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

High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles Walter Vickery (25 October 1909 - 7 April 2000) was an international rugby union back row who represented Wales and played club rugby for Aberavon. His father, George Vickery, also played for Aberavon and was also an international player, but he was capped for England.

High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles Tom Dobson (1871 - 4 July 1937) was a Scottish-born rugby union forward who played club rugby for Cardiff and international rugby for Wales. His brother George Dobson was also a rugby player who represented Cardiff and Wales.

"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.

Rugby is a sport that is played similar to that of football. This book talks about Rugby origins and roles in modern day sports. Included is a discussion of the unions and teams formed internationally, rugby associations and the differences between rugby league and rugby unions. Project Webster represents a new publishing paradigm, allowing disparate content sources to be curated into cohesive, relevant, and informative books. To date, this content has been curated from Wikipedia articles and images under Creative Commons licensing, although as Project Webster continues to increase in scope and dimension, more licensed and public domain content is being added. We believe books such as this represent a new and exciting lexicon in the sharing of human knowledge.

In 1995 rugby union finally became a professional sport following more than a century as an amateur game. This book offers a critical analysis of the sport in the professional era and assesses the relationship between the local and the global in contemporary rugby union.

John Carlin, former South Africa bureau chief for "The Independent", chronicles the 1995 rugby World Cup victory by South Africa, which united a divided nation following the recent election of Nelson Mandela to President. This title offers a moving and passionate account of how South Africa avoided a bloodbath. This title is shortlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year in 2008 and now a major movie directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon. 24 June 1995. Ellis Park in Johannesburg. The Springboks versus The All Blacks in the Rugby World Cup final. Nelson Mandela steps onto the pitch wearing a Springboks shirt and, before a global audience of millions, a new country is born. This book tells the incredible story of Mandela's journey to that moment. As the day of the final of the 1995 Rugby World Cup dawned, and the Springboks faced the All Blacks, more was at stake than a sporting trophy. When Nelson Mandela appeared wearing a Springboks jersey and led the all-white Afrikaner-dominated team in singing South Africa's new national anthem, he conquered white South Africa. "Playing the Enemy" tells the extraordinary human story of how that moment became possible. It shows how a sport, once the preserve of South Africa's Afrikaans-speaking minority, came to unify the new rainbow nation, and tells of how - just occasionally - something as simple as a game really can help people to rise above themselves and see beyond their differences. This recording is unabridged. Typically abridged audiobooks are not more than 60 per cent of the author's work and as low as 30 per cent with characters and plotlines removed.

No other rugby book to date has been so well designed, so easy to use, and so committed to weight training. This book will have the player increasing strength, quickness, agility, and endurance.

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.

Crowood Sports Guides provide sound, practical advice that will help make you a better player whether you are learning the basic skills, discovering more advanced techniques or reviewing the fundamentals of your game. This new, substantially revised, and updated edition includes Star Tips, Kit Checks, Rules Checks, and Key Points. Covering skills and techniques at every level, this book features action and sequence photographs; helpful, detailed diagrams in color; and an introduction to rules and equipment. Aimed at those learning the basic skills as well as those who wish to discover more advanced techniques or to review the fundamentals of the game.

South Africa is a land of contrasts, as the tourist brochures promise, and this is true for the game of rugby.

From the Pretoria heartland to the aspirant Eastern Cape, from the hardscrabble Cape Flats to the islands of privilege at Bishops and Grey College, no other rugby-playing nation has to grapple with so much diversity. Different languages, classes, races and cultures - each bearing the wounds of the country's fractured past - have to be melded into winning teams.

Liz McGregor has spent the past three years shadowing Currie Cup, Super 14 and Springbok teams across the country, and has come to the conclusion that it is this very diversity, combined with the pain of the past and the dreams of a great united future, that provide the elusive alchemy that separates a good team from a great one.

Touch, Pause, Engage! is more than a book about rugby. It is an intimate look at how South Africa's erstwhile elite is adapting to its new circumstances. Team South Africa has been through many a maul and bruising scrum, but is inching closer and closer to the tryline.

Stories from on and off the pitch by two legendary Welsh Rugby World Cup referees. -- Welsh Books Council

Absolutely Huge is a spoof biography of a fictional Welsh rugby player, Gethin 'Huge' Hughes. Mimicking the standard sports biography format, the book explores the highs and lows of his remarkable and often controversial career both on and off the pitch. An affectionate satire on Welsh rugby and the media hype that surrounds it. -- Welsh Books Council

**WINNER British Sports Book Awards SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR** **Shortlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award** Gareth Thomas had it all. He was a national hero, a sporting icon. He was a leader of men, captain of Wales and the British Lions. To him, rugby was an expression of cultural identity, a sacred code. It was no mere ball game. It gave him everything, except the freedom to be himself. This is the story of a man with a secret that was slowly killing him. Something that might devastate not only his own life but the lives of his wife, family, friends and teammates. The only place where he could find any refuge from the pain and guilt of the lie he was living was on the pitch, playing the sport he loved. But all his success didn't make the strain of hiding who he really was go away. His fear that telling the truth about his sexuality would lose him everything he loved almost sent him over the edge. The deceit ended when Gareth became the world's most prominent athlete to come out as a gay man. His gesture has strengthened strangers, and given him a fresh perspective. Gareth's inspiring and moving story transcends the world of sport to tell a universal truth about feeling like an outsider, and facing up to who you really are.

Winner of the Rugby Book of the Year award at the British Sports Book Awards 2012 Alastair Hignell is renowned as a rugby international for England, a county cricketer and a much-loved broadcaster. Forced to retire from his playing careers at an early age due to injury, and then from his broadcasting career when his struggle with MS became too overwhelming, he has nonetheless lived life to the full. Higgy tells his inspirational story with warmth and humour - from growing up as a bright and very competitive young lad, on to his successful Cambridge university days where he was the first person to captain both the rugby and cricket first teams, through his playing careers against and alongside some of the all-time greats in both sports, and a prominent broadcasting career that took him around the world to cover some of the biggest sporting events and characters. All this success was brought into sharp relief by his diagnosis with MS, which eventually forced his retirement from broadcasting but also prompted him to become one of the leading campaigners for those suffering from the disease. Higgy's has been a tough journey, and his story is a fascinating example of strength and determination when faced with adversity. Appealing to a broad range of sports fans, this story is about setbacks and triumphs, about making the shift from the athletic struggles of sport to the struggle of performing everyday tasks. It's the genuine and emotional story of how a highly successful sportsman faced up to a devastating illness and became one of the most inspiring personalities of our age.