Tag: Rugby
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Football v Soccer: What’s in a Name?
With North America hosting the FIFA Men’s World Cup this summer, the debate on the name of the sport, football or soccer, is bound to be mentioned. This article looks at the history of both terms and tries to pin down the appropriate term for the sport.
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The Women’s Six Nations needs to learn to be competitive on and off the pitch.
The thirty-first edition of the Women’s Six Nations has come to its conclusion, with England winning their twenty-second title. Not only did they win the silverware, but they also won the marketing game.
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How It All Began: The first-ever Women’s International Rugby Test Match and the legacy of the Utrecht Shield
On the 13th June 1982, the Netherlands and France took part in the first ever women’s international test match. Whilst the Netherlands lost at home, France became the first-ever lineal world title holders, a title they will fight to regain this Sunday against England in the final game of the 2026 Women’s Six Nations.
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When The Roses Wilted
Following their 2014 Rugby World Cup win, the Red Roses recorded their worst-ever result in the Six Nations. This is the tale of how the World discovered the Red Roses were not perennials.
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‘There has always been something special about a print newspaper.’
One aspect of my research process is to check newspaper archives. In the process, I’ve found some gems that haven’t made it into articles for various reasons. In this month’s Historian Tier post, I’m sharing some of my favourites.
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A Very Brief History of the Women’s Six Nations
Founded in 1996 as the Women’s Home Nations Championship, the tournament has grown significantly over the last thirty years. This is the tale of the seven nations that have made up the Six Nations.
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‘We’d just thought you’d go away’: A Brief Early History of Women’s Rugby in The USA
How a counter-culture movement and a landmark civil rights case created the first World Cup winners.
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Your Favourite Rugby Player Probably Doesn’t Need an Autobiography
If you go to any high street book shop in the UK you will find, usually a very small, rugby union section. Your options will likely include a selection of small ‘fun fact’ books, Huw Richards’ Game for Hooligans, an array of books from the Good, the Bad, the Rugby podcast, and at least a…
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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.
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The Even Weirder World of the Men’s Six Nations
Last week I posted A Brief History of the Weird World of the Men’s Six Nations, however, there were lots of extra weird bits that didn’t make it into the final draft. Here’s the even weirder world of the Men’s Six Nations for February’s Historian Tier Newsletter!
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