THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER ‘Hilarious, and straight talking but also articulate and insightful – I am just hugely fond of this guy’ –Eddie Jones ‘James Haskell: what a flanker, what a book’ –Rugby World ‘I’d like to be remembered as a player who showed that you can be incredibly professional but also a lot of fun – a bit of a joker in the changing room, but the ultimate competitor on the pitch. That should have been the subtitle of this book, really…’ One of rugby’s most ferocious flankers and biggest characters, James Haskell has had an extraordinary, global experience of the game, having played for the Wasps, Northampton and England, and in New Zealand, France and Japan. After seventeen years and with 77 international caps under his sizeable belt, he has a shitload to say about rugby life – from pitch to pub and everywhere in between.   In What A Flanker, Haskell sheds fresh light on the dynamics and the day-to-day of the game. Whether he’s recalling the most brutal team socials; dispelling the myths surrounding New Zealand’s dominance; introducing his Japanese teammates to manscaping or calling out play-acting in the modern game, no subject is off limits.   Side-splittingly funny and ruthlessly honest, What A Flanker delves into the touring, drinking, training, eating and sometimes unconscionable antics of the professional rugby player. It’s an unforgettable read, even if there are some stories you’d rather forget…

England Rugby On This Day revisits the most magical and memorable moments from the national team's distinguished history, mixing in a maelstrom of anecdotes and legendary characters to produce an irresistibly dippable diary - with an entry for every day of the year. From the first ever rugby international (the 1871 meeting with Scotland) to their exploits at the 2019 Rugby World Cup and beyond, the book covers all the highs and lows of 150 years of international rugby. With a record number of grand slams and triple crowns, England are the most successful team in the Six Nations. They reached the pinnacle of the game when they won the 2003 World Cup but have also suffered heartache in three losing finals. Relive 4 January 1936 when Prince Alexander Obolensky stunned the All Blacks, 5 March 1980 when John Carleton sealed a long-awaited grand slam with a hat-trick of tries, and of course 22 November 2003 - the day Jonny Wilkinson kicked England to World Cup glory in Sydney.

How the captains of the last 50 years have gone about leading the world's most successful rugby team. The job of All Blacks captain comes with a scrutiny that puts it alongside the prime minister in terms of profile and public expectation. It takes a strong, confident and assured personality to captain a team where failure is never tolerated. The Captain's Run is a behind the scenes journey into the world of All Blacks captaincy. It reveals how the great captains dealt with the pressure of the toughest job in world rugby, how they coped with failure, and what they would have done differently, if given their time again.

THE MOST SUCCESSFUL CAPTAIN IN WORLD RUGBY HISTORY, IN HIS OWN WORDS Richie McCaw, Rugby World Cup winning captain and the New Zealand All Black's most capped player of all time, is unquestionably the greatest player of his generation. He is arguably the most talented player of all time. In his bestselling autobiography, McCaw talks with brutal honesty about the roots of his family life that defined his character and how it gave him the strength to emerge from the lowest moment in his career to lift the Webb Ellis Cup, and become the most successful captain world rugby has ever seen. As the first captain to successfully defend the World Cup, McCaw has set the standard of what a professional rugby player should be. Hugely popular and respected, his sheer presence means that he is a natural leader both on and off the pitch and his story is not just a brutal account of life on the front line, but an exhilarating portrait of modern rugby.

Ken Scotland was born on 29 August 1936 within sight of Heriot's Goldenacre ground, which he would go onto grace with great panache and skill several years later. A prodigious talent at fly-half while at school, he was converted into a full-back during the international trials of 1957 and was capped in that position against France at Colombes just a few weeks later, scoring all of his country's points as the Scots recorded their first win on French soil since 1949. Having joined the army after leaving school, Scotland then attended Cambridge University and it was from there that he was selected for the 1959 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia and New Zealand. During this epic four-month tour he won plaudits far and wide as one of the superstars of the Lions' team. Using entries from the dairy he kept during this tour, Scotland brings to life one of the great Lions expeditions, taking us right into the heart of the changing rooms, hotels, bars and in the heat of battle on the field. Scotland played in five Tests for the Lions and won a total of twenty-seven caps for his country before retiring in 1965 with a reputation as one of the finest players ever to play for Scotland well established. He would continue to play club rugby for several years afterwards while enjoying a successful business career. At eighty-three he has finally decided to tell his life story. Working with Allan Massie, the doyen of Scottish rugby journalism, he has created a rich and powerful testimony to his life and rugby career, throwing new light on his own achievements as well as providing fresh insight the great players of his era. It is as fascinating as it is evocative of a time and a game long past and a must-read for rugby fans of all generations.

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.

This is a visual, historical guide to the development and growth of rugby. It includes almost 300 hundred images from the Press Association archives that capture Rugby's finest moments. It also includes background to the most successful teams, greatest matches, a players' hall of fame and guide to the hallowed Rugby grounds. As far back as the 1830s a form of rugby was being played at Rugby Public School, after pupil William Webb Ellis first picked up a football and ran with it. In 1863 the Football Association met to standardise a common set of rules between the kicking and running games but failed to meet with the approval of the rugby fraternity. Twenty-one clubs refused to join the FA and in 1871 set up their own code of practice as 'The Rugby Union'. The popularity of the game quickly spread beyond Britain's shores becoming an international sensation. 100 Years of Rugby in Focus is a visual, historical record of the development and growth of the game, with background to more than a century of the most successful teams and the greatest matches, a players' hall of fame and a guide to the hallowed grounds where the game is played. This story is told in more than 400 photographs from the vast archives of the Press Association, whose photographers were on hand to capture the finest moments of the sport over more than a century.

From the myth of William Webb Ellis to the glory of the 2003 World Cup win, this book explores the social history of rugby union in England.

Ever since Tom Brown s Schooldays the sport has seen itself as the guardian of traditional English middle-class values. In this fascinating new history, leading rugby historian Tony Collins demonstrates how these values have shaped the English game, from the public schools to mass spectator sport, from strict amateurism to global professionalism.

Based on unprecedented access to the official archives of the Rugby Football Union, and drawing on an impressive array of sources from club minutes to personal memoirs and contemporary literature, the book explores in vivid detail the key events, personalities and players that have made English rugby.

From an era of rapid growth at the end of the nineteenth century, through the terrible losses suffered during the First World War and the subsequent rush to rugby in the public and grammar schools, and into the periods of disorientation and commercialisation in the 1960s through to the present day, the story of English rugby union is also the story of the making of modern England.

Like all the very best writers on sport, Tony Collins uses sport as a prism through which to better understand both culture and society. A ground-breaking work of both social history and sport history, A Social History of English Rugby Union tells a fascinating story of sporting endeavour, masculine identity, imperial ideology, social consciousness and the nature of Englishness.

Winner of the Daily Telegraph Rugby Book of the Year The Sunday Times bestselling rugby book of the year Brilliant, honest, combative - Eddie Jones is a true legend of world rugby and remains an enigmatic figure in the game. In My Life and Rugby he tells his story for the first time, including the full inside account of England's 2019 World Cup campaign. He describes his experience growing up in a tough working-class area of Sydney, where he first played rugby, and how he learnt from the extreme highs and lows of his own playing career - the numerous successes but also the painful disappointment of never playing for Australia. He tells how he then embarked on a coaching career that has seen him become one of the most experienced and decorated coaches in Rugby Union, spanning four World Cups and three finals. His successes have included masterminding England's spectacular victory over New Zealand in the 2019 World Cup and engineering the sport's most stunning upset when Japan beat South Africa in 2015. 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 book for all fans of the sport. Written with Donald McRae, twice winner of the William Hill Sports Book of the Year award and three-time Sports Feature Writer of the Year, 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. A Best Book of the Year - Daily Mail, Sunday Times, The Times

SHORTLISTED FOR THE SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT BOOK OF THE YEAR 'Crammed full of funny stories, below-the-belt banter and amusing observations, it's gold' Rugby World Once described as rugby's answer to Ant & Dec, David Flatman and Mark Durden-Smith are the oddest of odd couples. Now this hugely popular rugby broadcasting double act have turned to dissecting and celebrating rugby union in book form. And, as you'd expect, it's a brilliant combination of in-depth knowledge and hilarious stories. Flats and Durders Offload covers every facet of the game, from surviving the front row, what it takes to be a leader, referees both good and bad, mind games, tournaments and, of course, what really happens on a rugby tour. They talk about the highs, including Flats not missing a tackle in his 90-second Six Nations appearance, and the lows, including Flats not making a tackle in his 90-second Six Nations appearance. Familiar to millions of fans through their television work, they provide fascinating and entertaining insight into the sport they love. They reveal the hardest players, the greatest characters and the intimate secrets of the front row. They address key issues facing the sport, such as injury, retirement and the future of the game. Nothing is off limits and no quarter is given - to anyone. With insightful analysis, unforgettable stories and the occasional food reference, Flats and Durders Offload is an unmissable read for all rugby fans.

Rugby is a sport that means different things to different people around the world. So when award-winning writer Donald McRae set off to take the pulse of the sport soon after the dawn of the professional era, he began to build a portrait of the game that highlighted the contrasts between nations, who may have been united in their love for rugby, but who saw it in very different ways. Featuring in-depth interviews with a range of great players from around the world, including Sean Fitzpatrick, Francois Pienaar and Lawrence Dallaglio among others, Winter Coloursis a compelling account of the culture of rugby as seen by its biggest stars - men who also hold dear the sport's very traditions that make it so special. This is a remarkable piece of writing and is sure to be of interest to all who follow the sport at any level.

Now in its fifth edition, Rugby Skills, Tactics and Rules has earned a reputation as the best book for learning the fundamental skills of rugby union. It provides an attractive, easy-to-read and straightforward discussion of the key components of the game, from player positions and tactics to different kinds of set plays, passes and moves. This great-looking book cuts through the jargon and tells coaches and players what they really need to know. Key features include: - Colour photos of top players from around the world - Sections on the tactics and strategies needed to win the game, including the basic skills of running, passing and tackling - Specially created diagrams to explain critical aspects of moves and tactics - Drill variations - A user-friendly glossary This is essential reading for anyone looking to get the most from their game.

A talented yet ferocious player, and one of the acknowledged 'bad-boys' of rugby, Mark Jones' on-field brutality was a direct consequence of the off-field torment he suffered with a debilitating stammer. In Fighting to Speak, his revealing and uplifting autobiography, Jones explains how his frustration with his stutter led to a self-loathing and the internalising of an explosive hate that only playing rugby could release - with his unfortunate opponents often on the receiving end of his rage. Sent off six times and banned for over 33 weeks for violent conduct during his career, the dual-code Wales international and Great Britain RL forward was desperately unhappy and detested the thuggish reputation he'd created. After one exceptionally ugly incident, when he broke another player's eye socket, Jones realised that in order to defeat his demons and control his bad behaviour he needed help to conquer his stammer. Mark Jones fought and won the hardest battle of his life with a steely determination and has now found the inner peace and dignity he'd longed for as a young man. He has decided to tell his story in order to seek redemption for his violent past on the rugby field, and to help others overcome their stammers.

WINNER OF THE 2010 WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR PRIZE. Brian Moore, or 'Pitbull' as he came to be known during nearly a decade at the heart of the England rugby team's pack, established himself as one of the game's original hard men at a time when rugby was still an amateur sport. Since his retirement, he has earned a reputation as an equally uncompromising commentator, never afraid to tell it as he sees it and lash out at the money men and professionals that have made rugby into such a different beast. Yet, for all his bullishness on and off the pitch, there also appears a more unconventional, complicated side to the man. A solicitor by trade, Moore's love of fine wine, career experience as a manicurist and preference for reading Shakespeare in the dressing room before games, mark him out as anything but the stereotypical rugby player and in Beware of the Dog Moore lays open with astounding frankness the shocking events, both personal and professional, that have gone towards shaping him over the years. Presenting an unparalleled insight into the mind of one of British rugby's greatest players and characters, Beware of the Dog is a uniquely engaging and upfront sporting memoir, and was a hugely deserving winner of the William Hill Sports Book of the Year prize.

Dan Carter's last game as an All Black culminated with him declared Man of the Match following the 2015 Rugby World Cup final at Twickenham - an unforgettable ending to the career of the greatest fly-half of all time. But along with the triumphs of his signature World Cup win, his performance against the Lions in 2005, and an unprecedented run of Bledisloe Cup successes, there was also the pain and doubt he felt during a prolonged period of injury and rehab following the 2011 World Cup. He watched that victory from the sidelines, as he had the All Blacks' defeats in two previous tournaments. Indeed, heading into the 2015 World Cup he had never finished the competition on his own terms. His autobiography tells of that redemption, and gets you up close and personal with one of the most celebrated sportsmen of our time. Threaded throughout the book is an intimate diary of his final year as a Crusader and All Black, during which he worked tirelessly to make one last run at that elusive goal: a World Cup victory achieved on the field. Dan Carter's autobiography is essential reading for all sports fans.

The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the first game of rugby in Nelson; this book celebrates 150 years of New Zealand's national game, the game more than any other that has helped shape the New Zealand psyche and identity. It will take the form of 150 short stories - stories about the players, the teams, the provinces, the trophies, everything that helped make the game what it is, from the first in the horse and buggy days to the latest in the days of ultra-modern technology. It will talk of players who no one living saw play; and it will talk of players who are recognised wherever they go in the widening rugby world. And who can talk of players and resist speculating who the greatest of all might have been? It's opinions and speculation that make up some of the enduring appeal of the game New Zealanders are (mostly) better at than anyone else.

WINNER OF THE BRITISH SPORT BOOK AWARDS - RUGBY BOOK OF THE YEAR This is the story of 15 men killed in the Great War. All played rugby for one London club; none lived to hear the final whistle. Rugby brought them together; rugby led the rush to war. They came from Britain and the Empire to fight in every theatre and service, among them a poet, playwright and perfumer. Some were decorated and died heroically; others fought and fell quietly. Together their stories paint a portrait in miniature of the entire War. The Final Whistle plays tribute to the pivotal role rugby played in the Great War by following the poignant stories of fifteen men who played for Rosslyn Park, London. They came from diverse backgrounds, with players from Australia, Ceylon, Wales and South Africa, but they were united by their love of the game and their courage in the face of war. From the mystery of a missing memorial, Cooper's meticulous research has uncovered the story of these men and captured their lives, from their vanished Edwardian youth and vigour, to the war they fought and how they died.

'This book belongs on the shelf of every genuine rugby fan' - News24.com When Rassie Erasmus took over as coach of the Springboks in 2018, few thought they had a chance of winning the Rugby World Cup. The Boks had slipped to seventh in the world rankings and lost the faith of the rugby-loving public. Less than two years later, jubilant crowds lined the streets of South Africa's cities to welcome back the victorious team. Sportswriter Lloyd Burnard takes the reader on the thrilling journey of a team that went from no-hopers to world champions. He examines how exactly this turnaround was achieved. Interviews with players, coaches and support staff reveal how the principles of inclusion, openness and focus, as well as careful planning and superb physical conditioning, became the basis for a winning formula. The key roles played by Rassie Erasmus and Siya Kolisi shine through. There were ups and downs along the way: beating the All Blacks in Wellington during the Rugby Championship was a high point, but then came Kolisi's injury, while in Japan the distractions of a volatile support base sometimes shook the players' focus. Miracle Men is filled with marvellous anecdotes and sharp insights. It is also inspiring testimony to what can be achieved when a group of South Africans from all backgrounds come together as a team.

Too big for the Primary School reps, and in his day the tallest man to have played on Lancaster Park, Nugget Pringle won Wellington caps in his first season of senior rugby with the Oriental Club, and went on to win an All Black cap the following year, 1923. In the training camp before the first test against New South Wales he proved a great entertainer and his Salome was a scream, but a cauliflower ear (one of many) led to his withdrawal from the match. He scored a try in the second test, which the All Blacks won handsomely, but, despite every endeavour for the next 4 years, failed to gain a second cap. En route he played for and against the All Blacks and against New Zealand Maoris, winning all three and scoring a try in two. Fate's fickle fingers nonetheless conspired, through injury, illness, selection policy and sheer misfortune, to cause him to miss further home internationals as well as tours to Australia and South Africa. Most importantly, although a hot favourite all season, he missed out by a whisker on a place with the 1924/25 Invincibles. With the benefit of contemporary press cuttings in the family scrapbook, and from the archives, we follow here his playing career at club, representative and national level, while we also learn of his achievements in the worlds of athletics and cricket, and how he gained the unusual distinction of playing both rugby and cricket, as well as winning the shot put, on Athletic Park. A genial giant who gave his all for the game he loved, but, in terms of his playing career and All Black appearances, was he the Unluckiest All Black? Judge for yourself.

This lavish and richly illustrated official history of the Harlequin Football Club has been produced to celebrate the 150th anniversary of one of the world's most famous rugby clubs. Nunquam Dormio - the club's motto, 'I Never Sleep' - brings the rich history and heritage of this unique club to life, telling the story of the journey from nomadic amateur club to premier, professional organisation over 264 lavishly designed pages brimming with previously unseen photographs and images of historic memorabilia. Written by highly respected rugby writer Brendan Gallagher in association with many of the key figures in the club's history and compiled by an award-winning publishing team, this book has been put together with the style and spirit of excellence with which Harlequin Football Club is synonymous very much in mind. It focuses not just on the triumphs and the trophies, but crucially the individual and inspirational Harlequins who encapsulate the 'Harlequin Way' and have ensured that the club has always been at the forefront of the game's development - the rugby pioneers who forged not just the shape of the club but rugby itself; the numerous Harlequin war heroes; the great amateurs who devoted everything on top of their day jobs and, in modern times, those who have embraced the professional era and ensured that the magenta, French grey, light blue and chocolate brown quartered flag continues to fly at the pinnacle of the game. Nunquam Dormio is a living, breathing history of Harlequin FC and a fitting centrepiece for its 150th anniversary celebrations.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE TELEGRAPH RUGBY BOOK OF THE YEAR The truth about being a rugby player from the horsey's mouth. This book is not just about how a psychiatrist called Humphrey helped me get back on my horse and clippity-clop all the way to the World Cup semi-final in Japan. It's the story of how a fat kid who had to live up to the nickname Psycho grew up to play and party for over a decade with rugby's greatest pros and live weird and wonderful moments both in and out of the scrum. That's why I'm letting you read my diary on my weirdest days. You never know what you're going to get with me. From being locked in a police cell to singing Adele on Jonathan Ross (I'll let you decide which is worse), being kissed by a murderer on the number 51 bus to drug tests where clipboard-wielding men hover inches away from my naked genitalia, melting opponents in rucks, winning tackles, and generally losing blood, sweat and ears in the name of the great sport of rugby. This is how (not) to be a rugby player.

At the start of the 2019 Guinness Six Nations Wales were 9/2 against to win the tournament. Six weeks later they had gone one better and won a historic Grand Slam! On To Glory! tells how Warren Gatland's men defied the odds and expectations to rouse a country behind them and defeat all-comers across an action-packed campaign. Packed with wonderful photographs and exclusive interviews with stars of the tournament such as Alun Wyn Jones, George North, Gareth Anscombe and Warren Gatland, the book takes readers inside the Wales camp and provides a wonderful souvenir of a very special achievement. From the remarkable comeback in Paris, to the training camp in Nice, getting the job done in Italy and then the euphoria of beating England in Cardiff, the book follows the team as they strive to make history. As momentum builds the reader is taken to Murrayfield for the brutal match against a proud Scotland team and then to the Welsh capital for the dramatic decider against the world's second-best team.

Tony Ward's story is a tragedy of a sporting career unfulfilled. Hailed by the Irish media as the new George Best of rugby following his pivotal performance in Munster's stunning 12-0 win over the mighty touring All-Blacks - which in itself is one of the all-time greatest Irish sporting successes - Ward became a giant of Irish sport. His surge to fame portrayed him as Ireland's next glamour boy; twelve feet tall and adored by the public. But this dazzling beginning culminating in winning his first international cap for Ireland, would then be subsequently blighted by internal feuds with the powers that be in the IRFU and lasted right up until his retirement. Now, for the first time, Ward reveals in depth (including official correspondence with the IRFU) the shocking events that took place. The nature of the game at the time allowed certain elements within the ruling body to have a negative impact upon his burgeoning career. A career which ended with just nineteen caps but which rugby people across the world admitted should have been far in excess of that. His beautiful articulacy and insights, which have made him one of the foremost journalists writing about rugby today, also come to the fore in this riveting memoir of his career. But it is his revelations which will leave you shaking your head and wondering just how this could have happened. In telling his story fully for the first time, Tony Ward dearly hopes that his experience will serve as a warning to all sporting authorities everywhere that the natural skill, talent and potential of developing young sports stars will never again be mismanaged or confidence submerged in such a callous and uncaring way. This is his story.