The Story of Rugby
Season 1
2019 · 6 episodes
1. A Gentleman's Game
2019-08-23
The origins of rugby from European village football games in the Middle Ages to recreational hobby played by the well-to-do sons of the Establishment of 19th century Britain.
2. An International Game
2019-08-30
How rugby spread from British universities to men of all social classes in the biggest Empire in history, changing nations political fortunes along the way.
3. A Global Game
2019-09-06
How the U.S.A. received then adapted rugby into America’s national game – and how France overcame British resistance to remake rugby as ‘the beautiful game’ on a level that astonished the world.
4. A Power Game
2019-09-20
How rugby’s misguided attempts to cling to past glories allowed media visionary Rupert Murdoch to swoop in and turn a 100-year-old staunchly amateur game fully professional.
5. A Professional Game
2019-09-26
How France and England became the most powerful rugby nations in the world, and tiny, remote New Zealand became the number one team in rugby history.
6. Tomorrow's Game
2019-10-03
How rugby returned to the Olympics in 2016 and finally opened its doors to women in a bold new era of change – in the process changing rugby from a niche into a sport for everyone in the world.
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