From mud-scented clubrooms and the crowded stands at Mount Smart to soft diplomacy in the Pacific — rugby league has many faces. The soaring highs and crushing lows of the average Warriors season are matched only by the drama that unfolds off the field. Rugby league is both the people’s game with a proud working-class history and a commercial beast — one that offers young players great opportunity but at the cost of their bodies in a gruelling and competitive system. Join Ryan Bodman (Rugby League in New Zealand), Sean Mallon, and Miriama Aoake (Ngaati Mahuta, Ngāti Hinerangi, Waikato-Tainui) as they survey the state of the sport.
A discounted ‘Ticket + book’ bundle is available for a copy of Rugby League in New Zealand: A People's History by Ryan Bodman.If purchased, your book can be collected from Unity Books, 57 Willis Street, Wellington in advance of the festival, or at the event from Unity's book table.
The Judith Binney Trust is proud to support this event
The Judith Binney Trust honours the distinguished historian Dame Judith Binney / Te Tōmairangi o Te Aroha. The Trust’s kaupapa or purpose is to encourage courageous and imaginative scholarship that furthers our understanding of the rich history of Aotearoa New Zealand. The Trust provides an annual Fellowship for an established scholar and writing grants for emerging writers to prepare their research for publication. Ryan Bodman was one of the inaugural recipients of a Judith Binney Writing Award in 2019 and the Trust is proud to support this event.
For more information visit: http://www.judithbinneytrust.org.nz
