With the Rugby World Cup in full swing much of the globe has caught oval fever. Much of this has to do with the great performances by the lower ranked teams; their stalwart bravery and occasional giant slaying igniting audiences. People have long pointed to a sense of community as being the beating heart of rugby.
Both on and off the pitch a sense of fairplay is supposed to permeate the game of rugby. During and after 80 minutes of throwing their bodies at each other the players are expected to act with respect for one another, an attitude the fans are expected to copy.
This dichotomy has seen many observe that rugby is a hooligans’ game played by gentlemen, in contrast to football being a gentlemen’s game played by hooligans.
Yet these sports have a shared origin in the medieval world. In massive events villages would competed with rivals to return a ball to a goal. Largely ruleless these opportunities built village comradery and allowed individuals to try and prove themselves.
While some examples of these ancient sports still remain the codification of rules and introduction of referees did away with most of them. What emerged in their place was the early versions of modern rugby and football. As time progressed these sports became ever more distinguished from one another.
In The Oval World sports and social historian, Professor Toby Collins, explores the history of rugby and how it evolved from these ancient free-for-alls into the sport that is enthralling the world today.
This is more than just an account of the William Webb Ellis myth and England’s public school sport though. Rugby League receives a lot of attention as Collins explores how class divisions spurred on its great split with Union. Nor is England the only focus in this history which looks at the place of rugby around the world, from Ireland to Japan.
Rugby’s social impact receives serious scrutiny too, and not all of it positive. Alongside Nelson Mandela’s great appearance in the Springbok jersey appears the All Black’s controversial tours of South Africa; when Maori players were left behind or made “Honorary Whites” to appease the apartheid governments.
Listen in as Patrick talks with Professor Collins about this great history of an amazing sport. How was Bram Stoker important to Irish rugby? Why did rugby become a working-class sport in Munster? And what has professionalisation spelled for the sport world wide?
Patrick also spoke with Peter Harbison about Henry O’Neill of the ‘Celtic Cross’, looked at A Short History of Disease: Plagues, Poxes and Civilisation with Sean Martin, and ventured to ancient Rome to look at Constantine the Emperor with David Potter.
