Seventeen-year old Dennis O'Neill was a precocious talent. Widnes coach Joe Egan put him straight into the first team after he had signed as a professional in the summer of 1966. Not only Egan, but other Rugby League pundits of the day regarded him as "the best teenage prospect since Alex Murphy" In only his second season at the age of 19, he was selected for the Lancashire side to play Yorkshire in January 1968.The game was appropriately played at Naughton Park, Widnes. O'Neill's sensational match winning try was described nearly four decades later as "The Greatest Try" by a local journalist. The description inspired the title of Anthony J. Quinn's book. Not only with a brisk season by season narrative, but with numerous references to contemporary press reports, the book vividly portrays Dennis O'Neill's thrilling performances for Widnes in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It also highlights his constant injury problems and gives the reader an insight into events at Widnes RLFC during that period in its history and is interspersed with pictures and press cuttings. In addition, the author refers to several letters and articles that were published in the local press, commenting on the poor state of British Rugby League in O'Neill's prime playing days.

The origins of the game of rugby and the codification of the rules which defined the game have been glorified in numerous legends, some of which are little more than sporting hagiography. Following on from the success of The Rules of Association Football 1863 and in time for the Rugby World Cup in September - October 2007, this book investigates the origins of the game of rugby and reproduces for the first time in a single book both the first rules of the game, drawn up at Rugby School in 1845 and the first rules of the Rugby Football Union, published in 1871. The introduction by Jed Smith, the curator of the Rugby Football Museum in Twickenham, will provide the first systematic exploration of the origin of the rules of the game and their development. Includes images from the unique manuscript held at the Rugby Football Union as well as nineteenth-century illustrations of the game as it was first played, capturing its early spirit and enthusiasm.

The phenomenal international number one bestseller with exclusive interviews with Richie McCaw, Steve Hansen, Beauden Barrett and Dan Carter, The Jersey is the definitive story behind the greatest sports team on the planet.

With a better winning record than any other sports team in history, they stand head and shoulders above their nearest rugby rivals. How did a country of just 4.8 million people conquer the world?

Peter Bills, who has reported on international rugby for more than forty years, was given exclusive access to all the key figures in New Zealand rugby as he set out to understand the secrets behind the All Blacks success. Peter talked at length with ninety people, both in New Zealand and around the world, with intimate knowledge of what makes the All Blacks tick.

The Jersey goes to the heart of the All Blacks success. It is also an epic story of not just a rugby team but a nation, whose identities are inextricably linked.

Keith Earls started out in senior rugby as a teenage star and during the course of his long career has become one of the most admired and respected players of his generation. A British & Irish Lion at the age of 21, he is now closing in on his 34th birthday and still playing at the top of his game. He has won 93 caps for Ireland and played 179 times in the famous red of Munster. He started every game of the 2018 Six Nations campaign that culminated in an Irish Grand Slam victory. A lethal finisher blessed with thoroughbred speed, Earls is the second-highest try scorer of all time for his country. With Munster he is one try short of the all-time total and looks set to break that record next season. Behind the glittering success, there is another story to be told. He has achieved these milestones whilst being racked by private battles with his mental health for most of his career. A number of crises brought him to the brink of voluntary retirement from the game. A long series of injuries have taken their psychological toll too. A native of Limerick city, Earls grew up in one of its most socially disadvantaged housing estates. Moyross was blighted by crime and violence and he did not escape unscathed from the surrounding fear and trauma visited upon his beloved community. His natural sporting talent brought him into the privileged bastion of elite rugby union. His frank and fearless autobiography tells the story of his long struggle to reconcile the world whence he came with the world opened up by his brilliance with an oval ball. Earls has maintained a low profile throughout his career. For the first time he will talk in depth and at length about the inner turmoil that went unseen by team-mates, friends and fans. It is a confessional, intimate and courageous story of the pain that was a constant companion to the glory.

The Chosen 23 is a unique interactive rugby book by well-known South African based rugby writer, Mark Keohane. The book centres around Keohane's selection of a Springbok Match Day 23 and World Player 23 from every player he has seen play live since 1992.

The book is not about test matches during this time, but rather about the players that made those test matches memorable. As with anything, this is a book based on opinion so there is no right or wrong which is why Keohane has made the unique decision to include the comments, opinions and reactions of fans throughout the book.

From Jonah Lomu's dismantling of England at Newlands in the 1995 World Cup Semi-Final to Springbok Glory in Tokyo in 2019 the book looks at the Players highlights as well during this period. In addition to the The Chosen 23 Keohane also discusses the merits of other players in that position. One merely has to read the Chapter 14 which discusses Springbok rugby wing greats such as Kolbe, Paulse, Pietersen, Small and Terblanche to appreciate the difficulty that the author was faced with in making his choice. It makes for both interesting and fun reading.

The Chosen 23 is a definitely a rugby fan collector's item and will provide enjoyable reading for those that have followed the game closely since 1992 as well as newcomers.

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.

Eddie Jones is one of the most experienced and decorated coaches in world rugby. He career has spanned four World Cups; from losing to England in the 100th minute in 2003, working with South Africa when they won in 2007, and causing the greatest upset in 2015 when he masterminded the Japanese defeat of South Africa.

Since taking over as head coach of England in 2015 Eddie Jones has masterminded 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, their first ever whitewash of Australia, as well as taking them on their longest ever winning streak.

In his explosive autobiography Jones shows how his fiercely competitive attitude, his love of coaching and his philosophy of the game were formed while growing up in a tough working-class suburb of Sydney as a small half-Japanese kid, playing schoolboy rugby alongside the legendary Ella brothers.

Learning from the extreme highs and lows of his own playing career – 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 learnt about the game on and off the pitch has gone into plotting England’s route to the top of World Rugby.

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.

'You will laugh, and you will cry.' The extraordinary, life-affirming autobiography of rugby legend DODDIE WEIR. There has never been anyone quite like Doddie Weir. A giant of the game and a rugby icon, his unique story is charged with a passion for living life to the full. In a rugby career which had huge highs and shocking lows, Doddie faced some of the game's greatest players, from Jonny Wilkinson to Jonah Lomu, Brian O'Driscoll to Scott Quinnell and Martin Johnson to Joost van der Westhuizen, and set stadiums alight when 'on the charge like a mad giraffe'. Now, at the age of 48, Doddie faces an entirely different adversary: Motor Neurone Disease. But Doddie Weir has never been one to shy away from a challenge, on or off the pitch, and he has faced up to MND with undaunted positivity, using his boundless energy to raise funds for MND research and support.

Rugby Union Threequarter Play is a technical playing guide that examines the demands of each of the positions in the threequarters, and analyses the specific positional roles and responsibilities. The book will help coaches to place the right player in the right position.

'People think they know him but unless you read this book you will never know the REAL Alun Wyn Jones' - Warren Gatland 'One of the greatest, and seemingly indestructible, players in history' - A Daily Mail Book of the Year Belonging is the story about how the boy from Mumbles became the most capped rugby union player of all time. It is the story of what it takes to become a man who is seen by many as one of the greatest ever Welsh players. What it takes to go from sitting cross-legged on the hall floor at school watching the 1997 Lions tour of South Africa, to being named the 2021 Lions captain. But is it also about perthyn - belonging: playing for Wales, working his way through the age grades and club rugby and his regional side. How to earn the right to be there, and what it feels like to make the sacrifices along the way. Feeling the connection to players who have come before, and feeling the ties to the millions in front rooms and pubs across the country, coast to coast. Knowing that deep down you want to belong, as everyone does. From playing on the rain-swept pitches of Swansea to making his test debut against Argentina in Patagonia in 2006; from touring with the Lions in 2009, 2013, 2017 and 2021 to dealing with loss and creating a family - Belonging is the autobiography of one of the most compelling figures in world rugby. Told with characteristic honesty, this is his unique personal story of what it takes and what it means to play for your country: what it means to belong.

This collection of rugby humour is perfect for anyone who lives and breathes the glorious game. Packed with the very best quips and quotes for lovers of the oval-shaped ball, it guarantees laughs and lots of celebratory fist pumps. Scrum down and prepare yourself for a full-on tour of the game through the eyes of iconic players, pithy commentators and dumbfounded celebrities. It'll reveal whether rugby really is a game that requires all brawn and little brain, explore the divisive history between the Union and League and celebrate the legends of the sport. Up until the final whistle, the quotes in this book will have you on the edge of your seat. Offering an amusing look at the lives of rugby stars on and off the pitch, it'll have you cheering for more and make you even more nuts for the honourable and always beautiful game than you already are.

Daniel Dumile Qeqe (1929–2005), ‘Baas Dan’, ‘DDQ’. He was the Port Elizabeth leader whose struggles and triumphs crisscrossed the entire gamut of political, civic, entrepreneurial, sports and recreational liberation activism in the Eastern Cape. Siwisa tells the story of Qeqe’s life and times and at the same time has written a social and political biography of Port Elizabeth – a people’s history of Port Elizabeth. As much as Qeqe was a local legend, his achievements had national repercussions and, indeed, continue to this day.

Central to the transformation of sports towards non-racialism, Qeqe paved the way for the mainstreaming and liberation of black rugby and cricket players in South Africa. He co-engineered the birth of the KwaZakhele Rugby Union (Kwaru), a pioneering non-racial rugby union that was more of a political and social movement. Kwaru was a vehicle for political dialogues and banned meetings, providing resources for political campaigns and orchestrations for moving activists into exile.

This story is an attempt at understanding a man of contradictions. In one breath, he was generous and kind to a fault. And yet he was the indlovu, an imposing authoritarian elephant, decisively brutal and aggressive. Then there was Qeqe, the man whose actions were not in keeping with the struggle. This story narrates his role in ‘collaborationist’ civic institutions and in courting reactionary homeland structures, yet through all that he was the signal actor in the emancipation of rugby in South Africa.

Enjoy the glorious game in a whole new way with this mighty collection of rugby puzzles If you can't watch the match from the comfort of your own toilet, you need something just as gripping to keep you enthralled. Whether it's spotting the difference between two crunching tackles or locating world-famous stadiums, this puzzle book is just the ticket. These amusing activities and fun facts will prove a sure-fire winner with any fan of the game. From bestselling author and professional brain-teaser Hugh Jassburn, this eye-catching collection will pit your wits against such challenges as these: Find all the items of rugby kit hidden in a word search Unscramble the names of famous players at Anagram RFC Guess the year when the Rugby Football Union officially endorsed the oval-shaped ball Prove you know what the various signals made by the referee and their assistants actually mean A superb gift idea, this is an all-round treat for rugby obsessives and casual fans alike.

Originally published in 1938, this is book is a comprehensive manual of rugby technique and tactics. Well illustrated throughout with photographs and diagrams, this still contains much of practical use to the modern reader. Contents Include: Individual Practice - Dribbling - Tackling - Kicking - Passing - Body-Swing and Running with the Ball - Combined Practice - The Forwards - The Tight Scrum - The Loose Scrum - The Line Out - Forwards in Defence - Forwards in Attack - The Backs - The Scrum-Half - The Stand-off Half - The Three-quarters, The Centres - The Three-quarters, The Wings - The Full-back - Combined Attack - Combined Defence - Miscellaneous - Clothing, Training, etc - Refeering and Touch-judging - Learning From Example

'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.

In 2011 the world was shocked when the news broke that Joost van der Westhuizen, known for years as the golden boy of South African rugby and a former Springbok captain, had been diagnosed with motor neuron disease (MND).

This rare condition attacks the central nervous system, causing progressive disability. There is no known cure. All who have seen Joost in action will know that he is not one to give up without a fight. His game-changing prowess as a brilliant scrum half is now focused on a battle for survival and, more importantly, on making a difference to the lives of others with the disease. In a race against time, Joost has a dream to fulfil. He says: “In the beginning you go through all the emotions and you ask, ‘Why me?’ It’s quite simple. ‘Why not me?’ If I have to go through this to help future generations, why not me?” His acceptance of his symptoms is equally pragmatic: “One day you can’t move your arm, another day you don’t have speech. Every day you are reborn and you take the day as it comes.”

Glory Game – The Joost van der Westhuizen Story is a compelling narrative of redemption set against the backdrop of an illustrious career in rugby. It is the story of a modern-day warrior forced to face his own human frailty. Joost shows us that beyond ambition, success and fame lies the true wealth of family and friends, and that within a ravaged body the spirit can remain invincible.

Jean-Pierre Rives epitomised the French rugby tradition of flair coupled with guts and glory. He captained the team a record 34 times, gaining 59 caps in all, the first against England in 1975. He led France to the Grand Slam in 1981 and was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame. After retiring, this most charismatic of flankers - his long blond hair stood out as he led by example, turned to sculpture and painting, hence the title of this book. He exhibits regularly at prominent public venues all over the world and was awarded the Order of the Legion of Honor and the National Order of Merit by the government of France. He divides his time between the South of France and California. Before French rugby writer Richard Escot's persistence paid off and Rives told him, 'OK, come down to the atelier and we'll see what happens,' little was known about the former player - beyond, that is, what Jean-Pierre considers to be an extravagant reputation. Previously he had guarded his silence; now, in a series of eight conversations, Rives reveals himself to be a natural talker, prepared to provide an insight both into his unique character and what it is like to play rugby at the highest level.

The must-have companion to the greatest event in world rugby, the Rugby World Cup France 2023.

Containing everything rugby fans will need to enjoy the World Cup, this official guide is packed with images, profiles, previews and charts, making it essential reading for any fan and the perfect companion to all of the tournament action.

Contents include:

• Team-by-team profiles
• Star player profiles
• A guide to every venue
• Fill-in tournament progress chart
• History of the Rugby World Cup
• Rugby World Cup records
• Qualification round-up

And much, much more besides.