Now that York Knights are in Super League, the latest 'Rugby Reloaded' talks to Ian Lockwood about his new book 'The History of York RL Club 1868-1914' and the fascinating early story of one of Britain's oldest rugby clubs. Listen now via: on.soundcloud.com/G7ypPfulKYvP...

215. The Early History of York RLFC with Ian Lockwood

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 th

soundcloud.com

Everything you ever wanted to know about Ebenezer Cobb Morley! 'Rugby Reloaded' tells the story of the man some claim is the father of #football. He wasn't, but his life is far more interesting than that. And 'Cobb Morley' wasn't even his name! Listen via: on.soundcloud.com/4PPGUsBaraRH...

214. Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Ebenezer Cobb Morley

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

soundcloud.com

What Have The Three John Scotts Got To Do With Sport? This is a fabulous twisty-turny tale from sports writer Tony Collins involving a high-achieving family with numerous fingers in several significant pies. Supplementals: tinyurl.com/ykrv6m7w @hulllibraries.bsky.social @collinstony.bsky.social

One of my favourites in a good while. Love a good origin myth buster and no-one does it better than @collinstony.bsky.social

Tony Collins@collinstony.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Where did the term 'Derby Match' come from? And is the St Helens versus Wigan match the 'Original' Derby? This week's 'Rugby Reloaded' digs deep: on.soundcloud.com/mYcbBmim1oL2...

Where did the term 'Derby Match' come from? And is the St Helens versus Wigan match the 'Original' Derby? This week's 'Rugby Reloaded' digs deep: on.soundcloud.com/mYcbBmim1oL2...

213. What Was The Original Derby Match?

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 dis

soundcloud.com

New Roy Francis film for schools on its way! Great news for everyone who has worked hard for this in Brynmawr, for the sport of rugby league, and for the black community in Wales. www.heritagefund.org.uk/projects/cel...

Celebrating Roy Francis: Welsh rugby’s groundbreaking leader

heritagefund.org.uk

A discussion with the great @collinstony.bsky.social about the early days of the Sydney Cricket Ground ... www.rugbyreloaded.com

Interesting and insightful article in ‘The Times’ from Elgan Alderman about the state of British rugby league and potential NRL involvement (declaration of interest: I’m quoted in it). www.thetimes.com/article/58cf...

Super League risks becoming part-time if it snubs NRL — no one else wants it

Cash injection from Australia would offer potential for growth but also raise ‘feeder league’ fears. What opportunities and challenges lie ahead?

thetimes.com

The new Rugby Reloaded talks to Mike Meehall Wood about what Antonio Gramsci has to do with rugby league, why the game underplays its complexity and why Jonny Lomax and Todd Carney might be 'organic intellectuals'. Listen on: soundcloud.com/rugbyreloade...

211. Todd Carney, Antonio Gramsci and rugby league intellectuals

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 &

soundcloud.com

Here’s my article exploring France’s expulsion from #rugbyunion 5 Nations in the 1930s and return in the 1940s. Big thanks to the excellent ‘Football(s)’ journal. (It’s in French but translation apps are available): journals.openedition.org/footballs/479

John Bull, Marianne et le ballon ovale

En mars 1931, l’équipe de France est exclue du Tournoi des Cinq Nations. Les quatre rugby unions britanniques rompent leurs relations avec la Fédération française de rugby (FFR) et interdisent tout...

journals.openedition.org

What Has The Spanish Civil War Got To Do With Hull Rugby League? Soaking-wet sports writer Tony Collins outlines the part a Hull lad played in both rugby and defeating fascism. Supplementals: tinyurl.com/3xzjdp58 @hulllibraries.bsky.social @collinstony.bsky.social @hullfcofficial.bsky.social

Terrible news that Sydney rugby league historian Terry Williams has died. A great bloke, a good friend, and a man who brought the history of the game to life. He was a huge help when I wrote my Roy Francis bio. He’s a massive loss for us all - the game is poorer for his passing.

Before Andy Gregory, before Alex Murphy, there was Jonty Parkin of @wtrinityrl.bsky.social the man who defined the rugby league scrum-half as a cocky, rebellious, trickster; and a leader. 'Rugby Reloaded' talks to Lee Robinson about his new biography 'Jonty': on.soundcloud.com/DThmiJkKEFiB...

Podcast 210 - Jonty Parkin: the man who invented the modern scrum-half

In this episode I'm joined by Lee Robinson to talk about his new book 'Jonty: The Life of Jonathan Parkin', arguably the greatest rugby league scrum-half of all time. Jonty's career began as a teena

soundcloud.com

Before Andy Gregory, before Alex Murphy, there was Jonty Parkin of @wtrinityrl.bsky.social the man who defined the rugby league scrum-half as a cocky, rebellious, trickster; and a leader. 'Rugby Reloaded' talks to Lee Robinson about his new biography 'Jonty': on.soundcloud.com/DThmiJkKEFiB...

Podcast 210 - Jonty Parkin: the man who invented the modern scrum-half

In this episode I'm joined by Lee Robinson to talk about his new book 'Jonty: The Life of Jonathan Parkin', arguably the greatest rugby league scrum-half of all time. Jonty's career began as a teena

soundcloud.com

Good article by @collinstony.bsky.social on the state of rugby league in the UK post-Ashes. "The strategy of the RFL has simply been to squeeze more revenue out of existing supporters." (Also an e.g. of UK rugby league discourse using the word "soccer".) www.rugbyleaguehub.com/what-the-hel...

Tony Collins: What the hell is wrong with rugby league?

IT'S no accident that England's style of play in the Ashes series also looked like a metaphor for the state of the game off the pitch.

rugbyleaguehub.com

What Does A Sweet Shop Have To Do With Hull City’s Greatest Ever Player? Sports writer Tony Collins heads to some waste ground on Anlaby Road to link goodies and a very good player. Supplementals: tinyurl.com/2txcwhy6 @hulllibraries.bsky.social @collinstony.bsky.social

Great episode from @collinstony.bsky.social putting into context arguments for Scotland having ‘invented’ football open.spotify.com/episode/4tvc...

209. Did Scotland Invent Football?

open.spotify.com

The Scots revolutionised football, but did Scotland invent soccer? It's complicated... The new episode of 'Rugby Reloaded' unravels the tangled origins of the round-ball game north and south of the border: on.soundcloud.com/jfgUfdyTeFiE...

209. Did Scotland Invent Football?

This week's episode looks at how soccer emerged in Scotland in the mid-1800s. By the early 1880s not only was Glasgow the world capital of football, but Scottish players playing for English clubs had

soundcloud.com

If you want to find out more about Roy Francis, race, and #RugbyLeague I'm talking about my new book on the Progressive Rugby League podcast, which you can listen to here: shows.acast.com/the-progress...

PRL BOOK CLUB - Roy Francis: Rugby's Forgotten Black Leader by Tony Collins | The Progressive Rugby League Podcast

Professor Tony Collins steps us through the life and times of Roy Francis, one of the most significant figures in British Rugby League history

shows.acast.com

If you haven’t yet read “Roy Francis: Rugby’s Forgotten Black Leader” a certain major online retailer is offering the hardback for just £6.99 - it also makes a great Xmas gift (or so I’ve been told).

If you’re interested in the origins of American football - or any of the football codes - I’m discussing the birth of the gridiron game on the new ‘Who Invented This Sport?’ podcast: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/w...

Who Invented American Football? Part Four: Once upon a time at a cozy London pub . . .

Podcast Episode · Who Invented This Sport? · 11/20/2025 · 43m

podcasts.apple.com

The new 'Rugby Reloaded' asks 'what the hell is going on in British rugby league? Listen to a historian's view of the state of the game in Britain: on.soundcloud.com/wJ3BsqOt4TxI...

207. What the hell is going on in British rugby league?

The new Rugby Reloaded looks at the current state of rugby league in Britain, asks 'What's going on?' and tries to provide some answers by looking at how the history of the sport can give us some insi

soundcloud.com

Our latest episode with @collinstony.bsky.social of @icshc.bsky.social & @lborouniversity.bsky.social discussing his book on rugby league legend Roy Francis earlier this year is now LIVE! Well worth a listen for lovers of rugby league and/or Black British history! shows.acast.com/sport-in-his...

The new episode of 'Rugby Reloaded' talks to Kevin Fitzpatrick about his new Oldham Rugby League Heritage Trust Hall of Fame documentary, and updates us on plans for the club's 150th anniversary next year. Listen now via: on.soundcloud.com/QXB7G78bsQNZ...

206. Oldham Rugby League Hall of Fame

This week we sit down with Kevin Fitzpatrick, a member of the Oldham Rugby League Heritage Trust, to talk about his documentary on Oldham's Hall of Fame. It's a fascinating look at the history of the

soundcloud.com

With just two days before the decisive second Ashes Test at Everton, relive the excitement of the 1986 Kangaroo tour with author Mark Flanagan in this classic 'Rugby Reloaded' episode: soundcloud.com/rugbyreloade...

142. Once Were Kangaroos - Mark Flanagan on the 1986 tour

In the wake of the BBC's excellent 'Once Were Lions' documentary, we look back on the 1986 Kangaroo tour of Britain with Mark Flanagan, author of 'The Invincibles: The Inside Story of the 1982 Kangaro

soundcloud.com

Could Germany have become a rugby-playing nation? Or could the US have been a bastion of soccer? Join me and Thomas Adam on the new 'Rugby Reloaded' as we discuss his new book 'The Global Spread of Football from the 1860s to the 1880s': on.soundcloud.com/jxKxLGPf5sgU...

205. The Global Spread of Football with Thomas Adam

This week we delve deep into the origins of the football codes across Britain, Europe and the Americas with Thomas Adam, author of the new book The Global Spread of football from the 1860s to the 1880

soundcloud.com

Before rugby league’s Ashes series kicks off this afternoon, watch the brand new documentary from @lucy_itv about Scotland’s rugby codebreakers and the struggles they suffered: youtu.be/S9jcj5k2pIA?...

The Untold Story of Rugby Codebreakers | ITV Border

YouTube video by ITV News In Full

youtu.be

The Countdown to the rugby league Ashes begins - and to kick it off here's a 'Rugby Reloaded' classic episode charting the incredible story of the 1946 'Indomitables' and the first post-war Ashes series: on.soundcloud.com/EMF3GoRrQUuD...

127. The 1946 Indomitables' rugby league tour

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

soundcloud.com

With the rugby league Ashes' series almost here, 'Rugby Reloaded' resumes its look at the cultural and social history of Anglo-Australian league, exploring how Australia turned the tables on England to become the game's dominant world power. Listen now via: on.soundcloud.com/qkAQwcAbifus...

204. A Cultural History of the Ashes (part two)

With rugby league's Ashes series imminent, part two of Rugby Reloaded's look at the cultural history of Anglo-Australian rugby league moves onto the post-World War 2 period. It was an era when the b

soundcloud.com

With the rugby league Ashes' series almost here, 'Rugby Reloaded' resumes its look at the cultural and social history of Anglo-Australian league, exploring how Australia turned the tables on England to become the game's dominant world power. Listen now via: on.soundcloud.com/qkAQwcAbifus...

204. A Cultural History of the Ashes (part two)

With rugby league's Ashes series imminent, part two of Rugby Reloaded's look at the cultural history of Anglo-Australian rugby league moves onto the post-World War 2 period. It was an era when the b

soundcloud.com