172. ‘Rugby League is Dying’ – the history of a meme

‘Rugby League is dying’ has been a refrain that has dogged the sport throughout its history. But rugby league hasn’t died, and in fact has survived numerous attempts to kill it off.

So why does this ‘meme’ continue? The latest ‘Rugby Reloaded’ looks at its history, asks why it has re-emerged recently, and argues that the sport is no closer to death today than it was at any other time when its mortality was being predicted.

For more on the history of rugby 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