Jonny Wilkinson's career has crossed three decades and four World Cups. He has accumulated phenomenal achievements, world points records, an impressive list of broken body parts, and a drop goal that will be remembered for ever. But the peculiar calmness with which he played the game masked a very different reality. In JONNY, he reveals the extraordinary psychology that he had to tame in order to be able to dominate his sport. For most of his life, he was driven by a quest for perfection and an obsession to be the best player in the world; here he shows how these two facets of his competitive mind took such a hold of him that they sent him to the top of the world, then swept him up and dragged him down into a spiral of despair. Jonny's career has spanned the far reaches: amazing highs and iconic moments, then a fight against injury that culminated in a battle with depression. Here he tells of the physical toll he knew his body was taking from rugby, even from his youth; he tells of how he never wanted to be a kicking fly-half but learned to adapt his natural game to play the style that Clive Woodward believed necessary to win a World Cup, and how he nearly walked out on Martin Johnson's England team 13 years later.

The Warrington Wolves Miscellany is the definitive set text for every fan of the world famous Wire. Packed with facts, fun, gossip, nostalgia and conjecture, it looks back over 135 years of glorious history to celebrate the personalities, victories and controversies of the sport's biggest name. Handily pocket-sized to pull out in the middle of those pub arguments over who was the fastest, dirtiest or biggest, this book will not only tell you who scored the most tries, kicked the most goals or won the most trophies, but also who earned the most red cards, which former player still haunts the town and who was sent off twice in one match. Put down your pie and pick up a copy.

Hunslet RLFC is once one of the biggest names in Rugby League. The Hawks have a long and proud history, including many epic matches, and this book features 50 of them, including the match that sealed the All Four Cups success in 1908, the 1938 Championship final over arch-rivals Leeds and the 1965 Challenge Cup final.

Walter Sutherland played rugby for Scotland between 1910 and 1914. He was a brilliant player, a genuine folk-hero and also a very good athlete who also represented Scotland at sprinting. This book is a comprehensive biography of Walter Sutherland.

A history of Swansea Rugby Football Club since 1945

Mick Shoebottom was the type of play every Rugby League side wants in its ranks. Tough, durable, fast, skilful and with an incredible will to win, he was the ultimate players' player in the toughest of team sports. Hunslet-born, he was an integral part of the great Leeds side which swept all before them in the late 1960s and early '70s, becoming the first and only player in the code's history to represent his country in Test matches in four different starting positions, such was his value and versatility. A key member of the last Great Britain side to win the Ashes in Australia in 1970, he went on two tours and won every domestic medal available until tragedy struck and he was grievously injured scoring perhaps the most infamous try witnessed at his beloved Headingley. This is the story of his remarkable career, illustrated with around 100 images and mementoes taken from his scrapbooks and featuring reminiscences from a number of his former teammates. The sixth book written about the Leeds club by Phil Caplan and with a foreword by Alan Smith and John Atkinson, it commemorates what would have been the sixtieth birthday of one of Rugby League's true greats.

A history of Raith Rovers Football Club since 1996

Neath Rugby Football Club is the oldest senior club in Wale and the Welsh All Blacks have enjoyed a long and proud history. This is the second Images of Sport volume devoted to the development of Neath RFC and it covers the period from 1945 to 1996 - from the end of the Second World War to professionalism. Read how the All Blacks became the first post-war Welsh champions, the first to celebrate their centenary, the first to win the Welsh Cup, the first to win the Welsh League in its amateur form, and the first to win the League under professionalism. Read too how Neath took on - and so very nearly beat - world champions New Zealand, Australia and South Africa as the 'Thomas Revolution' set them on their way to dominance of the Welsh scene in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Many of the great names of Welsh rugby are featured, including the club's first British Lions, Rees Stephens and Roy John, Courtenay Meredith, Ron Waldron, Brian Thomas, Dai Morris, Elgan Rees, Paul Thorburn, Jonathan Davies, Allan Bateman and Gareth Llewellyn. It will appeal to anyone with an interest in Neath rugby (an integral part of the town itself) and will revive memories for the modern rugby supporter.

Hull in 1980. The fishing industry is in terminal decline, the Humber Bridge still unfinished. A depraved killer is on the loose and Hull City FC look doomed to another relegation. But, on a long Bank Holiday weekend in May, all thoughts turn to Wembley...and the chance for ultimate bragging rights. Against a backdrop of a dramatically changing city, Last One Out...traces the story of how Hull's two rugby league teams emerged from mid-seventies gloom to take their place at the very top of the game - exerting a dominance over the sport that others would follow. Featuring first-hand interviews with players, officials and supporters, this is the definitive history of the ultimate rugby league derby; the early rounds and the draw that kept them apart,the clamour for tickets, the divided families and that famous sign on the road heading south. It tells of Roger's joy, Sammy's despair and the story behind 'that try'. Later, there was the pride and emotion of the homecoming. Later still, the game enteredhistory, spelling joy for one side, despair for the other and encapsulated in a song the losers were taunted with until another dramatic Wembley victory more than three decades on. More than just a derby, more than just a cup final, this is the story of an exodus: the day Hull invaded Wembley. Perfectly timed for the city being UK capital of culture in 2017.

A history of Featherstone Rovers Rugby League Football Club

What is the state of rugby? Is the game on the brink of expansion? Or is it on the brink of implosion? No game has undergone so traumatic a transformation since the turn of the century. The last of the major sports to embrace professionalism, rugby was propelled on a trajectory that has twisted its cumbersome frame to the limit in a drama compelling and appalling to behold. After a hundred years defying the future, rugby now shudders with the turmoil of its sudden leap into the modern world, attaining heights hitherto undreamed of, even as the strains - financial, political, social and medical - threaten to tear it apart. Unholy Union is a fascinating and in-depth analysis of the sport, examining the journey so far and speculating on where it will go next. It is irreverent and provocative, asking uncomfortable questions of rugby, but imbued throughout with affection for a game that integrates all human life, as beautiful as it is ugly, as in love with itself as it is terrified. Sports enter periods that make or break them. Rugby is in one now . . .

Donncha O'Callaghan is one of Ireland's leading international rugby players, and a stalwart of the Munster side. He was a key figure in the Irish team which won the IRB 6 Nations Grand Slam in 2009, and has won two Heineken Cup medals and two Magners League titles with Munster. But that success did not come easy. For such a well known player with a larger-than-life reputation, his long battle to make a breakthrough at the highest level is largely unknown. In this honest and revealing autobiography, Donncha talks in detail about the personal setbacks and disappointments at Munster and the unconventional ways he dealt with the frustration of not making the team for four of five years in his early 20s. He had a parallel experience with Ireland where it took him nearly six years to get from fringe squad member to established first choice player. Here he talks candidly about how he brought discipline to his game, and about his relationships with the coaches who had overlooked him and the second row rivals who had kept him on the bench. Donncha talks also with great warmth about a hectic childhood that was shaped by the death of his father when he was only six years old. One of the heroes of his story is his mother Marie who showed incredible strength and resourcefulness to rear a family of five on her own. Often deservedly regarded as 'the joker in the pack', what is often less well known is the serious attitude and intensely professional approach Donncha brings to his rugby. Joking Apart gives the full picture, showing sides of the man that will be unfamiliar to followers of Irish rugby and will surprise the reader.

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.

One of the traditional powerhouses of Welsh first class rugby, Aberavon RFC has a long, proud and illustrious history, with 50 of its players being capped for Wales, the club winning many league titles and domestic cups, and - with Neath RFC - facing the might of South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Aberavon RFC is a great rugby club and this is its story. Fully illustrated and packed with photos and club memorabilia, The Wizards is a comprehensive history of the town's premier club, from the days when the men of Aberavon gathered on a farmer's field to challenge rivals from across south Wales, to the formation of the Afan Football Club in 1876 and its development into Aberavon RFC, and from the club finding a home at the Talbot Athletic Ground to the anniversary celebrations of the 2016-17 season. Aberavon RFC's fascinating 140-year story - lovingly written by renowned rugby historians Howard Evans and Phil Atkinson - traces the club's fortunes through its good times, its many challenges and, most importantly, through the personalities who've worn the famous black and red jersey, delighting the home supporters and putting fear into visiting teams. From the days of `One-Arm' Wilkins to `Warhorse' Jones, The Wizards recalls the great names such as Johnny Ring, Ned Jenkins, John Bevan, Clive Shell, Ray Giles, Billy Mainwaring, Max Wiltshire, `Om the Bomb', Allan Martin and Billy James, to current heroes `Buddah', Jamie Davies and Richard Morris, with a special place for the club's greatest supporter, the legendary and much missed Mrs Evelyn Mainwaring.

Frank Whitcombe, described as 'one of the greatest Welsh rugby league forwards of all time', played for Bradford Northern, Wales, and Great Britain. Adored by Bradford supporters and admired by the rugby league fraternity, such was his prowess that he was named in the Bradford Northern all-time greats team. The Indomitable Frank Whitcombe, lovingly tells the incredible story of a rugby league legend who was born and raised, as one of ten children in Grangetown, the heart of working-class Cardiff. Frank's rugby career, after a brief and successful spell as a boxer, began in rugby union, when he played for the British Army and London Welsh, as a deceptively nimble and skilful 18 stone forward. His talents were quickly spotted by rugby league scouts, and Frank was persuaded to 'go north' for GBP100 and two new suits, although the cost of buying himself out of the Army left him just GBP10, and the suits! Frank was made for rugby league and he enjoyed a glittering career in professional rugby, winning the RL Challenge Cup three times, the RL Championship three times and was capped 14 times by Wales.He quickly created a big impression on the Great Britain selectors and he was chosen for the famous 1946 'Indomitables' tour of Australia. Frank excelled as the tourists made history and won plaudits from antipodean fans and media alike as the team became the first, and to date only GB tourists, to win a rugby league Test Series, undefeated, 'down under'. After 331 games, Frank bowed-out of rugby with Bradford Northern, four days after playing in a Challenge Cup final at Wembley, in his last match at Odsal; a game which attracted 19,000 fans. He then turned to life as an RL administrator and publican before his life was tragically cut short by pneumonia at the age of only 44. Frank was a true giant of rugby league and this is the first book to tell his remarkable story.

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.

Rugby's long history is full of tales of inspirational courage. Yet there has never been a rugby player quite as remarkable, quite as jaw-droppingly brave, as Ian McKinley. On January 16, 2010, the young fly-half was one of Ireland's hottest rugby prospects. But his life was about to change forever. While playing for University College Dublin, a horrifying injury to his left eye saw McKinley's vision, his world and his future come crashing down around him. The injury left McKinley blind in one eye and bereft, forcing him into early retirement, his life plans scattered in the wind. After relocating to Italy to heal and rebuild himself as a youth rugby coach, a heartbroken McKinley battled on until, in the end, he vowed to do whatever it took to once again play the sport he loved. As he discloses in Second Sight in painstaking detail for the first time, McKinley poured his heart and soul into finding a way to play. He endlessly researched specialist goggles and he tenaciously fought his case against sceptical World Rugby bosses until finally, finally, he did the impossible - he came back. On November 11, 2017, against Fiji, McKinley became the first visually impaired man to ever feature in a Test match, playing at fly-half for Italy - his beloved, adopted nation. His efforts drew gasps of admiration from the crowd and tears of respect from teammates and opposition alike. In Second Sight, McKinley outlines how returning to rugby gave him the chance to highlight his skill at the highest level but, more importantly, how it helped him make peace with his injury and the unique way fate has intervened in his life. After eventually retiring for a second, and final, time in March 2021, in Second Sight McKinley tells an astounding sporting story like no other - and a tale that deserves to be heard, and applauded, around the globe.

In the 1980s and early 1990s, David Campese thrilled spectators both in Australia and overseas with his footloose, crazy-brave style of free running. This book tells the story of his rise from humble beginnings to the very top of a global sport.

As a rugby player, David Campese seemed to operate on cross-grained pure instinct, one that left many a defender clutching at him in vain, stranded in the slipstream of his audacity. Hailed as the 'Bradman of rugby' by former Wallaby coach Alan Jones, and the 'Pele' of rugby by others, Campese was a match-winner. The refrain 'I saw Campese play' now speaks to much more than wistful reminiscences about a player widely regarded as the most entertaining ever to play the game of Rugby Union. It has come to represent a state of chronic disbelief that the Wallaby ascendancy of Campese's era has been seemingly squandered.

Campese occupies a unique intersection in rugby's history: one of its last amateurs, and one of its first professionals. He had shown, too, that coming from outside the traditional bastions of rugby - the private schools and universities - was no barrier to reaching the top. Indeed, he challenged that establishment and unsettled it, warning in the early 1990s that the code risked 'dying' if more was not done to expand its appeal.

David Campese revolutionised how the game was played and appreciated. His genius, most visibly manifest in his outrageous goosestep, captured the national and sporting imagination. The rigid, robotic rugby of today appears incapable of accommodating a player of his dash and daring.

One of the most colourful and controversial characters in Welsh rugby history, Mike 'Spikey' Watkins remains the only player since 1882 to captain Wales on his debut, and win. Discarded by Cardiff RFC and banned by the WRU after the infamous 'Hookers Night Out' incident in November 1978, Spikey, who had regularly played for the Wales B team and was understudy to Bobby Windsor, thought his chance of a prized Welsh cap has disappeared. In this brutally frank and hard-hitting autobiography, 'Spikey' Watkins, the loveable rogue of Welsh rugby, lifts the lid on his roller-coaster playing career and explains how he fought back against the 'blazer-brigade' he despised, returned to captain a hugely successful Newport team and finally got the call from the WRU, due to public pressure from the supporters who adored him, to captain his country to victory against Ireland in 1984.

'I never set out to take the lead. It just happened - like MND itself. But we are making a fight of it.' DODDIE WEIR In the five years since Doddie Weir's MND diagnosis, he has continued to live life to the max. He's raised millions for research and support for his fellow sufferers with the help of some incredible charity fundraisers, celebrated his 50th birthday and been awarded an OBE. And throughout it all, Doddie has tackled life head on, like the mad charging giraffe he has always been, both on and off the rugby pitch. Now, join Doddie as he lifts the lid on what his life with MND has really been like, both in public and in private. Being Doddie, there's always lots of laughter and an incredibly positive attitude, but it's also a rollercoaster of emotions. It's a battle Doddie will continue to tackle with his trademark dignity and legendary humour. And it's a fight he remains determined to win.

The making of a New Zealand coaching great Between the years 2012 and 2019, Sir Steve Hansen oversaw an era of such remarkable success that it would be almost impossible to repeat. His 15-year career in the All Blacks coaching team is the heaviest footprint in rugby history. Of the 210 tests he was involved with, his team lost just 25 times. Of the 107 tests he served as head coach, Sir Steve accumulated a record 4 World Rugby Coach of the Year awards and orchestrated 93 victories - a winning percentage of 87 per cent, the highest of any All Blacks coach. Steve Hansen: The Legacy delves into the highs and the lows that earned the New Zealand rugby knight a place in the pantheon of world rugby coaching greats. Revealing and perceptive, the book uncovers how Hansen dealt with the immeasurable pressure of leading the world's most famous rugby team; the tension created by being re-appointed specifically to win the Rugby World Cup; how he dealt with high-profile athletes and an exodus of New Zealand's all-time greats; the endless tug-of-war between commercialism and high performance; the increasing influence of referees on the game; the power battle between the northern and southern hemispheres; the Achilles heel that contributed to the All Blacks' 2019 Rugby World Cup loss; and how, during his career, he learnt to understand his weaknesses and use them to his advantage. Much more than a biography, in Steve Hansen: The Legacy, award-winning writer Gregor Paul tells the compelling story of the former policeman from Mosgiel, his quest for world rugby dominance and his journey to coaching greatness.

In 2016, Doddie Weir's life - as much-loved sporting hero and Borders farmer - switched direction with the same speed and power this indefatigable No. 5 once displayed on the rugby pitch. Reeling from his own MND diagnosis, Doddie became a standard-bearer for all those valiantly seeking to halt Motor Neuron Disease in its tracks. It's a platform Doddie has unhesitatingly used to the max. 'I never set out to take the lead,' he says. 'It just happened - like MND itself. But we are making a fight of it.' And so he continues to live life at full tilt: as a tireless fundraiser for the My Name'5 Doddie Foundation and as a family man with a debilitating, unpredictable and incurable disease. During these unprecedented times, Doddie has received an OBE, celebrated his 50th birthday, helped pledge close to GBP10 million for MND research and his fellow sufferers - all amid a whirl of golfing challenges, charity cycle rides, book festivals and awards ceremonies . . . Now DODDIE'S DIARY lifts the lid on the highs, the lows, the laughter and the tears of the last few years. Each day shows an astonishing, inspirational man who simply refuses to give in as he brings his down-to-earth positivity and legendary sense of humour to the battle against MND. Just as on the pitch, it's a battle he's determined to win.