Overview

Called 'the greatest game of all' by its supporters but often overlooked by the cultural mainstream, few sports are identified with England's northern working class more than rugby league. This book traces the story of the sport from the Northern Union of the 1900s to the formation of the Super League in the 1990s, through war, depression, boom and deindustrialisation, into a new economic and social age. Rugby League in Twentieth Century Britain uses a range of previously unexplored archival sources to investigate the lives of those who played, watched and ran the sport. It considers the impact of two world wars, the significance of the game's expansion to Australasia and the momentous decision to take rugby league to Wembley. It investigates for the first time the history of rugby union's long-running war against league, and the sport's troubled relationship with the national media. Most importantly, the book sheds new light on broader issues of social class, gender and working-class masculinity, regional identity and the profound impact of the decline of Britain's traditional industries.; For those interested in the history of sport and working-class culture, this is essential reading.

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9781280552861

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