Winner of the Judith Binney Prize for Illustrated Non-Fiction at the 2024 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards
'It's simply a brilliant book - warmly conveyed, thoroughly researched and beautifully produced.' – The Progressive Rugby League Podcast
'A mix of exhaustive research, insightful oral history interviews, and lavish illustrations combine to produce what Ryan Bodman desired above all – a substantial history accessible to devotees of rugby league. It also has considerable academic value.' – Greg Ryan, New Zealand Journal of History
‘Bodman has carried the stories of the game home to some of the fortresses which produced them … copies of the book will be stored in those hallowed clubrooms with treasures ejusdem generis.’ – Miriama Aoake, Metro
‘[Rugby League in New Zealand] is a sporting treasure that will stand as an important piece of New Zealand history for years to come.’ – Jamie Wall, Metro
'This is one of the very best books ever produced on the history of sport in New Zealand or on rugby league anywhere.’ – Tony Collins, Emeritus Professor of History, De Montfort University, England
'For those for whom Carlaw Park, the All Golds and the Winfield Cup stir warm memories, and to those to whom these are utter mysteries, Bodman's book is for you. Contests on the field take us to struggles beyond; struggles for dignity, survival and joy.' – Charlotte Macdonald, Professor of History, Te Herenga Waka | Victoria University of Wellington
'The people, the geographical scope of the book, the comparative experiences between north and south, east and west coast, rural and urban make this book a truly national, and international story.' -– Sean Mallon, Senior Curator, Pacific Cultures, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
'As a great lover of rugby league, it is very refreshing to be able to find a book that documents the game's historical factors so well.' – Sir Peter Charles Leitch, The Mad Butcher
'Ryan Bodman's history of rugby league in New Zealand is a riveting read uncovering class and cultural histories of our other national game.' – Morgan Godfery, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Law, Te Herenga Waka | Victoria University of Wellington
'A wonderful insight into the fascinating whakapapa of rugby league in Aotearoa. Rugby League being more than a game is well reflected in this book.' – Andre Whittaker, Chief Executive Officer at Wellington Rugby League
'In twenty years of researching, writing and teaching sports history this is one of the best books I have ever read.' – Geoff Watson, author and historian
'A valuable addition... with a lavish spread of photographs.' – Nevil Gibson, NBR
'There’s way more to New Zealand’s rugby league history... and now, thanks to the research from Ryan Bodman, much of that history is spelled out.' – Dale Husband, E-Tangata
'It isn't about tries and tackles... It is about rugby league, but it's about the community.' – Dean Bedford, RNZ Nine to Noon
'A brilliant new social history of the people’s game... Rugby League in New Zealand: A People’s History is so important.' – Jamie Wall, Newsroom
‘Bodman makes us realise that rugby league has done well to survive, let alone thrive. The fact it is ensconced as a popular sport in this country is something of a miracle, given the efforts of rugby union over almost a century to stamp it out.’ – Michael Burgess, Kete Books
'Ryan Bodman’s book Rugby League in New Zealand: A People’s History traces the journey of the 13-player game since its introduction to the country in 1907. Ryan’s research into the sport’s wider cultural significance unearths intriguing insights into the nation’s past that will appeal to a greater audience.' – Denise Montgomery, Ingenio
'Ryan Bodman has spent the past 8 years researching, writing and thinking about rugby league's impact on social movements and working class culture. From Carlaw Park to the West Coast, he uncovers the deep-rooted connections between rugby league’s development and the evolving cultural fabric of New Zealand.' – Radio New Zealand
'Historian Ryan Bodman has written a book about one of the country’s favourite sports, rugby league. Rugby League in New Zealand: A People’s History explores the long-standing ties between the sport’s growth and the changing cultural landscape of Aotearoa, beginning with the sport’s introduction to the nation in 1907.' – Te Ao
'Rugby League in New Zealand: A People's History tells the story of league through its communities' stories, and from interviews featuring former players such as Kevin and Howie Tamati and well-known figures like Sir Peter Leitch, the Mad Butcher.' – PNM
'Rugby league found people that felt ostracised from the mainstream, and that led to deep bonds among them, he writes in his excellent new social history of the game, Rugby League in New Zealand: A People’s History.' – Stuff
'Beginning with its introduction to the country in 1907, Rugby League in New Zealand reveals the deep-rooted connections between rugby league’s development and the evolving cultural fabric of New Zealand.' – Waatea News
Read 'How the NRL reshaped our grassroots league scene' on The Press
Listen to 'PRL Book Club' on The Progressive Rugby League Podcast
Listen to 'Pacific Mornings', Pacific Media Network
