Sport and the British: Rugby's Great Split

[josie andrews]

As part of a 30-part series on the history of sport in Great Britain, Clare Balding presented a special broadcast on BBC Radio 4 yesterday which looked back at rugby's great split in 1895.

The programme forms part of a series of broadcasts exploring the unique relationship Britain has had with sport and rugby's story tells a tale of lies, witch hunts, bigotry and the north/south divide. This isn't the story of a battle-torn country, but of a civil-war within a sport with rugby becoming a symbol of class division and splitting in two.

From the home of The Wigan Warriors, Professor Tony Collins of The International Centre for Sports History and Culture at De Montfort University explains the birth of Rugby League.

It happened in the late 19th century, a clash between those who could afford to be gentlemen amateurs and those who couldn't. This story goes to the heart of how important class was and is in Britain, it illustrates that sport is just as capable of dividing people as uniting them.

It also shows that sport isn't just a leisure activity - it's about who you play with and how you play.

You can listen to the programme on-line by visiting www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01bwfyd or you can downloads the podcast www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/sportbrit


http://www.rleague.com/content/article.php?id=42236

[ancientnloyal]

Thanks for this Josie will listen to after