Season 1

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.