The Project

On 16th March 2020, rugby league in Britain was suspended due to the global Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. On 23rd March, Australia followed suit.

For 125 years, thousands of people in the UK and beyond had enjoyed watching or playing rugby league every week.

Until the pandemic, only the two World Wars had previously disrupted the sport. At the time of this project we had no idea what the impact of the pandemic would be on ourselves, our nation, and our sport.

This was a unique time for everyone, and this project sought to be the first to document the impact of Coronavirus upon a sporting community as it happened.

We wanted to capture snapshots of these unprecedented times for future generations, and place on the historic record people’s thoughts and feelings as the pandemic unfolded.

Whether people were supporters, a volunteers, or employed in the game, we asked them to take part.

Participants were asked to complete diary entries and email them to the project. Participants could submit one, or multiple daily entries as they wished. The entries have been deposited in the Rugby Football League Archive, held at The University of Huddersfield.

By participating in this project, people contributed to the understanding of how this global pandemic affected everyday life, and how the absence of rugby league affected the whole rugby league community. Participants also contributed to our wider understanding of rugby league and its cultural significance in people’s everyday lives.

We hoped that participating in the project would be an enjoyable experience and a chance to reflect on and contribute to the historical record.