126. Rugby Union and the Olympic Games

9 August would have been the closing ceremony of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but… The new ‘Rugby Reloaded’ takes a look at rugby union’s early Olympic history, starting with the 1900 tournament where the British team did not bother to turn up for a match and ending with the 1924 final that ended in violence. In between, club teams took part, Cornwall contested a final, and the USA won two gold medals. This was a very different Olympic tradition to the commercial juggernaut of today’s Games.

For more on the history of rugby and the other football codes, take a look at www.rugbyreloaded.com (which also has show notes and links for this episode) and follow me on Twitter at @collinstony.