Historian Ryan Bodman has written a book about one of the country’s favourite sports, rugby league.
Rugby League in New Zealand: A People’s History explores the long-standing ties between the sport’s growth and the changing cultural landscape of Aotearoa, beginning with the sport’s introduction to the nation in 1907.
The book includes the history of Kīngitanga Māori, Pasifika migrants, clubs and communities across the country involved in the game, including accounts from those in the local and international scene, such as former international league legend Howie Tamati and others.
Bodman first took an interest in writing this book when he first looked at the dynamics of the two rugby codes, union and league, as they were introduced into the country and how they influenced classes in society and communities up to today.
“As I went along, other things caught my interest, like the strong involvement of women in the game and women who were very dedicated to their communities,” he says. “That reminded me of people in my own life who have served as guides to me so that fuelled it further.”
The splits between union and league would begin a code battle with the New Zealand Rugby Union’s extensive efforts to lure fans back to their code once league arrived.
They would prove unsuccessful due to the sport becoming popular and playing in many regions across the country by 1910, linked to passionate backing by different groups of the working class who wanted something different.
“If you look at the history, [people] were treated unfairly. The people who challenged it were socially ostracised and treated poorly, and had to have a lot of courage to do that. That’s a story that resonates with a lot of New Zealanders because they know it’s out there.
“When someone’s brave enough to say ‘nah nah nah,’ [the story] resonates.”
Once commercialism, professionalism and globalised media were introduced, Bodman says it slightly severed the connection between the elite and the grassroots levels of rugby league, pausing the sport’s growth.
“There has been a profound impact there but the grassroots still has this incredible generosity of spirit that it’s based upon, so there’s something still powerful and beautiful there. But I often say that it’s up to the current administrators to try and give more access to that level to the top so that can be seen as part of the game fabric more than the B stuff that they all go on about.”
