On October 26, 1863, at the Freemason’s Tavern in Great Queen Street, London, representatives of various football clubs from across England met to try and figure out a universal set of rules for football.
This optimistic project fell apart over differences over whether you could run while holding the ball, and if you could kick an opponent in the shins.
The group split, one would form the Football Association, and the rest would go off an create Rugby.
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The invention of rugby: Part 2 – Sports Bizarre

Mick Molloy and Titus O’Reily are always on the lookout for a bizarre story. The harder to believe, the better.
Yet all these stories are true, even if many of them shouldn’t be.
Every Monday they delve into the world of sport with Sports Bizarre, and every Wednesday they turn their eye to the Animal Kingdom in Animal Bizarre.
From teammates who swapped wives to a crypto-investing hamster, one thing we guarantee if they are all bizarre.
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Titus interviews Chloë McCardel, the Queen of the Channel, to cap off our English Channel series.
Chloë has swam the channel a record 44 times, as well as holding the record for the longest uninterrupted, unassisted ocean swim ever.
They talk about the pain of jellyfish stings, the terror of swimming at night and how Chloe came to marathon swimming in the first place.
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Crossing the English Channel Part 4: Chloë McCardel

Mick and Titus discuss the cat born with no anus and the tale of an Alaskan woman attacked by a black bear while sitting on the toilet.
Plus, they marvel at the unathletic alligator who escaped and a plan hatched by ibises on the Gold Coast to evade animal control. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Overweight, Arthritic Alligator has Escaped

With the Channel finally crossed, the arms race for who could cross it the fastest kicked off, and in a shock for the media at the time, it would be the woman who would set the standard.
Gertrude Ederle would set the pace, although her coach worked work against her.
As time went on, the records became harder to set, until an eleven-year-old stepped up to the plate.
Titus has a live show in Melbourne on 7 June. You can get tickets here.
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Swimming the English Channel Part 3 - Sports Bizarre

A lot is happening in this week's episode, from a Walrus who ruined New Year's Eve, lobsters getting high and animals getting revenge on humans.
Titus has a live show in Melbourne on 7 June. You can get tickets here.
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When Animals Strike Back - Animal Bizarre

On 12 August 1872, Captain Matthew Webb stood on the English shore and covered himself with porpoise oil before setting off to attempt to be the first person to swim the English Channel.
Webb swam breaststroke as no Englishman would be caught dead swimming the new 'freestyle' stroke. It was considered “violent and grotesque.”
When Webb was just over halfway, a storm hit the Channel. It appeared once again the Channel would never be conquered.
Titus has a live show in Melbourne on 7 June. You can get tickets here.
If you’d like more Sports Bizarre, become a member of Bizarre Plus.
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The invention of rugby: Part 2 – Sports Bizarre

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