The Formal Empire

In the nineteenth century a quarter of the world's habitable countries were part of the British Empire and if trade was the driving force behind it's expansion, sport was the glue that helped keep it together. CLARE BALDING explains how sport became a way of transmitting British values around the globe; it was a connection to the mother country and a means of educating the Empire's native subjects. Professor Richard Holt of The International Centre for Sports History and Culture at De Montfort University reveals the role rugby and cricket played in making Britain great.

Readers, Brian Bowles, Nyasha Hatendi and Sean Baker
Producer: Garth Brameld.