With rugby league’s Ashes series imminent, part two of Rugby Reloaded’s look at the cultural history of Anglo-Australian rugby league moves onto the post-World War 2 period.
It was an era when the balance of power moved down under, with British players moving to Aussie clubs in the 1960s and 1970s, and the decline of Britain’s ability to consistently compete with Australia in test matches.
After 1970, the Lions never won a test series and British efforts to compete were hampered by changes in the British sports economy and poor leadership. But as we look toward the upcoming Ashes series, is there a way forward?