166. Origins of rugby in Hull – When East was West and West was East

This week’s ‘Rugby Reloaded’ looks at the origins of rugby in Hull and its strange twist of geographical fate. The city was and remains a heartland of rugby dating back to the 1860s. Like the rest of the north of England, the game in Hull was begun by former public schoolboys, but it quickly captured the imagination of dockers, shipbuilders and factory workers across the city. And East Hull was the home of Hull FC and Hull KR were the pride of West Hull…

This new episode explores the social history of early rugby in Hull and investgates how its premier sporting rivalry was flipped on its head.

For more on the history of rugby, soccer, and the other football codes, take a look at www.rugbyreloaded.com (where you can find the links for this episode) and follow me on Twitter at @collinstony