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Stephen Jones

Nick Cain

Tom English

For over 130 years the British & Irish Lions have stood out as a symbol of the ethics, values and romance at the heart of rugby union. To represent the Lions is the pinnacle for every international player in Britain and Ireland, and the dream of tens of thousands of avid fans who fol-low them. A Lions tour, undertaken every four years to the southern hemisphere, is more than a series of rugby matches played out on foreign fields; it is an epic crusade where the chosen few face a succession of mental and physical chal-lenges on their way to the Test arena, where they do battle with the superpowers of the world game.
Behind the Lions sees seven esteemed rugby writers delve to the very heart of what it means to be a Lion, using diaries and letters from those who pioneered the concept, to interviews with a vast array of players who have followed in their footsteps. In so doing they have uncovered the passion, pride and honour experienced when taking up the unique challenge of a Lions tour. This is a tale of heart-break and ecstasy, humour and poignancy that is at once inspirational, moving and utterly compelling. And it is the only story worth hearing: the players' own.

Polaris

Behind the Jersey

Behind The Lions: Playing Rugby for the British & Irish Lions

David Barnes

John Griffiths

Peter Burns

A rugby history based on exclusive interviews that “takes the reader as close to the action as it is possible to get, short of invading the pitch” (The Scotsman).

 Based on exclusive interviews with players past and present, Behind the Thistle gives a unique insight into the drama and emotion of representing Scotland in that most rarefied of environments—Test match rugby. Drawing on firsthand interviews from a vast array of former and current players, from Russell Bruce and Frank Coutts in the 1940s all the way through to the present day, the authors uncover the heart and soul of Scottish rugby, recounting the ecstasy of victory and the despair of defeat, drawing out innumerable humorous anecdotes and heartwarming memories.

Behind the Thistle provides inside access to the private moments in the changing and team rooms, on tour, and on the pitch itself. From the tension before kick-off to the tumultuous heat-of-battle and the high jinks thereafter, this is the story of what it is like to play for Scotland, and the sacrifices and joys experienced by those who have shed blood, sweat, and tears in pursuit of glory in the international jersey. Absorbing, illuminating, and compelling, this is a must-have for all supporters who have dreamed of playing for Scotland.

 “Really good reminiscences from hosts of Scottish rugby greats about a host of great Scotland rugby occasions.” —Sunday Times

Arena Sport

Behind the Thistle: Playing Rugby for Scotland

A complete history of the England rugby union team—told by the players themselves: “Superb.” —ESPN Scrum
 
 Based on a combination of painstaking research into the early years of the England team and exclusive interviews with a vast array of Test match stars from before World War II to the present day, this book delves into the very heart of the English international rugby union experience, painting a unique and utterly compelling picture of the game in the only words that can truly do so: the players’ own.
 
 This is the definitive story of English Test match rugby—a story etched in blood, sweat and tears; a story of great joy and heartbreaking sorrow; a story of sacrifice, agony, endeavor, and triumph. Behind the Rose lifts the lid on what it is to play for England: the trials and tribulations behind the scenes, the glory, the drama and the honor on the field, and the tales of friendship and humor off it.
 
 Absorbing and illuminating, this is a must-have for all supporters who have ever dreamed of walking the hallowed corridors of Twickenham as a Test match player, preparing themselves for battle in the changing rooms and then marching out to that field of dreams with the deafening roar of the crowd in their ears and the red rose emblazoned on their chest.
 
 “A historical treasure trove.” —The Guardian
 
Includes photos

Behind the Rose: Playing Rugby for England

Ross Harries

Shortlisted for the Telegraph Sports Book Awards 2020—Rugby Book of the Year. A complete history of the Welsh rugby union team, as told by the players.
 
 Based on a combination of painstaking research into the early years of the Wales team to interviews with a vast array of Test match players and coaches from the Second World War to the present day, Ross Harries delves to the very heart of what it means to play for Wales, painting a unique and utterly compelling picture of the game in the only words that can truly do so: the players’ own.
 
Behind the Dragon lifts the lid on what it is to pull on the famous red shirt—the trials and tribulations behind the scenes, the glory, the drama and the honour on the field, and the heart-warming tales of friendship and humour off it.
 
 Absorbing and illuminating, this is the ultimate history of Welsh rugby—told, definitively, by the men who have been there and done it.
 
“A tremendous book. What an array of fantastic characters and insights . . . both laugh out loud and poignant.” —Tom English, BBC Sport
 
“An epic story by the men who created legends in the Welsh jersey.” —Stephen Jones, The Sunday Times
 
“Punchy, revelatory, irresistible.” —Alan Pearey, Rugby World
 
“Ross Harries has written a history book like no other.” —Peter Jackson, The Rugby Paper

Behind the Dragon: Playing Rugby for Wales

Gavin Rich

The leaping Springbok on the green jersey of South Africa is one of the most iconic emblems in world rugby. At the same time, no symbol in world sport has ever done so much to divide – and then unite – a nation. 
Respected by opponents and supported passionately by South Africans, the Springboks have been a powerhouse rugby nation for over a century, yet the emblem that now sits alongside the Protea on the chests of the players was once a symbol of violent oppression in apartheid South Africa, the epitome of the white man's dominance over people of colour in the Republic.
Told in the words of Springboks past and present, Our Blood is Green explores what it means to play for South Africa – from schoolboy dreams to the sacrifices required to make it to the very top – as well as the myriad difficulties the players have faced over the years, from the horrors of apartheid through to the emerging rainbow nation in the 1990s and the multi-cultural World Cup-winning team of today.
It is a fascinating, powerful and poignant read that explores the unity of a brotherhood that fights to transcend race, culture and class while simultaneously striving to become the best team on the planet.
Our Blood is Green examines what it truly means to be a Springbok and it is told the only way it can be – by the players themselves.

Our Blood is Green: The Springboks in their Own Words

Tony Johnson

Lynn McConnell

A complete history of rugby’s most famous yet enigmatic team, the New Zealand All Blacks, told by the men who have worn the iconic black jersey.

 Go behind the scenes with the world’s most successful sports team. From the legendary 1905 “Originals” all the way through to Richie McCaw’s record-breaking back-to-back World Cup champions of 2015, this is a history of the All Blacks like you have never experienced it before.

 Thanks to exhaustive archival research and exclusive new material garnered from a vast array of interviews with players and coaches from across the decades, Behind the Silver Fern unveils the compelling truth of what it means to play for the team that has dominated Test match rugby for over a century—all the trials and tribulations behind the scenes, the glory, the drama and the honor on the field, and the passionate friendships and bonds of a brotherhood off it.

 Absorbing and illuminating, this is the ultimate history of New Zealand rugby—told, definitively, by the men who have been there and done it.

“A treat for anybody who enjoys a little inside track into the great and controversial moments. There is little as revealing in sport as thoughts delivered straight from the horse’s mouth.” —The Rugby Paper

Behind the Silver Fern: The All Blacks in Their Own Words

Behind the Jersey - The book series

Behind the Jersey - The book series

Behind the Jersey books in order

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