Between 1957 and 1970, rugby league didn't just change on the field. It changed as a product, as entertainment, and as an international sport. And a lot of the rugby league we recognise today starts taking shape right here.
In just 13 years, rugby league went from a four-team World Cup with no final to international tournaments, television, massive club rivalries and some of the most famous moments in the game's history.
And there's something else happening during this period that would be almost impossible for a modern rugby league fan to appreciate.
The period between 1957 and 1970 was one of the most volatile, transformative, and momentous eras in modern human history. It was defined by the Cold War, the race to the moon, the collapse of global empires, and a massive societal upheaval driven by civil rights and youth counter-culture. Rugby league was also coming into people's living rooms for the first time.
Britain was already televising rugby league before Australia really got regular television coverage of the game. The first televised rugby league match in Australia came in 1961. And by the late 1960s, major rugby league matches were becoming regular television events. But Britain was ahead of the game. The BBC had shown the Challenge Cup Final as early as 1948. Great Britain against New Zealand from Swinton was televised in 1951. And by 1965, the BBC2 Floodlit Trophy was bringing rugby league into people's homes on a regular basis.
And that matters. Because this is the beginning of rugby league becoming something different. It wasn't just something you WENT to watch anymore. You could sit in your living room and watch it. You could hear the commentators. You could see the stars. You could follow the big games without actually being at the ground.
And by the time we get to 1970, Eddie Waring's voice is becoming synonymous with British rugby league, television is changing the way people consume sport, and the game is beginning to look much more like the professional entertainment product we recognise today. This is the story of how rugby league came into your living room.
1957. 1960. 1968. 1970. Four years. Thirteen years of change. And by the end of it, rugby league would never quite be the same again.
Oh, and the World Cup Trophy got STOLEN!
Two of the game's finest historians, are taking you back to relive the story of the Rugby League World Cups between 1957 and 1970.
The Rugby League History Podcast is a weekly or bi-weekly pod about exactly what it says in the title!
Andrew Ferguson is a much-published author / writer on the subject of rugby league history, is co-owner of the amazing Rugby League Project and co-host of the Fergo and the Freak podcast.
Professor Tony Collins is the DOYEN of rugby league history. He’s a professor of history, fourth generation Hull KR supporter, and the author of 'Rugby’s Great Split', 'Rugby League: A People’s History', and last year’s ‘Roy Francis: Rugby’s Forgotten Black Leader’.
Host Lee Addison is a former coach at NRL clubs, World Cups and Elite High Schools. He is the owner of Rugby League Coach.
Please email Lee with questions or suggestions for the podcast on admin@rugbyleaguecoach.com.au
You can also message and follow us @rugbyleaguehistorypod on Facebook, Instagram and X. @rugbyleaguehistorypod
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-rugby-league-coach-podcast--5572032/support.
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Oct 18 202655 mins