We have cross-matched the 1.4-GHz NRAO VLA Sky Survey (NVSS, Condon 1998, Cat. <VIII/65>) with the first 210 fields observed in the 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey (2dFGRS, Colless, 2001, Cat. <VII/226>), covering an effective area of 325{deg}^2^ (about 20 per cent of the final 2dFGRS area). This yields a set of optical spectra of 912 candidate NVSS counterparts, of which we identify 757 as genuine radio identifications - the largest and most homogeneous set of radio source spectra ever obtained. The 2dFGRS radio sources span the redshift range z=0.005 to 0.438, and are a mixture of active galaxies (60 per cent) and star-forming galaxies (40 per cent). About 25 per cent of the 2dFGRS radio sources are spatially resolved by NVSS, and the sample includes three giant radio galaxies with projected linear size greater than 1 Mpc. The high quality of the 2dF spectra means we can usually distinguish unambiguously between AGN and star-forming galaxies. We make a new determination of the local radio luminosity function at 1.4 GHz for both active and star-forming galaxies, and derive a local star formation density of 0.022+/-0.004M_{sun}_/yr/Mpc^3^ (H_0_=50km/s/Mpc)