As the scorer of the only try in Englands historic World Cup victory in 2003, Jason Robinsons career has scaled the peaks. Yet while his career has been statistically impressive -- with 37 tries in 102 starts for Sale, 22 tries in his 35 England appearances and a remarkable 11 tries in 10 Lions appearances -- it is perhaps for his character and personal achievements that Jason is best loved. As Englands first black Rugby Union captain. Jason has given what has in the past been regarded as a stuffy, public school game a much wider profile. Away from the pitch, Jasons conversion from bad lad to religious family man has made him a role model and, while this part of his career has been well-chronicled little is known about the man behind the achievements -- his sense of fun, love of practical jokes and fast food in equal measure. Author Dave Swanton delves behind the public persona of Billy Whizz, a nickname he acquired at Wigan in his Rugby League days. Swanton first saw Jason Robinson play for Wigan in 1992 while working for Warrington Wolves. When Dave later joined Wigan as PR man in 1998 their careers became inextricably linked. Their paths continued to be intertwined when Jason moved across to Rugby Union with Sale Sharks in 2000, shortly after Swanny became Media and PR Manager. For the last eight years Jason Robinson has called him his right hand man. Together Swanny and Robbo have fuelled the rise of Sale from suburban Rugby Union club to a Premiership team challenging for European honours. When they joined, Sale were still adjusting to the demands of the newly professionalised game, playing before crowds of 3,000 at the quiet bonhomie of their Heywood Road home. 5 years on, the club groundshare with Stockport County, have seen their average gate rise to nearly 10,000 and regularly challenge for the top European and domestic honours. Jasons subsequent disappointments with the England and Lions teams are also documented and only serve to throw into sharp relief his previous achievements. Yet Jason remains most famous for the dazzling side-steps that form the basis of his elusive running style. As Neil Squires of the Daily Express discovered when invited to tackle a rampant Robbo in training, One moment a rapidly approaching Jason Robinson is filling my vision, the next he is nowhere to be seen. There is no hole in the ground, no scorched grass, not even a sound as he vanishes. Its like tackling a gust of wind. Robinsons step, Rugbys most watchable magic trick, is even more jaw dropping from the pitch than the stands. The balance and acceleration belong to one of the most highly tuned sports cars, the change of direction to a zigzag.

Total Rugby and Think Rugby are rugby classics - two of the most important and influential books ever written on the game of rugby. Thousands of players and coaches around the globe have benefited from the concepts and methods in these books, equipping them with the coaching skills and strategy to play the very best in fifteen-a-side rugby. Total rugby is the antithesis of play-safe rugby - an open, ebullient game in which every player is encouraged to show what he can do as an attacker, defender and supporting player. Total Rugby has become one of the game's most seminal coaching manuals - it highlights inspirational rugby coach Jim Greenwood's radical examination of every facet of the game and his ability to clearly convey the wealth of knowledge he accumulated over many years in the sport.

Martin Johnson is the towering second row forward who has come to set the standards of what a professional rugby player should do. His drive and physical presence mean that he is a natural leader on the pitch - and off it, too. In this, his long-awaited autobiography, he looks at the changing world of rugby. He explains why he led the England team to the brink of a strike in the autumn of 2000, and provides the definitive account of England's 2003 World Cup triumph, as well as Lions tours and all the goings-on that make rugby such a special sport. Hugely popular and respected, Martin Johnson has written vivid autobiography and a remarkable portrait of modern rugby.

This book critically examines how rugby union has developed in recent years, in nations on the periphery of the sport. Focusing on people and places on the fringes, it examines contemporary issues and challenges within the global game. Such a collection is timely, as the sport's governing body seeks to expand influence and participation beyond the eight core nations, with the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan being the first time that that tournament has taken place outside of the core. Presenting case studies from Europe, Africa, North and South America, Asia and the Middle East, this collection offers an interdisciplinary account of a sport that is undergoing a period of significant change. Through examination of topics such as the development of rugby sevens and the growth of women's rugby, it considers what the future may hold for the sport. Rugby in Global Perspective is important reading for students of sport in society, the globalisation of sport, sports studies, sport development and associated fields. It is also a valuable resource for academic researchers working in rugby union or sport in the peripheral rugby nations, as well as those with an interest in cultural geography, sociology, development studies, events studies, event management and sport management.

Liam O'Callaghan's revelatory Blood and Thunder shows that the rise of Irish rugby is inextricable from the tensions, debates and divisions – of politics, religion and class – that have defined modern Irish history.

Despite the political partition of the island, Ireland competes at rugby internationally with an all-island team – and with a bespoke anthem that nobody loves but everyone tolerates. Ireland has become a leading rugby nation despite its tiny population and the fact that the sport is only the fourth most popular team game on the island by participation.

In Blood and Thunder, O’Callaghan traces the dramatic evolution whereby a rugby nation that was deeply attached to amateurism has made such a dramatic success of professionalism. From the sequence of events that led Ireland's private Catholic secondary schools to embrace rugby, to the controversies and crises that have shaken Irish rugby – including the Northern Troubles, the Belfast rape trial, and the rising toll of head injuries – Blood and Thunder tells the rich and fascinating story of Irish rugby.

Blood and Thunder is more than a social and political history of Irish rugby. It is also a shadow-history of modern Ireland, rooted in brilliant original research and packed with terrific stories.

The bestselling autobiography of the greatest rugby player of our time: Brian O'Driscoll. Since 1999, when he made his international debut, there has been no greater player in world rugby than Brian O'Driscoll. In 2010 Rugby World magazine named him its world player of the decade - and since then the legend has only grown. Now, at the end of his amazing career - which culminated in fairy-tale fashion with Ireland's victory in the 2014 Six Nations championship - he tells his own story. Honest, gritty and thoughtful, Brian O'Driscoll's Autobiography is not just an essential sports book. It is an essential book about family, friends, hard work, courage and imagination. 'Honest, charming and revealing - a thoroughly good read' Rugby World 'A thoroughly enjoyable read ... After reading The Test I warmed even more to O'Driscoll as a player and a man. He stood for a new ethos in Irish sport that refused to accept mediocrity or glorious failure' Fergal Keane, Irish Times 'O'Driscoll's honesty ... takes the reader to a place they simply have not been before' Vincent Hogan, Irish Independent 'A must-read insight into the life and mind of Ireland's greatest rugby player' Irish Mail on Sunday 'There are fascinating insights into the lengths he was willing to go to perform at the highest level' Sunday Business Post

A Miscellany of Rugby's World Cup (Facts, History, Statistics and Trivia 1987-2019) will transport you directly into the thrilling history of the greatest event in global rugby union. Here's a treasure trove of insider facts, fantastic feats, firsts and lasts, records and stats - covering every nation and every star player to have made their mark in a tournament now watched by 120 million fans worldwide. John White leads you through all the highs and lows and unforgettable moments from Rugby World Cup's 1995 inception, ushering in the sport's professional era, right through to Japan 2019 and the competition's ninth edition. Relive the greatest games and the finest individual performances. Compile your own Rugby World Cup Fantasy XV. Recall the captains, the record try scorers, the youngest and oldest, the longest drop goals and the strangest conversions. And every time you discover an elusive nugget and say to yourself, 'I never knew that,' rest assured John will soon enlighten you with a follow-up to leave you even more amazed. To the victor go the spoils!

A thoroughly researched and comprehensive guide to the 2019 Rugby World Cup, to be held in Japan in September. This is the sporting highlight of the year, with teams from England, South Africa, New Zealand, Wales and Ireland all competing for the coveted William Webb Ellis trophy.

The book will provide the reader with all the information and insight needed to understand and enjoy the competition. Written by sports journalist Graeme Copas, the book covers the history and build up to qualification, the tournament schedule and venues for this Rugby Union showcase, while also providing talking points, an in-depth analysis of each team and insightful interviews with players and rugby experts from a variety of countries Also included is a thoroughly researched survey of the host country, Japan, and the growing popularity of rugby there, telling how they won the right the host the first Rugby World Cup in Asia.

All 20 national teams involved are analysed and assessed on their chances of success, the star players are featured and each coach`s basic strategies outlined and explained. With this book, the reader will have a handy, competent source of information on hand both before the start and especially whilst the tournament proceeds to its thrilling conclusion.

Ray Gravell was undoubtedly one of Wales and rugby's greatest characters. He touched the hearts of all who met him, and his sincere interest in everyone made you feel better after being in his company. This volume brings together touching and humorous anecdotes about him by friends and acquaintances. -- Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru

By 1971 no Lions team had ever defeated the All Blacks in a Test series. Since 1904, six Lions sides had travelled to New Zealand and all had returned home bruised, battered and beaten. But the 1971 tour party was different. It was full of young, ambitious and outrageously talented players who would all go on to carve their names into the annals of sporting history during a golden period in British and Irish rugby. And at their centre was Carwyn Jones - an intelligent, sensitive rugby mastermind who would lead his team into the game's hardest playing arena while facing a ferocious, tragic battle in his personal life, all in pursuit of a seemingly impossible dream. Up against them was an All Blacks team filled with legends in the game in the likes of Colin Meads, Brian Lochore, Ian Kirkpatrick, Sid Going and Bryan Williams. But as the Lions swept through the provinces, lighting up the rugby fields of New Zealand the pressure began to mount on the home players in a manner never seen before. As the Test series loomed, it became clear that a clash that would echo through the ages was about to unfold. And at its conclusion, it was obvious to all that rugby would never be the same again.

On December 4, 1815, 750 ba' players came together in a mighty contest on the field of Carterhaugh, near Selkirk in the Scottish Borders, for what was advertised as 'a Great Foot-Ball Match'. On December 4, 2015, two bands of dedicated ba' players descended on Carterhaugh to celebrate the bicentenary of the match by joining battle in another no-holds-barred contest. For anyone interested the true origins of the game of rugby in the centuries-old mass ba' games of the Scottish Borders and the North of England - still alive and kicking to this day - here are tales wonderfully told by historians of the game. Cracked crowns, furious duckings, acts of never-to-be-forgotten heroism and unforgivable betrayal - Ian Landles relives the dramas of the original 1815 Carterhaugh Ba' match, recalls Walter Scott's pivotal role in organising it, and in the process rewrites the early history of rugby. The late Hugh Hornby describes the enduring appeal of mass football games today. Billy Gillies explains why the Border ba' game is absolutely not just a game but a serious business, and gives a blow-by-blow account of the 2015 re-enactment. Historic images, verses and letters, alongside photographs by leading Scottish photographers, tell a story that has waited two centuries to be told.

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.

As a Premiership, World Cup, and Grand Slam winner, no one better embodies the charisma and the color of English rugby's greatest era than Lawrence Dallaglio. He has some story to tell, not just of the formidable exploits on the field, but an extraordinary life off it. His only sister, Francesca, was the youngest to perish in the "Marchioness" disaster and her death at 19 remains the great sadness of his life. In addition to this and his much-talked about England exploits, he also led his club Wasps to the summit of European rugby, winning two Heineken Cups and three consecutive English Premiership titles. Full of drama, controversy, and great sadness, Lawrence Dallaglio's story--the last of the great World Cup heroes--is the one every rugby fan has been waiting to read.

New Zealand's wonderful victory over close rivals Australia in the Twickenham final brought to close a thrilling 2015 Rugby World Cup which saw southern hemisphere teams dominate and playing a style of rugby which left the northern teams wondering how they can compete in future. This 395 page book concentrates on the 2015 tournament, detailing each pool and knock-out phase match, full information on all the qualifying competitions, each country's squads with changes made, plus a 10 page section filled with records and statistics from both the latest tournament and for the history of the world cup. The book also has match details for every game played in the world cup since 1987.

When Errol Tobias was selected for the Springbok rugby team there was an immediate uproar. He became our first black Springbok in 1980 – in the middle of South Africa’s isolation from international sport and growing protest action against the government. In Errol Tobias: Pure Gold he talks openly about his sporting career: from childhood to the great moments in the green and gold. Here are the joys, the losses, and the controversy.

The truth behind legendary rugby matches is revealed, such as the South American tour where Tobias broke a world record, and the disastrous New Zealand tour that was overshadowed by protests against the Springboks. He writes about his close friendship with fellow Springbok legend Rob Louw, and the unwavering support of Danie ‘Doc’ Craven. Tobias also gives his opinion on the quota system of today.

Many others have talked about Errol Tobias and his effect on South African rugby. Here is his side of the story.

The biggest single sports and television event in Canada marks its 100th championship in 2012. The Terrible Tripper of 1957, the 1962 Fog Bowl, Vic Washington's Fabulous Fumble in 1968, Tony Gabriel's Classic Catch in 1976, Henry "Gizmo" Williams's Wild Run in 1987, and Dave Ridgway's Magnificent Kick in 1989 are some of the legendary moments leading up to the 100th Grey Cup game in November 2012 in Toronto. You'll find all of them in Grey Cup Century and much more. Canadian football has had a long and storied history dating back to the 1860s. In 1909, Earl Grey, the governor general of Canada, donated a trophy to honour the best amateur rugby football club in the country. The first team to win a Grey Cup was the University of Toronto Varsity Blues. In 1954 the Canadian Football League, a professional organization, took over sole control of the Cup. Since then gridiron giants such as Sam Etcheverry, Norm Kwong, Jackie Parker, Russ Jackson, Ron Lancaster, Lui Passaglia, Doug Flutie, and Michael "Pinball" Clemons have dazzled fans in an annual championship that now attracts as many as six million television viewers.

The story of a typical English rugby club set in its historical context linked to the tale of the rare survival of a multi-sport Victorian complex. This will be of interest and use to local people, sports enthusiasts and serious sports historians.

Rugby Football was the first volume in the successful nine-part series on Sports and Pastimes that was written for the Isthmian Library between 1896 and 1901. It was also one of the first rugby books to be written after members of the Rugby Football Union became bitterly divided over a proposal to pay match expenses to players. During 1896, the R.F.U. split and two new rugby codes were born; the strictly amateur code of Rugby Union and the more professionally inclined code of Rugby League. Bertram Fletcher Robinson was a supporter of amateurism in sport and he felt that the time was ripe to chart the birth of Rugby Union as a distinct branch of Rugby Football. During the 1890s, The Times newspaper described Fletcher Robinson as a household name within rugby circles . Robinson played as a Forward alongside many international players for both the Cambridge University Rugby Football Club 1st XV and the Combined Oxford & Cambridge University Rugby Football Club XV. According to his obituary in the Daily Express newspaper, he would have been capped for England but for an accident. Hence he was well qualified to write an anecdotal account of the origin of Rugby Union. Rugby Football details the laws, training techniques and tactics that were specific to Rugby Union during its nascent period. It also reviews the development of Rugby Union in British educational institutions and as a global international sport. Rugby Football includes contributions from several other historical rugby figures: Frank Mitchell (Cambridge University & England), Richard Henry Burdon Cattell (Oxford University, Blackheath, Moseley, Barbarians, Midland Counties & England), Charles James Nicol Fleming (Oxford University & Scotland), Gregor MacGregor (Cambridge University, Barbarians & Scotland) and Henry Barrington Tristram (Oxford University & England).

Determined, dedicated, and dogmatic, Martyn Williams is the inspiring number seven lynchpin who has steered club and country to victory in inimitable style. In his action-packed autobiography, he writes about his love for the sport he has made his own. Starting out with hometown team Pontypridd, he made his Wales debut at just 20 and won the Welsh league title with Pontypridd the following year, repeating the feat in his first season after joining Cardiff, whom he went on to captain for three years. Twice a British Lion, his finest hour came as the award-winning role in Wales' Six Nations championship Grand Slam of 2005. But there is far more to Martyn than his seemingly smooth career path from valleys rugby to international stardom. He speaks candidly about the double personal tragedies of losing both his mother and brother to cancer and of the challenges of combining his sports commitments with being a husband and father to his two children. Full of surprises, he also reveals his passion for both American football and soccer. A diehard Liverpool fan, he was a talented center-half himself in his teenage years. He speaks about the controversial departure of Mike Ruddock as coach of the national team, the drinking culture in Welsh rugby in the early years of professionalism, the infamous Battle of Brive, and why he turned down the chance to captain Wales at the 2003 World Cup. He also gives his views on the influx of southern hemisphere coaches like Graham Henry and Steve Hansen, plus the lowdown on how he prepares and trains and what really goes on in the dressing room. With coverage of 2008 RBS Six Nations and revealing portraits of his teammates and opponents, this honest, witty, informative, and entertaining autobiography is a must for fans and any sports lover.