RL1908 - Rugby League Feature Articles

All articles are written by Sean Fagan of RL1908.com

The First Kiwi Visit : The initial Test series between Australia and New Zealand.

League Matches in the AIF : The 13-man code in the military during WW1.

The Great Wallaby Raid : The true history of the 1909 defections.

The 1905 All Blacks : Their tour gave rise to rugby league in Australasia.

'Rules' Almost Had Sydney's Paddock : The arrival of professional rugby league thwarted Aussie rules' rise in NSW and Queensland.

League and World War 1 : did WW1
give rugby league an unfair advantage over rugby union?

The Patriotic Match : during the Great War the NSWRL organised fund raising and recruitment matches to aid the war effort.

The Balmainiacs of 1909 : Why did Balmain forfeit the Final?

Kangaroo War-Cry : History of the Australian team's long-forgotten tradition.

Club Histories - New Speculations : Recently uncovered facts and new theories on club colours and nicknames.

"All Golds" - a nickname? :
The true meaning of the first New Zealand team's tag

Albert Baskerville - or Baskiville? :
Proof has been found of the spelling 'Bert' preferred to be known by.

Tracking 'Zam-Buks' : A name that you may have heard, but what was it?

Rabbitohs of 1955 : The most famous charge to the NSWRL premiership title ever

Australia's Biggest Test Loss : On June 28, 1952, the Kiwis dished-up to the Kangaroos a stunning defeat

Toowoomba's Undefeated Champions : For two seasons they defeated every International, State and club team that challenged them

Finding The Premier Club : Many methods have been used over the history of the NSWRL/NRL to award the premiership. From play-offs to 'first past the post'.

Kiwis 1908 Visit to Newcastle : Their match in Newcastle was the first ever Rugby League game in that city. It was also the NZers initial Rugby League match anywhere in the southern hemisphere

Breaking The Codes : In 1933 the administrators of Rugby League & Australian Rules resolved to create a new ‘all-Australian football game' incorporating the best features of both games

First International Rugby League Match - 5.4.1904
England and Other Nationalities met on April 5, 1904, in a match that holds the honour as the game's first International

New Zealand Kangaroos : Choosing a player based in New Zealand for the Kangaroos is not as rare as it would seem - Richard Villasanti is the sixth such Kangaroo

The 1929-30 Kangaroos : After five months of calling Ilkley ‘home', it was taking quite some effort to make themselves ready for the long sea voyage to Sydney

Forget The War... It's Grand Final Day : the 1943 war-time premiership decider provided drama even before the kick-off

The Ben Gronow Mystery : in the mid-1920s the best forward in the world travelled from England to rural NSW to play rugby league for Grenfell

Origin of the Blues : where did the blue colour for New South Wales originate?

Goulburn 1914 : almost 80 years before the NSWRL took competition games into new areas, one match was played in Goulburn

The First Australian 'Ashes' Team : a recount of the first ever Australia v England Test held in 1908, along with profiles of each member of the Kangaroo team

Leaping Footballers : The art of leaping over tacklers in spectacular rushes. It thrilled the crowds....but was a deadly habit

Kiwis in the Premiership Grand Final - the history of New Zealanders in premiership deciders

The Flying Wedge : Grand Final 1976 - did Ron Hilditch volunteer to take the ball up?

New Zealand took on touring teams from New South Wales and Queensland in the 1910s and 20s, while Australia refused to play the Kiwis in Tests.

The American All Stars of Rugby League toured Australia and New Zealand in 1953. In Sydney they played in front of 65,000 fans at the SCG

Not Always Green and Gold - The evolvement of the colours of NSW, Qld & Australia, Australasia and more. Where did the name Kangaroos come from?

Daley, Laurie : we look back at Laurie Daley's first season with Canberra 1987

Kangaroo Pioneers - Dally Messenger reflects on the tour of the First Kangaroos

Lydon, Joe - The Wigan player's 1987 stint with Easts is worth reviewing

Lyons, Cliff - His much travelled career before Manly in 1986

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Other articles previously contained in this section can be found
in the RL1908 Archive.

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