Tag: History
-
The ‘Monkey’ Who Almost Had Wales Kicked Out of the Home Nations
Just a few years after the first official Home Nations tournament, the then very small rugby world would be torn apart by one man and his house. For a thirty-four year period at the turn of the twentieth century, Newport RFC boasted the talents of the Gould brothers. Harry, Bob, Arthur, Bert, Gus, and Wyatt…
Written by
·
-
The Rugby History Project 2025 Historiography
One of my least favourite pieces of academic writing as a historian is a historiography. Still, after sharing my top three rugby books of 2025 on social media, I thought that sharing all thirteen of the rugby-related books I read last year would be great for January’s Historian Newsletter!
Written by
·
-
When Wales Lost a Region: The Tale of the Celtic Warriors
After months of speculation, on the 24th October 2025, the Welsh Rugby Union announced that they would be cutting the number of men’s professional teams from four to three. Let’s look back at the last time the Welsh Rugby Union cut a region. The regionalisation of Welsh rugby in the early 2000s came after a…
Written by
·
-
Chasing the Egg: A Short History of the Rugby Ball
The rugby ball is one of the most recognisable aspects of rugby, but also one of the most bizarre. How exactly did we end up as eggchasers? If you asked most people to describe a ball, they would describe a round sphere. However, in the sport of rugby, we use a bizarre ellipsoidal ball. Lovingly…
Written by
·
-
Meet the Valentines
The Rise and Fall and Rise Again of the Irish Women’s National Rugby Team On the 30th September 2024, Irish rugby fans woke up to the news that the Ireland had beaten New Zealand. Fans of the men’s team rejoiced that the women’s team had finally achieved the same feat the men had come to…
Written by
·
-
Why is Rugby Union Posh?
In many countries, Rugby Union is considered to be a sport for the middle classes. Stereotypically played in private schools by the sons of professionals, the sport often struggles to overcome this perception. However, how true is this assumption and why did the sport gain it in the first place?
Written by
·
-
Emily Valentine: The Female William Webb Ellis?
Emily Valentine was only ten when she picked up a rugby ball and played for Portora Royal School in Enniskillen. Since 2010 she has been hailed as the ‘female William Webb Ellis’ but how true is this? The story of Emily Valentine was hidden for over a century until rugby writer John Birch uncovered the…
Written by
·
-
'I wanted to play for Wales with my whole heart': An Exploration of the Players Lost to Welsh Rugby Due To Racism
For over a century, working class rugby players left Wales in order to be paid. However, for many men, “Going North” was a necessity as their skin colour was a barrier to rugby in Wales. In June 2025, Billy Boston was honoured with a knighthood, becoming the first rugby league player to receive the nod.…
Written by
·
-
The Legacy of Las Leonas: The Addition, Success and Removal of Spain in the Women’s Six Nations
Spain took part in the Women’s Six Nations between 2000 and 2006 before being removed by administrators of the men’s game, a decision still viewed with ire by many within the women’s rugby community. The 2006 Women’s Six Nations started off strong, with England taking on Wales in St Albans, Scotland facing France in Edinburgh,…
Written by
·
Home 