This is the story of a sport told through its communities. It is compelling - richly illustrated and full of vivid accounts of players, their lives, their triumphs and their contests on the field.

Drawing on oral history interviews and a wide range of archival sources, Ryan Bodman locates rugby league history in working-class suburbs, with Kingitanga Maori, Pasifika migrants and peoples across the country. 

By challenging the mythic status of rugby union, Bodman reframes the cultural significance of sport in Aotearoa New Zealand. Rugby League in New Zealand tells a different story about this country's sporting scene, one that highlights the people and the game, alongside an incisive commentary on politics and power.