.
If you enjoy this episode, check out the book, which costs £10 + £2 P&P. Email Ian at ilockwood65@gmail.com for details or send a cheque for £12 to Ian at 5 Alma Terrace, Skipton BD23 1EJ. Don't forget to include an address to send the book to!

As the FIFA World Cup reaches its climax, 'Rugby Reloaded' takes an in-depth look at the life of Ebenezer Cobb Morley, the founding secretary of the Football Association and the man who many claim is 'the father of football'.
Unearthing new research, we look at how Morley rejected his family's deeply religious background to live in a pub and pursue leisure interests his parents would think 'unGodly'.
The episode also examines the myths that surround Morley's career with the FA, and highlights how he was not actually the founder of football but one of many people involved in its organisational origins.
For more on the early history of football, rugby and the other codes, take a look at www.rugbyreloaded.com (where you can find the links for this episode) and follow me on X via @collinstony

Where did the term 'Derby Match' come from? How did it become so widely used? And is the St Helens versus Wigan match the 'Original' Derby? This week's 'Rugby Reloaded' delves back into history to discover why matches between local rival teams are dubbed Derbies and asks how much substance is there to the claim that Saints against Wigan is the daddy of all Derbies.

It's an intriguing story that takes us back to the 1700s and all the way to present day via ploughing, go-karts and TV's Kevin Brown. Intrigued? It's more interesting than you think!

For more on the history of rugby and the other football codes, take a look at www.rugbyreloaded.com (where you can find the links for this episode) and follow me on X via @collinstony

The Sydney Cricket Ground has played a pivotal role in the histories of cricket, rugby league, and many other sports. But the story of its origins and development in nineteenth century Sydney is as fascinating as it complex. Geoff Armstrong's new two-volume history of the SCG, 'A Thing of Beauty: The Founding of the SCG 1851-1898', explores the first fifty years of the stadium in vivid detail. As our discussion demonstrated, this is a book about more than sporting arena - it's about the emergence of modern sport in Australia, code battles between Aussie Rules and rugby, women's emergence as sports spectators, the social history of Sydney, and the legacy of the British Empire. It's the history of Sydney written from the SCG's famous Hill.

Our guest today in rugby league journalist and analyst Mike Meehall Wood, who launched his new Substack [https://mikemeehallwood.substack.com/p/six-tackles-and-superstructure-why] with 'Six Tackles & Superstructure: Why Rugby League needs more philosophy'. It's a fascinating look at how rugby league (with the help of others) denies its intellectual culture.

In an age when soccer coaches talk about their philosophies and rugby union is awash with tactical analysis, the rugby league media are content to keep talking about physicality and putting your body on the line. But the game is a complex and subtle sport with a deep and rich culture - so why don't we talk about it more?

For more on the history of rugby and the other football codes, take a look at www.rugbyreloaded.com (where you can find the links for this episode) and follow me on Twitter at @collinstony