Warren Gatland's In the Line of Fire is the ultimate chronicle of this summer's remarkable Lions tour to New Zealand - home of the fearsome All Blacks, the double world champions - which culminated in an historic and nerve-shredding series draw. The book is the Head Coach's wonderfully candid and vibrant record of the withering ferocity, the turbulent peaks and troughs, the triumphs and despairs, of one of sport's toughest challenges. It gives rugby fans an unparalleled front-row seat with the squad and coaching team during every facet of preparing for and executing a successful tour on the opposite side of the planet, recounting intriguing details on everything from pre-tour planning and strategy, to on-tour experiences, analysis and decision-making. It all adds up to a thrillingly definitive exposition and post-mortem of a mind-blowing six weeks in the cauldron which forged the mighty All Blacks.

Suid-Afrikaners is dol oor rugby en hulle hou daarvan om lekker te lag. Hier kommie Bokke! kombineer twee van Suid-Afrika se gunsteling-tydverdrywe in een skreeusnaakse boek wat gewaarborg is om die lagspiere te prikkel. Daar is gevatte kwinkslae, klassieke segoed van toeka se dae en die heel jongste Super 15-grappe. Daar is geen heilige koeie in Hier Kommie Bokke! nie, en almal – van die voorry en agterlyn tot rugby-poppies, skeidsregters, ondersteuners en afrigters – loop deur. Gewaarborg om lesers te laat skaterlag.

South Africans love rugby and they love a good laugh. Here Come the Bokke! combines two of South Africa's favourite pastimes in one hilarious book, guaranteed to tickle the reader's funny bone. From witty one-liners to classics of yore and up-to-date Super 15 jokes, this book has a laugh for everyone. There are jokes about the front row and the backline, about rugby blondes, coaches, captains and fans – no one and nothing is sacred in Here Come the Bokke! It is guaranteed to put a smile on your dial!

Eric Ashton was the epitome of a rugby league hero. Here, in the third in a series of republished 'Rugby League classics', his story is retold, accompanied this time by a new introduction from BBC commentator Ray French.

Tendai Mtawarira is known throughout the rugby world simply as Beast. Or, more often than not, ‘Beeeaaassssttt!’, as crowds from Durban to London, Buenos Aires to Auckland cry whenever he gets the ball. In 2018 he became the most capped prop in Springbok history, earning his 100th Test cap for the Springboks, and in 2019 he became the most capped Super Rugby player in South Africa.

Due to play in his third World Cup in September 2019, Beast has been in a winning series against the British and Irish Lions, contested two Super Rugby finals and won three Currie Cups with his beloved Sharks. Along the way, he has been moved from back row to front row, bullied by xenophobic politicians and undergone three bouts of heart surgery.

Beast is the story of how a humble man from Zimbabwe has become a rugby icon.

In his entertaining and informative new book, Sir Clive Woodward analyses the events of the 2019 Rugby World Cup, offering his unique perspective on the performance of players and coaches, from Owen Farrell and Kieran Read, to Eddie Jones and Steve Hansen. HOW TO WIN:Rugby and Leadership from Twickenham to Tokyo is much more than the story of a tournament, however. It is the distillation of a philosophy of leadership developed during a lifetime in high-performance environments, from the rugby field to the boardroom. Tapping into his experience of winning the 2003 World Cup, being a part of the leadership team that delivered Olympic Success in 2012 and lessons drawn from Japan 2019, the author delivers a go-to manual in how to improve both individual and team performance in order to reach the pinnacle in sport and in business. Every individual position in rugby requires a unique set of skills, knowledge and expertise that collectively form a balanced team; the same is true in any successful business or organisation. From 1 to 15, the former England and British and Irish Lions coach identifies the key attributes and uses these defining traits to explain his collaborative 'Teamship' leadership style. With a fascinating blend of analysis, insight and anecdote, and the highs and lows of a memorable Rugby World Cup as the setting, Clive reveals how to lead the culture of a winning team - in any context.

SHORTLISTED FOR INTERNATIONAL AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF THE YEAR AT THE 2020 TELEGRAPH SPORTS BOOK AWARDS. As Kieran Read prepares to call time on his distinguished New Zealand career at the end of the Rugby World Cup, this is the open and honest life story of one of rugby's greatest players, a legendary All Black and a two-time World Cup winner. Kieran Read first played for the All Blacks as a 23-year-old in 2008 and since then has amassed more than a century of Test appearances in the famous jersey. Now, after a stellar provincial, club and international career - including back-to-back World Cup victories - the New Zealand captain writes openly and honestly about his time in the game. Read takes to these pages with his trademark determination, lifting the lid on the unique pressures of succeeding as captain the most celebrated All Black of all time (Richie McCaw). He outlines the decisions that molded his career and uncovers the skills of the coaches who shaped him, while offering readers an inside account of how the world's greatest team functions and thrives. Read unpacks the emotional toll of injury and the ignominy of defeat, neatly illustrating the intense experience of representing a rugby-obsessed nation while delivering a masterclass in how to manage the many demands on the mind and on the body. Forthright and frank, Read's well-respected views on the game and its future are a must-read for rugby fans, and his take on the myriad personalities and the peccadilloes of his team-mates, coaches and opponents will be sure to surprise and delight. From the playing fields of Papakura to the summit of the sport, Read has faced every challenge head on. His life story if no exception.

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.

Crafted in his signature flair-for-detail and humorous writing style, veteran sports journalist Liam Del Carme takes rugby fans and Springbok supporters on the ride of a lifetime in this behind-the-scenes account, Winging It: On tour with the Boks. With more than 25 years’ experience as an insightful sports writer, Del Carme has travelled to six of the seven continents as part of the press corps who follow and write about the national rugby team in all its iterations at international level. His anecdotes will have you wide-eyed with wonderment and chuckling appreciatively at his talent for telling a funny story.

Winging It: On Tour With The Boks is an insider’s view of life on tour from one of South Africa’s most enduring sports writers, Liam Del Carme, while he follows the much-cherished national rugby team, the Springboks.

Del Carme takes the reader across continents and time zones as he shares the helter-skelter atmosphere of meeting looming writing deadlines while finding ways to maintain his sanity. The book explores the ebb and flow of touring with one of rugby’s iconic teams since 1996, including three Rugby World Cups, various Tri-Nations and Rugby Championships, as well as end-of-year tours, in destinations all over the world. He explores the characters, destinations and his travel companions while sharing his highs and lows of covering great rugby moments.

In the book, the reader gets to see the personal side of prominent sports personalities, including Nick Mallett, Harry Viljoen, Gcobani Bobo, Jake White, Eddie Jones, Joost van der Westhuizen, Clive Woodward, Peter de Villiers, Graham Henry, Jean de Villiers, Naas Botha, John Hart, Owen Nkumane, Chester Williams, Allister Coetzee, Heyneke Meyer, Rudolf Straeuli, Os du Randt and Dick Muir.

Argentina made history at Rugby World Cup 2007 by finishing third in the world. The South American nation finished the World Cup ahead of traditional powers including Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Scotland, Wales and hosts France - all have previously hosted matches in multiple World Cup tournaments. In finishing third in 2007, Argentina became the only Rugby World Cup semi finalist who has not yet hosted a Rugby World Cup.Since then rugby has undergone significant changes to at last adjust to professionalism. Now a part of The Rugby Championship Argentina is a rugby nation in rapid transition and Argentina has officially been accepted as an elite team backed by a responsible union. With England hosting in 2015 and Japan in 2019, it will be time for a Southern Hemisphere country to host in 2023. By 2023 Oceania would have hosted three World Cup's, Africa one, Asia one and Europe four and the Americas zero. Rich in tradition and packed with talent Argentina 2023 is certain to be a roaring success.

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder meets I May Destroy You, this dark YA thriller will have your heart in your mouth from the very first page! "Gina Blaxill weaves together a dark and engrossing tale that will grip readers from start to finish." Ann Sei Lin, author of Rebel Skies. "Brilliantly twisty and intense!" Kat Ellis, author of Wicked Little Deeds. "It asks us to look at ourselves. You won't be able to put it down until the tense final pages let you go." Bryony Pearce, author of Little Rumours. Tragedy hits a teenage New Year's party . . . When Alana's best friend is found drowned in a pool, the forensic reports discover date-rape drug GHB in her blood. GHB from a drink Alana knows was meant for her. Despite the swirling rumours, the suspected group of boys seem untouchable. To investigate, Alana allows herself to be pulled into their glittering orbit. But among shifting alliances, changing alibis and buried secrets, can she pinpoint which of the boys is responsible before she becomes their next target? Perfect for fans of Holly Jackson, Karen McManus and Chelsea Pitcher. From the Carnegie nominated author, Gina Blaxill. A bold feminist read with a pacy thriller plot that YA fans will love. Carnegie-nominated author Gina Blaxill looks head on at privilege, bias and sexual assault in a way that will resonate with Young Adults today. Perfect for fans of Holly Jackson, Karen McManus and Chelsea Pitcher.

Fuel your training the smart way. Boost your performance and achieve your body goals, with the right recipes and correct nutritional advice from rugby superstar and bestselling author James Haskell and one of the UK's top performance chefs and current England football chef, Omar Meziane. Clear, authoritative advice from James and Omar, the Cooking for Fitness dream team 79 everyday easy recipes to fuel your training Learn how the right nutrition can improve your performance Low-carb and high-carb meals with full nutritional breakdown * Easy to read and easy to use

Mud, Blood and Studs is a special story of sporting excellence passed from generation to generation. An alcoholic father abandons his family in Troon, Scotland, and sails for America, but against the odds his offspring prosper, as his four boys have natural athletic ability. Oldest son, Jim, travels to America to track down his father and finds a country in the throes of the Great Depression. However, his superb soccer skills win him selection for the 1930 US World Cup team. In 1932, he signs for Manchester United, and later for Spurs. Jim passes his skills on to his son, George, who becomes a USA All-Star and USMNT player. Jim's brothers, John and Tom, shake up Scottish football, and John hands down his sublime hand-to-eye coordination to sons Peter and Gordon, who make their mark in international rugby. Then there are Peter and Gordon's cousins, the Lambies, who impact South African rugby. This fascinating book brings you the inside track on a remarkable family who overcame adversity to thrive at the top level of sport.

The revelatory autobiography of a rugby colossus: Paul O'Connell. WINNER OF THE CROSS SPORTS BOOK AWARDS RUGBY BOOK OF THE YEAR There has never been a rugby player quite like Paul O'Connell. He is synonymous with passion, heart and determination; but he is also the thinking man's rugby player, a legendary student of the game. As the heartbeat of Munster, British and Irish Lions captain in 2009, and captain of the first Ireland team to defend a Six Nations championship, O'Connell has emerged as perhaps the most beloved of the golden generation of Irish rugby players. In an autobiography as intense as its author, he tells the story of his remarkable career. 'The years of O'Connell and O'Driscoll were as close to a golden age as ever Ireland will get and O'Connell's book tells you how it all happened ... It should be mandatory for every Irish squad member to read O'Connell's book to better understand what it takes to make a team' David Walsh, Sunday Times 'O'Connell has emptied the tank here. ... What has come out ... is a psychological profile that is almost shocking at times in what it reveals about the bloody single-mindedness of the competitive gene' Hilary A. White, Irish Independent 'The intense physicality of his rugby upbringing is an abiding theme ... along with humour, the craic and an extensive knowledge of how teams work' Paul Hayward, Daily Telegraph 'I found The Battle entrancing' Stephen Jones, Sunday Times 'Excellent ... [an] eye-opening account of the never-ending battles he fought' Rugby World 'Revelatory ... Unflinchingly charts his personal evolution ... He is not at all easy on himself' Keith Duggan, Irish Times

'He's one of the best players I've ever played with. As a forward, I'd say he's the best.' Johnny Sexton Sean O'Brien does not come from a traditional rugby background. He grew up on a farm in Tullow, far from the rugby hotbeds of Limerick and Cork or the fee-paying schools of Dublin. But as he made his way up through the ranks, it soon became clear that he was a very special player and a very special personality. Now, Sean O'Brien tells the remarkable and unlikely story of his rise to the highest levels of world rugby, and of a decade of success with Leinster, Ireland and the British and Irish Lions.

The world of the international rugby referee has always been a closely guarded secret... until now.

As a Durban schoolboy, Jonathan Kaplan watched rugby at Kings Park every Saturday, dreaming of the day he would represent his country. Now, three decades later and at the age of 47, he reflects on the career highs and lows that saw him retire as the most capped international, Super Rugby and Currie Cup referee of all time.

But records and milestones are just a part of an intriguing memoir that affords the reader a rare glimpse into the world of international refereeing... and what lies behind that enigmatic, penetrating glare that is as typical of Jonathan Kaplan as his silver-grey patch of hair.

In Call It Like It Is, Kaplan describes exactly what it takes to be an international rugby referee: his gradual climb to the top, the sacrifices he had to make in his personal life, his struggle with injuries and rugby management, the toll an itinerant lifestyle exacted upon him, and much, much more. But this is not only an autobiography: Kaplan also offers his opinion on the role of technology in rugby, dissects his own successes and failures, debates the selection and assessment of referees, and, yes, gives his take on the 2011 Rugby World Cup and the Bryce Lawrence affair.

Containing all the guts and glory you’d expect from an epic rugby tale, this is also the frank and forthright account of a man who, both in life and on the pitch, would only ever call it like it is.

In rugby, there are the Flash Harrys and the Glory Boys: the fly-halves who run, kick and dazzle; the scrum-halves who nip and dart; the wingers who step and glide. These are the players who get the crowd on their feet, who set stadiums abuzz. But they only get to do these things because other, less glorified figures do all of the donkey work. Adam Jones is one such figure. And for a decade he was one of the world's best. On many occasions when George North or Shane Williams were careering under the posts to score a try, and the crowd was engulfed in rapturous joy, Adam Jones would be hauling himself up from the turf, spitting blood and mud, and massaging his aching neck. He hadn't scored the try; but more often than not it was his graft and strength which had made it. This is the story of 'Bomb': the self-effacing manual labourer from the Swansea Valley who traded laying paving slabs for running out in some of the world's most imposing sporting citadels. He rose to the pinnacle of his sport, winning virtually everything there was to be won: Grand Slams, Six Nations Championships, Lions tours, Pro12 titles. In a nation of rugby heroes, Adam Jones has become a legend. Only six Welshmen can say they've won three Grand Slams. He is one of them: not just as a bit-part player, but as the beating heart of the most successful squad in Welsh rugby history. His was one of the first names on the team sheet. He was - literally and metaphorically - the cornerstone of this Welsh side. In his autobiography, Jones reveals exactly what goes on in the murky depths of the front row: the tricks, the techniques, the physical and psychological warfare; and the mental fortitude it takes to endure in one of the hardest positions, in one of the world's toughest contact sports.

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!

Every Sunday for almost a century John Cann's family ran the famous snake show in a pit at La Perouse in Sydney - an area once alive with tiger, brown and black snakes. After growing up with over 300 'pet' snakes in their backyard, John and his brother George took over the snake show from their parents in 1965. By the time John retired in 2010, he'd survived five venomous snake bites. Many of those familiar with John and his shows wouldn't know that he was also an Olympic athlete, a top state rugby league player who played alongside some of the legends of the game, a state champion boxer, an adventurer and a world authority on turtles. The Last Snake Man chronicles John's extraordinary life and times. From wrangling snakes to chasing turtles, from remote country towns to the impenetrable jungles of New Guinea, this is the story of an amazing Australian and his never-ending search for fascinating animals and adventure.