Updated edition featuring a brand new afterword 'A terrific book.
No one put their body on the line quite like Sam Warburton.' Brian
O'Driscoll 'It was an absolute privilege to play against Sam. An
inspiring leader with an equally inspiring story to tell.' Jonny
Wilkinson Sam Warburton OBE was not only a titan of Welsh rugby,
but an icon of the game. Having represented his country as a player
and team captain at all junior levels, he propelled himself to
international attention in 2011 when named as the youngest ever
captain of Wales for the Rugby World Cup. Despite his tender age,
Sam's immense displays for club and country were recognised still
further in April 2013, when, at just 24, he was named the Lions'
captain for the extraordinary 2013 tour to Australia. Four years
later, after a year 'in the wilderness', Sam was named Lions'
captain yet again for the historic tour to New Zealand, thereby
becoming the first ever Lions Captain never to lose a series in the
professional era. Intelligent, calm, thoughtful - in many ways
seemingly the exact opposite of the smash and crash of modern rugby
- Warburton's edge never came with his size, but with his depth of
thought, his reading of movement, and his understanding that, to be
a uniquely successful leader, one needs to set goals that far
exceed the ambitions of even the most ferocious of opponents. In
leading other men, and in pitting himself against the world's best,
Warburton was forced repeatedly to push himself to the very edge of
his physiological and mental limits, the 21 significant injuries
over that period a painful testament to his sacrifice. Open Side is
therefore not simply a chronology of events or a celebration of
statistics. Written in a compelling but soul searching style, this
is an astoundingly personal book exploring the nature of
leadership, the value of self-control, the precision of mindset and
of course the future of the game. It is also a deeply personal
meditation on the sacrifice of body, the torment of injury and the
pain of retirement, a decision Sam was forced to make in July 2018,
at just 29 years old. Never before has a rugby autobiography given
such intimate access not only to the realities of the dressing room
and the heroes and villains of the modern game, but to the unique
mindset required to make someone a genuinely great leader of men.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!