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Books > Sport & Leisure > Sports & outdoor recreation > Ball games > Rugby football
Who are the fifteen best players ever to represent Wales at rugby?
We all know the answers, but all our answers are different! In pubs
and clubs, in classrooms and chat rooms the length and breadth of
this rugby-mad nation, this is a question that prompts energetic
and entertaining debate; a question that has divided households and
destabilized lifelong friendships. In The Greatest Welsh XV Ever,
which includes over 130 full-colour photographs, Eddie Butler has
gone where angels (and ex-international back-row forwards) fear to
tread. Devoting a chapter to each position on the field, he
produces a shortlist of the great players, before making his final,
decisive, definitive choice in each case. So will it be Barry John
or Phil Bennett at number 10? Jamie Roberts or John Dawes at number
12? Graham Price or Adam Jones at number 3? This is your chance to
join in the greatest national debate since devolution.
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.
EasiCoach Rugby Skills Activities contain ready-made,
age-appropriate, safe training activities. This volume covers the
older age groups U11-U12 and U13-U16, helping coaches and young
players understand the basic concepts, and is part of the EasiCoach
Rugby Skills Curriculum. If you are new to coaching and not sure
what to coach, or even how to coach, help is at hand, even for
"non-rugby" volunteers. They are called EasiCoach activities
because they are simple and easy to follow. EasiCoach will help you
to quickly understand what it is you're trying to achieve and see
what you need to do from just a few words and pictures. You can
grasp the key do's and don'ts at a glance. The activity sheets tell
you the equipment you need (never more than basics), and allow you
to cater for more or fewer players at your session. Using EasiCoach
helps you to speak to your players with confidence, and in
addition, by following all the materials in each manual, your
players will be learning the right skills for the right age group
every season, because all the activities are part of a curriculum.
Rugby Stories...and other misadventures was incredibly enjoyable.
I'm a bit of a history buff and the one area of American rugby
history I always wanted to know more about was the period in the
1960s and 70s, when the Eagles were just formulating. The
generation of players that came of age during that period is only
getting old and some of the stories from that time are getting
lost. The greatest triumph of "Rugby Stories" is that it preserves
that part of history for future generations. Written by former
Eagle, UCLA, and Santa Monica player Dave Stephenson, "Rugby
Stories" offers a unique take on a crucial period in U.S. rugby
history. Stephenson's writing style is like his play on the field,
solid with a touch of bravado. He tells the story of his emergence
as a school player in England, to immigrant in Los Angeles where he
finds rugby once again. Stephenson has an interesting life that in
and of itself is well worth a story and when you throw in rugby, it
makes a great combination. The inside knowledge Stephenson provides
of the early Eagles is invaluable. It was a different time back
then, and while things didn't always run smoothly, the passion that
all of those involved had was impressive. If there is one
disappointment, it's that Stephenson isn't around for years and
years with the team, but that's something you'll have to read about
in the book. It's more than just the early history of the Eagles
that makes "Rugby Stories" valuable for the American rugby fans,
it's the early history of UCLA and Santa Monica as well. Stephenson
was part of Dennis Storer's legendary Bruins squads that challenged
for the World Cup with Cal and UBC, as well as in the Monterey
Tournament, the unofficial national championship at the time. He
was also a founding member of Santa Monica Rugby Club. This is a
crucial part of American rugby history and that should make "Rugby
Stories" a crucial part of your rugby book collection. I can't
recommend this book highly enough. I learned so much about American
rugby history that I couldn't find anywhere else.
ThisisAmericanrugby.com
The story of the search by the author to discover the truth about
the death of his uncle, a pilot in one of Churchill's Special
Duties Squadrons during WW2. The parallel descriptions of the RAF
career of F/Lt John Menzies and his nephew's dogged determination
to find out what happened to him culminate in the discovery of the
wreckage of his aircraft. Information discovered along the way
raises many questions, not all of which have been answered. In the
10 years that have passed since the first publication of this book
many other families have found out the truth of the careers of
their relatives in the Special Duties Squadrons, largely through
the continuing work of the author, who has become an authority on
the subject.
My book, or memoir, is mainly a very light hearted look at my rugby
union experiences both on and off the field. My stories began in
1958 when I was 10 and a pupil at George Heriot's school in
Edinburgh. As I started to recount my early experiences in rugby
union lots of other general boyhood, adolescent and later more
adult moments came to mind. Some stories have nothing to do with
rugby but I thought they might bring a smile to the faces of some
people as they may see themselves in similar circumstances. My
Rugby stories include my times at Heriot's School, Heriot's Former
Pupils Rugby Club, Nottinghamians RFC, Aberdeenshire RFC and Mackie
Academy FPRFC in Stonehaven. I was president of Mackie Academy
FPRFC twice and in that period I met many famous International
players from all of the then Five Nations as they kindly agreed to
speak at the club dinners. They include Scottish stars Andy Irvine,
Jim Telfer, Jim Aitken, Iain Milne and his brothers Kenny and
David. Fran Cotton of England and Gareth Edwards of Wales also
graced the Mackie dinners. Jo Maso the famous French Centre also
features in the book as I recount an amazing story involving him
and Mackie Academy FP's . I was employed as Secretary and General
Manager of Heriot's Rugby Club from 1998 to 2004 and in that time I
had the privilege of meeting players from all over the world as
they trained with their International colleagues at Heriot's school
playing fields, Goldenacre. Towards the end of my tenure at
Heriot's I was close to much of the turmoil that beset the Scottish
Rugby Union and Scottish club rugby. Heriot's were largely
responsible for halting a likely meltdown of the Scottish Rugby
Union in 2004/2005 and I tell that story at the end of my book.
Rugby kicks of the book and closes it too so I have called my
memoir Wrapped in Rugby.
Leeds Rhinos and Great Britain forward Barrie McDermott is a modern
rugby legend. Often described as notorious by the press, he admits
he has had more punch-ups than hot dinners. McDermott has been at
the very top of British Rugby League for more than a decade,
starring for Oldham, Wigan and Leeds and earning caps for England,
Ireland and Great Britain. But what is not widely known is that
McDermott has achieved all this despite having lost an eye in a
shooting accident when he was just 15. Away from rugby he has had
regular brushes with the law - and in 1996 made headlines when he
was the first person in the country to be arrested by police using
CS gas. He later spent time behind bars after skipping bail to play
for Leeds in a match in Paris, being arrested as he got off the
plane on the homeward journey. He has appeared before the Rugby
Football League's disciplinary committee many times, missing over
40 matches through suspension. This outspoken autobiography of one
of rugby's hardest men lifts the lid on one of the most remarkable
careers in British sport.
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.
"Rugby - Backs Moves" is a collection of moves or "plays" which any
group of backs in a rugby team can use during a match. The book is
intended to be something which anyone who coaches senior or junior
rugby, at rugby clubs or in schools, can use to develop their
team's back play. The book is an ideal companion for use on the
training ground or in team meetings. Each move is described on two
adjacent pages, which appear side by side as you open out the book.
For each move, the book identifies the area of the opposition's
defensive alignment on which the attack is focused and the lines of
running for each player involved in the move. The book also
identifies from which side of the pitch any move can be used and
whether it works from a scrum, a line-out or from other phases of
play. Variations on individual moves are explained, with
cross-references included to where the variations are described
elsewhere in the book. For each move, the book also contains a "Key
Points" narrative, with tips on how best to make the move work and
points to look out for in running the move. The moves are
illustrated with easy to understand diagrams and space is provided
for coaches to jot down any thoughts that spring to mind as they
try out the moves during practice or match play. The book includes
various indexed lists, which enable the reader to find particular
types of move, such as moves to run from the left or right side of
the pitch, from a scrum or line-out or through a particular channel
in the opposition's defence.
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.
"Rugby - Backs Moves" is a collection of moves or "plays" which any
group of backs in a rugby team can use during a match. The book is
intended to be something which anyone who coaches senior or junior
rugby, at rugby clubs or in schools, can use to develop their
team's back play. The book is an ideal companion for use on the
training ground or in team meetings. Each move is described on two
adjacent pages, which appear side by side as you open out the book.
For each move, the book identifies the area of the opposition's
defensive alignment on which the attack is focused and the lines of
running for each player involved in the move. The book also
identifies from which side of the pitch any move can be used and
whether it works from a scrum, a line-out or from other phases of
play. Variations on individual moves are explained, with
cross-references included to where the variations are described
elsewhere in the book. For each move, the book also contains a "Key
Points" narrative, with tips on how best to make the move work and
points to look out for in running the move. The moves are
illustrated with easy to understand diagrams and space is provided
for coaches to jot down any thoughts that spring to mind as they
try out the moves during practice or match play. The book includes
various indexed lists, which enable the reader to find particular
types of move, such as moves to run from the left or right side of
the pitch, from a scrum or line-out or through a particular channel
in the opposition's defence.
ROCKY: LEADER OF THE WALLABIES is an insightful and revealing look
into the rugby union career of one of Australia's greatest
Wallabies, Rocky Elsom. "Rocky Elsom is a rugby player of the old
school. No frills, lots of spills, and with a will to win that
would kill a brown dog. He is an Australian original who is also a
hugely admired figure in international rugby." - Peter Fitzsimons
"He is prepared to stand up against the tide and inspire others to
do the same" Robbie Deans ROCKY ELSOM: LEADER OF tHE WALLABIES is
an insightful and revealing look into the rugby union career of one
of Australia's greatest Wallabies, Rocky Elsom, as seen through the
eyes of the key figures in his life, including family members,
team-mates and coaches. From representing Australia at under 16s
level to attaining cult status in Ireland and named as the best
player in the world, Rocky has exerted the same talismanic
influence on the Wallabies that Richie McCaw has had on New
Zealand. A rugged individualist, Rocky's biggest task to date will
be leading the Australian team for the World Cup in New Zealand in
September 2011. "After covering Rocky's career as a journalist for
eight years I thought I had a fair idea of him, but I realized I
hardly knew him at all. Rocky is like a modern day renaissance Man,
a Leonardo da Vinci in studs. Apart from being one of the greatest
Wallabies of his generation, Rocky is a musician, a philosopher, an
entrepreneur and a pilot just to list a few of his pastimes. Most
people enjoy speaking about, even boasting about, their interests,
especially if that is landing a rickety two-seater t-Bird sideways
on a slippery runway, not Rocky. He rarely talks about it, he just
does it." - Bret Harris
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Centre Stage
(Hardcover)
Jamie Roberts, Ross Harries
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R621
R552
Discovery Miles 5 520
Save R69 (11%)
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Ships in 9 - 17 working days
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In a nation of rugby heroes, Jamie Roberts has become a legend.
Jamie Roberts is your quintessential hard man: a 6 foot 4, 17 stone
slab of rippling muscle, conditioned to run hard into other huge
men in an arena where physical dominance is the prime currency. Yet
away from rugby, he's a mild-mannered and thoughtful man - a
qualified doctor with a thirst for knowledge and a curiosity about
the world around him. It's an intriguing contradiction. In his
first full season with the Cardiff Blues he was picked by new Wales
coach Warren Gatland in the Grand Slam-winning side of 2008. He was
still establishing his position in the national team when he toured
with the 2009 Lions, emerging as Player of the Series. He went on
to win 97 Test caps and play for clubs in Paris, London and Cape
Town, yet his career has seldom been straightforward. A fractured
skull was one of many injuries he had to overcome, and from the
start he had to juggle the competing demands of university life and
professional rugby. The joy of Six Nations success with Wales was
balanced by heartbreak in the World Cup and disappointment against
southern-hemisphere teams, while major trophies at club level
proved frustratingly elusive. In this colourful and frank account
of a sterling career, Jamie Roberts reveals all about life on tour,
in boot camps and in dressing rooms filled with
once-in-a-generation characters such as Mike Phillips, Andy Powell,
Shaun Edwards, Martyn Williams, Brian O'Driscoll and Johnny Sexton.
He also shares his views on concussion in rugby, the failings of
the professional structure in Wales and the vital role of
old-school team-bonding.
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.
Bumper Rugby World Cup edition of the acclaimed IRB World Rugby
Yearbook, the ever-popular and utterly comprehensive review of the
rugby year. On sale barely a month after the trophy has been lifted
at the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, the IRB World Rugby
Yearbook will include a comprehensive review of the tournament
including analysis and comment from leading players and the game's
best rugby writers. On top of that will be a complete round-up of
world rugby in 2011, including complete statistical records for
every World Cup nation, all-time rugby records and reviews of each
of the major competitions in the oval ball game. The IRB World
Rugby Yearbook is quite simply the most comprehensive rugby
yearbook on the planet.
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).
The latest edition of the acclaimed IRB World Rugby Yearbook, the
most comprehensive rugby yearbook on the planet. With 640 fully
illustrated pages of features, stats and records from every major
rugby playing nation, since being revived and revamped four years
ago the IRB World Rugby Yearbook has become a 'must have' book for
rugby followers. The 2011 edition will feature extensive preview of
the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand
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