But most of the places that play soccer and where it's a big deal weren't colonies, or at least weren't colonies of Britain. The story is different in each place but the general pattern is that either someone from here (I'm English) went there for some other purpose, and ended up leaving them it. Or, and this seems to be more common, someone from there came here and ended up taking it.

When it comes to colonies it's important to split them in two or three, because Britain did and the attitude was different to them.

At the top of the pile you have the Dominions. These are the places that were allowed their own governments. They were sometimes called the White Dominions. Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc. And, err, South Africa. Yes, South Africa was a "White Dominion".

In those places it's cricket and rugby. But the clue's in the name there a little. "White Dominion". For the whites who moved in and made it their own country these were their sports. About the only exception is that in the western half of Australia the winter game is Aussie Rules rather than rugby. And even that's played on a cricket pitch! Soccer is played in a lot of those places now, but it's a relatively recent development.

African colonies, including South Africa once you get away from white people, it's soccer all the way. Bit of cricket for some in the summer, but rugby will be nearly universally a white thing if it's played.

This situation was brought about by staggering amounts of racism and elitism. The one redeeming feature of soccer, to my eyes, is that people did take it for themselves and make it their own. The English middle and upper classes who were doing this embarrassing Empire shit did not give care about it at all.

And those of us who were from northern English working class stock stole Rugby for ourselves too. Because fuck 'em.

(Apologies if that comes across as a rant. I can do much longer public lectures on the history of Rugby League and the English class system, but I probably shouldn't. Unless you want me to.)