Mud, Sweat and Social Revolution: Telling Aotearoa’s Hidden History

Ryan Bodman and host Matiu Workman

Rugby league didn’t just arrive in New Zealand in 1907 — it
erupted. Born from British working-class rebellion over
player payments, it landed in a country ripe for its own social
upheavals. Through gripping firsthand accounts and forgotten
archives, this session explores how rugby league became the
sporting voice of New Zealand’s industrial heartland. From the
Kiingitanga to the coalfields, from factory gates to suburban
clubs, discover how communities used this ‘rebel sport’ to
challenge power, build identity and write their own rules.

Proudly supported by Bridget Williams Books.

$25/20 Tickets available from Ticketmaster at the link above.

You may also like the following events from Dunedin Writers & Readers Festival:

• Next month, 18th October, 12:00 am, Kaituna Kids in Dunedin
• Next month, 18th October, 01:00 am, H.K. Taiaroa: Impact and Influence in Dunedin
• Next month, 18th October, 01:00 am, Books of Mana in Dunedin

Also check out other Sports events in Dunedin, Workshops in Dunedin, Contests in Dunedin.