Wednesday 18 September 2024, 6pm to 7pm
9 The Strand, Takapuna, Auckland
In this talk at Auckland’s Takapuna Library, Ryan Bodman will discuss his award-winning book about the history of rugby league in New Zealand. Bring your whānau to hear about the game’s rich heritage and its powerful cultural journey.
A people’s history of rugby league
The history of rugby league in New Zealand began as a humble story of working-class communities and a popular ball game that felt like “being part of a large family”.
Beginning with the game’s introduction to the country in 1907, Ryan Bodman will reveal the deep-rooted connections between rugby league’s development and the evolving cultural fabric of New Zealand.
Drawing on first-hand interviews and a wide range of illustrations and archival material, he locates rugby league history in working-class suburbs, and among Kiingitanga Māori, Pasifika migrants, and clubs and communities across the country.
The people behind the game share accounts of change, triumph and resilience, while emphasising rugby league’s lasting influence on New Zealanders’ lives.
About the speaker
Ryan Bodman is a Pākehā from Mt Maunganui, who now lives in Auckland. In his work, he seeks to create uncomplicated, lively text that places an emphasis upon the voices of those who lived through the historic moment under discussion. His research interests fall under the broad categories of New Zealand’s social and cultural history, with a particular focus on social movements, working-class life, music, and sport. Ryan Bodman was awarded a Research Grant from the Friends of Turnbull Library in 2017, and his beautifully illustrated history won this year’s illustrated non-fiction prize in the Ockham NZ Book Awards.
More information can be found here.