Rugby
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Around the World in 80 Minutes: In Search of Rugby Greatness
A WATERSTONES BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023 – SPORT
‘A mesmerising, unforgettable journey around world rugby. ‘
Donald McRae – Twice Winner of the William Hill Sports Book of the Year‘Magnificent. a hugely intelligent and entertaining.’
Stuart Barnes, Sunday Times‘Really enjoyed it.’
Will Carling‘An absolutely marvellous book. Recommended heartily.’
Jonathan Drennan, Sydney Morning HeraldCONTRASTING CHARACTERS, COLLIDING CULTURES, THE SAME OVAL-SHAPED BALL. A JOURNEY TO FIND THE RUGBY’S MOST REMARKABLE PEOPLE, TEAMS AND PLACES.
What makes rugby special? Which individuals and teams have defined the modern game? Around the World in 80 Minutes charts the ‘golden era’ of global rugby union between 1973 and 2023 and goes in search of the sport’s most influential trailblazers.
Robert Kitson, the Guardian’s long-time rugby union correspondent, assesses the game’s current health, tracks down the battered gladiators of yesteryear and asks some pertinent questions. Does rugby retain its old rugged charm? What does its future look like? And what, ultimately, constitutes rugby ‘greatness’?
Observant, amusing and thought-provoking, the journey takes in some of the game’s more prominent names – including David Campese, Brian O’Driscoll, Maggie Alphonsi, Sean Fitzpatrick, Eddie Jones and Sir Clive Woodward – to reflect on rugby’s intangible shared joy.
Millions of fans continue to find rugby maddeningly irresistible and endlessly compelling. This book is for them, and for anyone else wondering where the appeal lies.
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Behind the Dragon: Playing Rugby for Wales (Behind the Jersey Series)
SHORTLISTED FOR THE TELEGRAPH SPORTS BOOK AWARDS 2020 – RUGBY BOOK OF THE YEAR
This is a complete history of the Welsh rugby union team – told by the players themselves.
Based on a combination of painstaking research into the early years of the Wales team to interviews with a vast array of Test match players and coaches from the Second World War to the present day, Ross Harries delves to the very heart of what it means to play for Wales, painting a unique and utterly compelling picture of the game in the only words that can truly do so: the players’ own.
Behind the Dragon lifts the lid on what it is to pull on the famous red shirt – the trials and tribulations behind the scenes, the glory, the drama and the honour on the field, and the heart-warming tales of friendship and humour off it.
Absorbing and illuminating, this is the ultimate history of Welsh rugby – told, definitively, by the men who have been there and done it.
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BEYOND THE WHISTLE: THE WAYNE BARNES STORY
“Dive into the captivating world of rugby officiating with ‘Beyond the Whistle: The Wayne Barnes Story.’ This book takes you on an exhilarating journey through Barnes’ remarkable career, from local matches to the grand stages of international tournaments. Explore the defining moments that shaped matches and sparked global conversations about the role of referees. Uncover the layers of Barnes’ story, his influence on rugby union refereeing, and the lasting legacy he leaves on the sport. Don’t miss your chance to experience the drama, controversies, and triumphs that make Wayne Barnes a legendary figure in rugby. Buy now and discover the untold chapters of one of rugby’s most influential personalities!”Read more
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Carps: The Rugby World Cup’s Father: The Biography of John Kendall-Carpenter
John Kendall-Carpenter was a truly extraordinary man. He captained the England rugby team in the early 1950s, when he was widely regarded as one of the cleverest and most tactically astute players in the world. At the same time he launched out on a career in education which saw him not only hold the headmastership of three well-known public schools but also play a prominent role in the Headmasters’ Conference in its negotiations with the Labour Government in the 1970s to ensure the continued independence of that sector. In addition, the first Rugby World Cup simply would never have happened without him. President of the Rugby Union in 1980, he was then elected as England’s representative on the International Rugby Board where his role was to defend the amateur code which was coming under increasing pressure from professionalism. His conversion to the cause of international rugby and the commercial potential of the Word Cup, with his subsequent passion and energy, was instrumental in getting the first World Cup in 1987 off the ground and also paved the way towards the professional game. He then threw himself into the planning of the next World Cup but sadly died just a year before it started in 1991. John Kendall-Carpenter was remarkable man with many friends – and a few enemies! – not only in sport, but in education, the theatre, among politicians and writers. He is still a legend in Cornwall – his adopted home. This biography will appeal to every dedicated rugby supporter as well as those interested in sport in general and how rugby emerged from the fields of English public schools to the huge commercial sporting event it is today.Read more
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Charlie Faulkner: The 1 and Only
Immortalised in Max Boyce’s ‘The Pontypool Front Row’, Charlie Faulkner was a key member of the 1970s Wales team which dominated Northern Hemisphere rugby, winning all four of the Five Nations Championships he played in, with three Triple Crowns and two Grand Slams. The early days, the glory years with Pontypool, Wales and the 1977 Lions, his time as a coach – in this long-awaited autobiography, Faulkner takes us behind the scenes and tells us in his own words how it was, with his trademark humility and humour. In progress when Faulkner died in early 2023 aged 81, the book has been completed by co-author Greg Lewis with input from teammates, friends and family.Read more
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Confessions of a Rugby Mercenary
John Daniell is a rubgy mercenary. A brutal word for an often brutal game.
In 1996, when Rugby Union turned professional, John emigrated to France where he played for a decade in top competitions. His team ricocheted between fear and ecstasy, as they battled to save the club from relegation and their careers from the scrap heap.
Now he lifts the lid on the dark world of the journeyman player, where losing a home game is considered a crime, coaches and club owners will do anything to win, and agents ruthlessly manipulate players.
His compelling confessions are both shocking and funny, taking you behind the scenes, onto the field and into the very heart of the scrum.
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£11.80£15.20Confessions of a Rugby Mercenary
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Dan Carter: The Autobiography of an All Blacks Legend
Dan Carter’s last game as an All Black culminated with him declared Man of the Match following the 2015 Rugby World Cup final at Twickenham – an unforgettable ending to the career of the greatest fly-half of all time.
But along with the triumphs of his signature World Cup win, his performance against the Lions in 2005, and an unprecedented run of Bledisloe Cup successes, there was also the pain and doubt he felt during a prolonged period of injury and rehab following the 2011 World Cup.
He watched that victory from the sidelines, as he had the All Blacks’ defeats in two previous tournaments. Indeed, heading into the 2015 World Cup he had never finished the competition on his own terms.
His autobiography tells of that redemption, and gets you up close and personal with one of the most celebrated sportsmen of our time.
Threaded throughout the book is an intimate diary of his final year as a Crusader and All Black, during which he worked tirelessly to make one last run at that elusive goal: a World Cup victory achieved on the field.
Dan Carter’s autobiography is essential reading for all sports fans.
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Fringes: Life on the Edge of Professional Rugby
Updated edition of the #1 Amazon Bestseller
LONGLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR PRIZE 2020Sports books tend to detail extraordinary achievements, triumphs against the odds or commemorate World Cup winning captains.
This book does not do that.
For many, playing professional sport is the Dream Job. Few manage it, very few make it to the top and for the rest, life is very different. This is their story.
In Fringes, Ben Mercer invites you to witness life at the outer edges of professional rugby. This is a first hand account of what life is like as a journeyman professional athlete. You play, but to the wider public you don’t exist. You earn but you don’t drive a flash car. You sometimes pack out a stadium but sometimes, you play in a deserted park. This is the story for the majority of sports professionals. Only the minority taste the top, only one person gets to lift the cup or win the medal, only 15 get to play for England at any one time. For the rest, that’s not the case.
Ben Mercer is a former professional rugby player who after becoming disillusioned and uninspired plying his trade in the English Second Division, accepted an offer out of the blue to go to France and do something different – help an amateur team turn professional. This is a first hand account of what life is like in the lower reaches of professional sport – where your employment status is as precarious as your health and barely anyone will know your name.
It’s about how it feels to live year to year, with teammates constantly on the move. It’s about how professionalism irreversibly changes the French club Stade Rouennais as they move up the divisions, about the tension between progress and identity in a rugby team. It’s also about how it feels to actually be out there on the field, how it feels to occasionally do something extraordinary and how it feels when this is no longer enough for you to make the sacrifices that you need to make to keep playing.
There’s no ghostwriting, it’s an unmitigated meditation on how it feels and what it means to play rugby for a living, to dedicate yourself to an uncompromising but occasionally beautiful game.
If you’ve wanted to know what life is really like as a professional athlete, on the Fringes, away from the glitz and glamour of the international game then look no further.
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Gordon’s Game: The hilarious rugby adventure book for children aged 9-12 who love sport
A rugby-mad boy. A huge game. And a chance for an epic win . . . or an epic fail!
Gordon D’Arcy is an ordinary boy, but he’s not so ordinary once he gets a rugby ball in his hands. He’s the star player for Wexford Wanderers and dreams of one day wearing the Ireland jersey. A dream like that means hard work, raw talent and never losing sight of your goals.
But Gordon has a wild streak that often lands him in trouble. Mum and Dad think that if he can just channel his energy, all will be well. Then something utterly mad happens and he gets a chance to live his biggest dream.
Can he stay on his game and do everyone proud? Or will trouble follow him . . . like it usually does?
Gordon’s Game is a funny and inspiring adventure for rugby lovers of all ages!
‘A cracking read . . . which will appeal to all the family’ Irish Country Magazine
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Hard Men of Rugby
From the author of Rugby’s Greatest Mavericks.The true stories behind 20 of the toughest players to ever play the game, from pre-WWI firebrands to modern-day YouTube sensations. They are shocking, gruesome, often very funny and sometimes tragic, but what unites these men is their total commitment to the sport. Irrespective of size, reputation or opposition, they never took a step back, and many were as lively off the pitch as they were fiery on it. In our era of citing commissioners, slow-motion replays and trial by social media, some of their actions are hard to believe. Featuring exclusive interviews with some of the players themselves, insights from former teammates and a foreword from refereeing legend Nigel Owens, if you love the characters that make rugby great, then this is the book for you.
Table of contents: Foreword by Nigel Owens Introduction Paddy Mayne Brian Lima Wayne Shelford Bobby Windsor Colin Meads Jerry Collins Norm Hadley David Bedell-Sivright Scott Gibbs Gérard Cholley Trevor Brennan Wade Dooley Bakkies Botha Tomás Lavanini Jacques Burger Armand Vaquerin Martin Johnson Brian Thomas Sébastien Chabal Weary Dunlop Author acknowledgements Bibliography Notes
It was safer and certainly more fun to read about the Hard Men of Rugby than to play against them! It’s like having a few laughs over beers with them in the bar post-match, rather than what would have taken place on the pitch! – Al Charron, Former Canada Captain & World Rugby Hall of Fame inductee
I couldn’t put the book down. It was great to learn more about some of the hardest men in rugby folklore. And I had the misfortune to play against some of these legends! – Bernard Jackman, Former Ireland & Leinster player, coach and commentator
A cracking read, with some great stories about some guys I played with and against. Plus many more I am relieved I never had to face.- Lee Byrne, Former Wales & Lions player and pundit
I laughed, winced and even found myself moved by this lively and fun rundown of rugby hardmen.- Ben Mercer, Former rugby polayer & author of best-selling ‘Fringes: Life on the edge of professional rugby’
Fresh, entertaining, well-researched and full of really fun nuggets. – Robbie Owen / Squidge, Youtuber, podcaster & writer
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£8.10£9.50Hard Men of Rugby
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Hard Men of Welsh Rugby
Who are the hardest men of Welsh rugby? Here are stories of twenty of the toughest Welsh rugby union players who fought valiantly for pride and honour in the days prior to the game turning professional in 1995. With profiles of legends such as John Bevan, Graham Price, JPR, Scott Gibbs and many more, this book tells some of the most gory tales from rugby history. Read about the men who carried on playing despite having internal bleeding on their eyes gouged, and the scrums which were an opportunity to chew your opponent s ear… The hard men featured in the book are… John Bevan, Mervyn Davies, Gareth Edwards, Charlie Faulkner, Scott Gibbs, Ray Gravell, Terry Holmes, Garin Jenkins, Courtney Meredith, Dai Morris, Graham Price, Ray Prosser, Delme Thomas, Geoff Wheel, JPR Williams, Bobby WindsorRead more
£7.60Hard Men of Welsh Rugby
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I love rugby! But I don’t understand the rules…
The rules of rugby explained in simple terms. At last, a book that everyone can read to learn and understand the sometimes complicated rules of rugby. From offside to scrum and tackling, everything you need to know about rugby is explained in this book in a simple and understandable way. Dive into the world of rugby and become unbeatable about the rules.
All explanations are backed by diagrams and illustrations.Read more
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Jason Leonard: Full Time the Autobiography of a Rugby Legend
Leonard’s story starts as rugby started – in the amateur days, when the Cockney Carpenter began playing for Barking and Saracens in the days before multi-million pound business owners and sponsorship deals. His big break came when he was invited to join the England squad for their tour to Argentina in 1990 and has been capped 100 times.
It was a tour that precipitated one of the greatest periods in the history of the British game, and Leonard provides a compelling insight into life behind the international scenes with England and the Lions, as well as the domestic game through his time at Saracens and Harlequins.
Once told that he would never walk again after undergoing life-saving surgery on his neck, Leonard describes the torment he went through during this period – both physical and financial – and how he fought against all the odds to re-establish himself on the international stage. With 100 Test caps won to date, and a career in rugby union spanning two decades, there is no more experienced player in the modern game.
Leonard has plenty to tell about the people he has met during his career – Rob Andrew, Will Carling, Lawrence Dallaglio, Brian Moore, Dick Best and Clive Woodward all feature – and with nicknames like ‘The Fun Bus’ and ‘The Scourge of the Barking Barmaids’ the stories are as colourful and controversial as the man himself.
All is revealed in this fascinating portrait of an English rugby legend who also reflects upon England’s 2002 Six Nations campaign, his hopes for his international future and a tough year for Quins.
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Made for Rugby: The Autobiography
A controversial autobiography by one of rugby league’s most famous players – Barrie McDermottRead more
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My Life and Rugby: The Autobiography
The Sunday Times bestseller
‘A genuine super-coach’ – Stephen Jones, Sunday Times
Brilliant, honest, combative – Eddie Jones is a gigantic yet enigmatic figure in world rugby and a true legend of the game. In My Life and Rugby he tells his story for the first time, including the full inside story of England’s 2019 World Cup campaign.
Since taking over as head coach of England in 2015, Eddie Jones has orchestrated a complete revival of the national team. He has won the Six Nations Championship back-to-back, including England’s first Grand Slam in a generation and their first-ever whitewash of Australia in their own backyard, as well as taking them on their longest-ever winning streak, matching the world record held by the All Blacks.
Eddie Jones is one of the most experienced and decorated coaches in Rugby Union. His career has spanned four World Cups: from the 2003 final, working with South Africa when they won in 2007, and causing the greatest upset in the history of the game in 2015 when he masterminded the Japanese victory over South Africa. Most recently, he led England on their incredible run at the 2019 World Cup, culminating in a stunning victory against the All Blacks before falling to South Africa in the final.
Learning from the extreme highs and lows of his own playing career – including the numerous successes playing for Randwick and New South Wales but also the painful disappointment of never playing for Australia – he shows what it takes to be the best in the world and how everything he has learned about the game, both on and off the pitch, has gone into plotting England’s route to the top of world rugby.
Written with Donald McRae, twice winner of the William Hill Sports Book of the Year award and three-time Sports Feature Writer of the Year, My Life and Rugby is the story of one of the most compelling and singular figures in rugby. Told with unflinching honesty, this is the ultimate rugby book for all fans of the sport.
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£5.70£19.00My Life and Rugby: The Autobiography
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My Name’5 DODDIE: The Autobiography
The extraordinary, life-affirming autobiography of DODDIE WEIR OBERugby legend and MND campaigner Doddie Weir has always lived life to the full. On the pitch, Doddie’s irresistible talent took him to the heart of every team he graced, and brought him 61 caps for his national side. He won fans all over the world with his sportsmanship, humour and boundless energy – especially when on the charge ‘like a mad giraffe’.
Then, in June 2017, Doddie made the announcement that he had been diagnosed with MND. With no cure and almost no treatment of any sort available, Doddie set out to do what he could to change that, tackling the issue head on with his trademark positivity and good humour. Since then, his MY NAME’5 DODDIE Foundation has raised and pledged millions towards research into this dreadful condition and his tireless campaigning has transcended the world of sport.
MY NAME’5 DODDIE is a humbling, courageous and very funny celebration of a remarkable man. And with a brand new update, this is an absolute must-read – rugby fan or not.
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£6.60£9.50My Name’5 DODDIE: The Autobiography
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Newport Rugby Greats
Newport RFC played their first game in 1876, and quickly established themselves as one of the leading clubs in the country. They played a dominant role in Welsh and British rugby, providing the national team with some of its greatest stars. The ‘Black and Ambers’ are one of a select group of teams in world rugby to have beaten the All Blacks, Wallabies and the Springboks. Formed in 2003 as a result of the regionalisation of Welsh rugby, Newport Gwent Dragons started life with a third place finish in the 2003/04 Celtic League. Some notable club highlights include reaching the semi-finals of the European Challenge Cup in 2007 and 2015, and reaching the final of the Anglo-Welsh Cup in 2011. Like Newport RFC, they play at Rodney Parade, one of Welsh Rugby’s spiritual homes. Peter Jones documents Newport’s most iconic players and managers from the team’s early beginnings to the present day. With unprecedented access to the club’s archives, Newport Rugby Greats provides a history of some of the club’s heroes, complete with facts and figures, along with their most memorable games.Read more
£11.00£16.10Newport Rugby Greats
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One of Us: England’s Greatest Rugby Players
In 2013, England Head Coach Stuart Lancaster embarked on an ambitious project to turn Twickenham Stadium into England Rugby’s ‘sixteenth man’. Drawing upon the rich heritage created by all those who have worn the red rose since the birth of international rugby, he introduced a series of innovations around the stadium, which has since become the most advanced rugby ground in Europe. Inside the England dressing room, a roll of honour records the names of all those to have worn the shirt. Each player, when selected to represent their country, receives a unique number that indicates their place in a tradition that began on 27 March 1871 at Raeburn Place, Edinburgh, when the world’s first international rugby match took place. The current team are seated around the dressing room according to their position. Behind where each player sits is a list of the ten players per position to have represented England, under the title One of Us. This fascinating book explores the process behind these innovations and details the achievements of those deemed to be England’s greatest players.Read more
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ROB BURROW BIOGRAPHY: The Ups and Downs of An English Former Rugby League Player.
Robert Geoffrey Burrow is a former professional rugby league player for the England national team.He played for England and Great Britain for 16 years, making over 400 games with Leeds Rhinos in the Super League between 2001 and 2017.
Burrow, who stood at just 5 feet, 5 inches (165 centimetres) and weighed less than 11 kg (70 kilogrammes; 150 pounds), held the title of “the smallest player in Super League” for many years.
Despite this, he was among the most successful players in the history of the tournament, having won eight Super League titles, two Challenge Cups, being selected to the Super League Dream Team three times, and taking home the Harry Sunderland Trophy on two separate occasions.
On December 19 2019, Burrow announced his diagnosis with motor neurone disease (MND).
For his contributions to the Rugby League and the MND community, he was appointed on December 30, 2020, as a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2021 New Year’s Honours List.
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Scrum Queens: The Story of Women’s Rugby (Shortlisted for the Sunday Times Sports Book Awards 2023)
**SHORTLISTED FOR THE SUNDAY TIMES SPORTS BOOK AWARDS 2023**
The first ever book telling the story of women’s rugby, from its origins to today.
‘Donnelly has created a masterpiece’ – Sara Orchard, BBC
‘A vitally important book, bringing to life the rich history of women’s rugby’ – Maggie Alphonsi, Former England Player
‘A much-needed treasure trove of women’s rugby history – insightful, informative and inspiring’ – Sarah Mockford, Rugby World Editor
Comprehensively researched and detailed, Scrum Queens charts the fascinating journey of women’s rugby as well as celebrating the success and heroics of the sport’s top players and teams, from widespread social disapproval to the modern era of Olympic recognition and professionalism.
The book includes:
- All of the major moments in the history of the women’s game from widespread societal disapproval to groundbreaking games during the war, the first World Cup in 1991 and the first appearance at the 2016 Olympics.
- Stories of the pioneers who fought to get the game played in its earliest days, like New Zealand’s Nita Webbe and France’s Henry Fléchon, and the modern-day drivers like England’s Carol Isherwood.
- Specific team successes in the sport such as New Zealand’s dominance, their long-time rivalry with England and the emergence of teams such as Ireland and Fiji.
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St Helens Match of My Life: Saints Legends Relive Their Greatest Games
St Helens Match of My Life features the proud tales of some of the greatest rugby league players ever to wear the Red Vee of St Helens. The Saints are known as one of the most successful teams of the Super League era, but the memories also cover the glory days before the game switched to the summer months. Ray French – legendary rugby league player and commentator – talks fondly about the 1966 Challenge Cup Final victory over fierce rivals Wigan Warriors, while Paul Loughlin recalls scoring 14 points in a 15-14 win over Leeds in the John Player Trophy Final – only to see the morning’s newspaper headlines focus on one of his team-mates. Current St Helens captain James Roby was the first player to score a try at the new Wembley. Tommy Martyn remembers going from top of the world to rock bottom in just ten days. Keith Mason explains how his life changed from being a rugby player to attending film premieres with some of the biggest stars in the world. Tommy Makinson, Apollo Perelini, Phil Veivers and Paul Wellens also share their memories.Read more
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The Death of Rugby: Neil Back’s Story
Fourteen years since his autobiography, Size Doesn’t Matter, English rugby’s most decorated flanker, Neil Back, returns with a tale of triumphs, heartaches and broken promises. From his anti-hero role as ‘The Hand of Back’ in Leicester Tigers’ European Cup triumph over Munster, to Grand Slam glory and the 2003 World Cup with England, Neil is never far from the story. The Death of Rugby dissects the Lions’ disastrous 2005 tour of New Zealand, the ousting of his mentor Dean Richards from Leicester Tigers, and Neil’s three years in charge of Leeds, before being recruited by The Rugby Football Club, and why Neil and his colleagues had to walk away, despite an unbeaten season, and league and cup double. Neil deals with the adjustment from professional sportsman into family and regular working life, despite a critical illness in 2013, which has shaped his perspective on life.Read more
£14.10£18.00The Death of Rugby: Neil Back’s Story
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The Funniest Rugby Quotes… Ever!
From Brian Moore to Eddie Jones, rugby union players and coaches have entertained us with many hilarious sound bites over the years.In this comprehensive collection, author Gordon Law has compiled more than 250 side-splitting quotes and quips from the game’s biggest stars.
Packed with loads of witty remarks, verbal maulings and mixed metaphors, this book of bloopers will have rugby fans chuckling throughout the season.
“He epitomises England’s lack of skills. He has speed and bulk but plays like a castrated bull.”
David Campese on Will Carling“I’m off for a quiet pint; followed by 15 noisy ones.”
Bath’s Gareth Chilcott“It went well. There are no problems, and as a bonus, it showed that I have a brain!”
Corne Krige after going for a brain scan“He’s nicknamed Warren, as in Warren ugly b*stard.”
Jason Leonard on Dean RichardsRead more
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The Iron Duke: Bobby Windsor – The Life and Times of a Working-Class Rugby Hero
Lions legend Bobby Windsor has enjoyed triumphs beyond the dreams of most international players but has also suffered personal tragedy. His rugby career as the best hooker in the British Isles during the second golden era of Welsh rugby in the 1970s is a turbulent tale of blood and thunder on the pitch. There are riotous incidents off the pitch, including unscheduled fights with professional boxers, revelations about illegal payments during the so-called amateur era and what Windsor did to upset the Establishment and become blackballed by one of the most famous clubs in the world.
Windsor’s irrepressible sense of humour comes shining through on every page, except when he gives chapter and verse on the personal crisis that drove him to plan suicide.
The Iron Duke is the no-holds-barred, warts-and-all story of a working-class Welsh folk hero who rose from humble beginnings to become a permanent member of the greatest Lions team in the history of rugby union.
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The Ref’s Call: Memoir of an Irish Rugby Referee
‘A genuine presence on the field, Owen refereed with the perfect balance of respect and authority’ Keith Wood
‘Highly respected with vast experience and knowledge, Owen Doyle contributed hugely to the world of rugby refereeing, both on and off the field’ Nigel Owens
‘Owen Doyle was a highly respected referee who officiated matches with passion, commitment, knowledge and, occasionally, some great humour’ Will Carling
With a foreword by Donal Lenihan.
Owen Doyle is an Irish Times columnist and former Irish rugby Test match referee. Here in his frank, revealing and often humorous memoir, The Ref’s Call, he gives a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the high-pressured world of international rugby.
From the processes involved in becoming a referee, to officiating in the Five Nations, touring Internationals and a World Cup, Doyle takes us through the most memorable matches of his career and how, following his retirement, he became instrumental in coaching the most successful generation of referees in the IRFU’s history.
Covering over forty years of rugby, and written in his own inimitable style, Doyle looks at the challenges facing modern rugby, particularly the issues of concussion and dementia, to give a fascinating insight into the great game, told from a unique perspective.
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£9.60£10.40The Ref’s Call: Memoir of an Irish Rugby Referee
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Throwing the Book
Wayne Barnes – one of the most-experienced international referees in history and criminal barrister to boot – uniquely lifts the lid on a lifetime of trying to keep the biggest names in the sport on best behaviour.
There aren’t many people who can say they’ve been the thirty-first man on the pitch during a World Cup humdinger, Grand Slam decider or Premiership and European Cup final; listened to the sobs of a 20-stone prop as he tries to belt out his national anthem; heard the crunch of bones after some of the mightiest hits known to the game; or been yards away from the greatest players of the last twenty years, doing almost impossible things with a rugby ball – especially when you’re a working-class lad from the Forest of Dean, wondering how you ever got there in the first place.
Candid, humble and warmly told, Throwing the Book is a definitive account of what it means to be a rugby referee and a love letter to the sport that has provided Wayne with so much. Covering his childhood days, family life, career highs and lows, side-step into law, as well as what’s next in store for Wayne both on and off the pitch, this book reveals the man behind the referee for the very first time.
Serious when it needs to be, but also rich in good humour and humanity, Throwing the Book is a memoir to remember.
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£14.99Throwing the Book
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Twickenham: The Home of England Rugby
Twickenham Stadium is the home of Rugby Union and the England national rugby team. It is the largest stadium in the world to be devoted purely to this sport, the second largest stadium in the UK, and the third largest in Europe. In this official publication, Phil McGowan takes us on an illustrated tour of the long and illustrious history of this magnificent stadium, featuring some of the legendary players that have trodden the hallowed ground of Twickers, the matches that have taken place, and the history that is woven into the fabric of the ground. Lavishly illustrated with images and memorabilia from the World Rugby Museum’s archive in full colour, this is a tribute not only to the history of the stadium, but to Rugby Union itself.Read more
£15.10£19.00Twickenham: The Home of England Rugby
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Unforgettable: Winner of the Sunday Times Sports Book of the Year Award
**Winner of the Sunday Times Sports Book of the Year Award 2023**
**Winner of the Rugby Book of the Year Award 2023**
**Longlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award 2022**
**A perfect gift for Father’s Day**‘Powerful, moving’ – The Guardian
‘A deeply affecting read […] among the most important ever’ – Daily Mail
‘So powerful. This book might just change the way you think about sport forever’ – Sir Clive Woodward
‘As brave as they come’ – Gareth Thomas
‘Moving and profound’ – The Times
‘Heartbreaking’ – Owen Slot, The Times
‘I’m in my early forties. There are days when I don’t remember the names of my wife and four kids . . .’
RUGBY, DEMENTIA AND THE FIGHT OF MY LIFE
In 2003, England won the Rugby World Cup. Steve Thompson was in England’s front row, at the heart of the match, and at the heart of the scrum – one of sport’s most violent battlegrounds.
But triumph came at a cost. Today, he remembers nothing about playing in that final. In his words, watching the tape back is like watching a ghost.
The years of hurt, and the culture of sucking up punishment and coming back for more, have taken a terrible toll. Steve has been diagnosed with early onset dementia, and serious progressive brain damage. Steve and his wife Steph had a happy family life planned, with decades ahead of them. Now he needs to capture these elusive memories for the sake of his children, before they disappear forever.
With stories contributed by his world-cup winning teammates and his former manager, Sir Clive Woodward, Unforgettable is raw, powerful storytelling. This tale of hope and courage stands as testament to the ultimate strength of the human mind – and to a man no longer pushing himself to the limit for competition, but for his own place in the world.
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Wayne Barnes : The Biography
Wayne Barnes, born on 20 April 1979, is indeed a retired English international rugby union referee. Over the course of his career, he became a familiar figure in the English Premiership, where he refereed numerous matches. His officiating duties extended to high-profile competitions such as the Heineken Cup and the European Challenge Cup.Barnes also made significant contributions on the international stage. He officiated matches at prestigious tournaments like the Rugby World Cup, the Six Nations Championship, the Rugby Championship, and the Pacific Nations Cup. His involvement in these competitions showcased his expertise and experience as a referee at the highest levels of the sport.Please note that my information might not include the latest updates, so for the most current details on Wayne Barnes, you may want to check more recent sources.
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What a Flanker: The funniest sports biography you’ll ever read
THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
‘Hilarious, and straight talking but also articulate and insightful – I am just hugely fond of this guy’
–Eddie Jones‘James Haskell: what a flanker, what a book’
–Rugby World‘I’d like to be remembered as a player who showed that you can be incredibly professional but also a lot of fun – a bit of a joker in the changing room, but the ultimate competitor on the pitch. That should have been the subtitle of this book, really…’
One of rugby’s most ferocious flankers and biggest characters, James Haskell has had an extraordinary, global experience of the game, having played for the Wasps, Northampton and England, and in New Zealand, France and Japan. After seventeen years and with 77 international caps under his sizeable belt, he has a shitload to say about rugby life – from pitch to pub and everywhere in between.
In What A Flanker, Haskell sheds fresh light on the dynamics and the day-to-day of the game. Whether he’s recalling the most brutal team socials; dispelling the myths surrounding New Zealand’s dominance; introducing his Japanese teammates to manscaping or calling out play-acting in the modern game, no subject is off limits.
Side-splittingly funny and ruthlessly honest, What A Flanker delves into the touring, drinking, training, eating and sometimes unconscionable antics of the professional rugby player. It’s an unforgettable read, even if there are some stories you’d rather forget…Read more
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What Now
What Now is written to assist people through times of change. It’s particularly relevant in these very trying times of COVID-19. It is not a how-to manual; it’s an entertaining and humbling account of how one person discovered the most powerful transformation force of all! How he recreated himself after being unceremoniously sacked from the job he had dreamed about as a teenager. What Now tells the story of how a barefoot and frightened little boy from the remote bush of Australia went on to play State of Origin for Queensland, represent Australia and achieve his dream of being a Head Coach, leading the London Broncos alongside Sir Richard Branson onto the hallowed turf of Wembley Stadium. After tragically losing his father at the tender age of three, he unconsciously sought out older people as role models. In his story, Dan Stains reflects on his quest in search of the most powerful transformational force available. The lessons he uncovered on this journey lead the reader on a path to reveal their own What Now. The rollercoaster ride takes the reader on a sometimes uneasy and humbling path. From the foothills of East Cooyar, to the raucous applause of screaming fans at the best football stadiums in the world, Dan discovers that the ‘open sesame’ to change is by simply loving all of life, including and especially yourself, and the rest is taken care of.Read more
£9.50What Now
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Winning the Fight: My Autobiography
‘Maggie has changed the way the game is played forever’ – The Sunday Times
Maggie Alphonsi is not only a national sporting icon, the face of international women’s rugby and star player of the England side that won the World Cup in 2014. She is also an inspirational and totemic figure who transcends sport.
The compelling story of her life makes her achievements even more extraordinary. Hers is an against-all-the-odds tale, becoming the best player in the world despite having to battle against racism, sexism, and prejudice.
It is a book forged from the raw emotion, passion, and testimony of an iconic player, who rose to the elite of world sport when the world was seemingly stacked against her. It is a moving and revealing story of a woman who was not prepared to be defined by anyone but herself and gives the reader a unique insight into how she met her goals.
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£15.40£19.00Winning the Fight: My Autobiography
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