In 2013, England Head Coach Stuart Lancaster embarked on an ambitious project to turn Twickenham Stadium into England Rugby’s ‘sixteenth man’. Drawing upon the rich heritage created by all those who have worn the red rose since the birth of international rugby, he introduced a series of innovations around the stadium, which has since become the most advanced rugby ground in Europe. Inside the England dressing room, a roll of honour records the names of all those to have worn the shirt. Eac...

Twickenham Stadium is the home of Rugby Union and the England national rugby team. It is the largest stadium in the world to be devoted purely to this sport, the second largest stadium in the UK, and the third largest in Europe. In this official publication, Phil McGowan takes us on an illustrated tour of the long and illustrious history of this magnificent stadium, featuring some of the legendary players that have trodden the hallowed ground of Twickers, the matches that have taken place,...

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. It includes the following: Checklist of positional skills and attributes to show what makes a skilled player; Analysis of the position's role within the team; Development of specialist technical and tactical skills; Devel...

The career of Robbie Deans is without parallel in the annals of New Zealand rugby. He was an All Black, the pin-up boy of the Canterbury team of his generation and a rebel with the Cavaliers during a 12-year playing career. Even greater acclaim has followed as one of the best coaches of the modern era. After 17 years coaching professionally, Robbie still boasts a 70 percent success rate. He remains Super Rugby's most successful coach, six seasons after his departure from the Crusaders. His...

Who are the biggest 'lady killers' in rugby league past and present? Which international footballer was beaten up by teenage kids in Spain? What are the best 10 on-field sledges of all time?In Gordie's Tales, The Footy Show star and Queensland and Australian league legend Gorden Tallis tells these hilarious true stories and many more. Gorden takes you inside State of Origin teams, on Kangaroo tours, and along for the ride on hilarious end of season trips. Gordie g...

The Warrington Wolves Miscellany is the definitive set text for every fan of the world famous Wire. Packed with facts, fun, gossip, nostalgia and conjecture, it looks back over 135 years of glorious history to celebrate the personalities, victories and controversies of the sport's biggest name. Handily pocket-sized to pull out in the middle of those pub arguments over who was the fastest, dirtiest or biggest, this book will not only tell you who scored the most tr...

Go behind the scenes with the world's most successful sports team. This is a complete history of rugby's most famous yet enigmatic team, the New Zealand All Blacks, told by the men who have had the honour of wearing the iconic black jersey. 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...

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. Featured in this new, substantially revised and updated edition of Rugby Union are: star tips, kit checks, rules checks and key points; skills and techniques at every level; action and sequence photographs; helpful, detailed diagrams in colour; an introduction to rules and eq...

Silver boots, perma-tanned skin, shaven legs and gravity-defying red spikes in his hair – Gavin Henson is Wales’s hottest new celeb and rugby’s golden boy. This is his story of a momentous year in rugby, starting with an epic Six Nations Grand Slam for Wales, followed by the toughest of all tours, the British Lions in New Zealand.After kicking the 50-yard goal that sent England to shock defeat in the 2005 Six Nations, the 23-year-old Gavin Henson demonstrated that here, at last, wa...

During a long and decorated career with the Melbourne Storm, Queensland and Australia, Billy Slater has forged a reputation as not merely one of rugby league’s great full-backs, but as one of the best players in the game's long history.Slater’s story is that of a young country recruit with superb natural talent who rose quickly to the top level playing with the Storm after just one pre-season in Melbourne and starring for Queensland during just his second season in the NRL....

Former Australian rugby union legend and World Cup winner, now acclaimed television sports pundit, on his glittering career in the game – and how close he came to losing his life.Few players in the history of the game have had as illustrious a career as Wallaby fly-half and captain Michael Lynagh.In an era when Australia took the rugby world by storm with their glittering array of mercurial talent, in chief orchestrator and courageous captain Lynagh they had a pivotal figur...

Sean Long is one of the finest rugby league half-backs to ever pick up the oval ball. Long started his pro career at his hometown club Wigan Warriors and, after a short stop-over at Widnes, he was signed by St Helens in 1997 to fill the boots of another Saints legend, Bobby Goulding. It wasn't long before the Knowsley Road faithful took Longy to their hearts. Long has won every major honour in the game at club level and is the only player in Challenge Cup history to win the Lance Todd Trop...