114. Bath v Wigan 1996 – When Two Cultures Clash

In May 1996 Wigan played union and Bath played league in a historic clash of the rugby codes. Each won a match in their own code but, between the two matches, Wigan also won union’s Middlesex 7s. It was 100 years since rugby’s great split, but the differences that tore the game apart then were just as apparent in 1996. The playing styles and stereotypes of the Victorian age continued to burn brightly – the games were not just a clash of the codes, they were also a clash of cultures.

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.