Since itâs first publication Rugbyâs Great Split has established itself as a classic in the field of sport history. Drawing on an unprecedented range of sources this deeply researched and highly readable book traces the social cultural and economic divisions that led in 1895 to schism in the game of rugby and the creation of rugby league the sport of Englandâs northern working class. Tony Collinsâ analysis challenges many of the conventional assumptions about this key event in rugby history â about class conflict amateurism in sport the North-South divide violence on the pitch the development of mass spectator sport and the rise of football. This new edition is expanded to cover parallel events in Australia and New Zealand and to address the key question of rugby leagueâs failure to establish itself in Wales. Rugbyâs Great Split is a benchmark text in the history of rugby and an absorbing case study of wider issues â issues of class gender regional and national identity and the impact of the commercialization and recent professionalization of rugby league. This insightful text is for anyone interested in Britainâs social history or in the emergence of modern sport it is vital reading. . Language: English