Showing results for "F" in Rugby

By recounting the untold story of the most influential sports campaign in British newspaper history, which turned concussion in professional rugby from a niche issue into front and back page news, Concussed poses the questions all sports lovers need answering as evidence grows linking sports-related concussions to premature deaths and dementia. Written by Sam Peters, the journalist who spearheaded the Mail on Sunday's Cudlipp Prize nominated concussion campaign, Concussed reveals one man's attempts to blow the whistle on a mounting head injury crisis.

From French rugby's origins in Le Havre, (as an English export in the late nineteenth century), to the Catalan coast, acclaimed rugby writer Peter Bills travels the length and breadth of this vast country, visiting not only the big cities but those regional heartlands of the game such as Toulouse, Bordeaux and Clermont, as well as clubs in the Basque country, to reveal a country whose deep love of rugby has created a culture and playing style like no other.

In late 2024 Ireland, a nation of just 7 million people, stood at the top of rugby union's world rankings. Ireland's rise to such an exalted position has been the great triumph of rugby's professional era. For a nation that fought tooth and nail to keep the game amateur, their progress since 2000 has been extraordinary. The trophies, once so rare in Irish rugby hands, have become almost commonplace. Grand Slams, Six Nations Championships, Triple Crowns have all stood in the IRFU offices in Dublin.

Keith Earls started out in senior rugby as a teenage star and during the course of his long career has become one of the most admired and respected players of his generation. A British & Irish Lion at the age of 21, he is now closing in on his 34th birthday and still playing at the top of his game. A native of Limerick city, Earls grew up in one of its most socially disadvantaged housing estates. His natural sporting talent brought him into the privileged bastion of elite rugby union. 

My Name'5 Doddie is a humbling, courageous and very funny celebration of a remarkable man. The extraordinary, life-affirming autobiography of Doddie Weir is an absolute must-listen – rugby fan or not. Rugby legend and MND campaigner Doddie Weir has always lived life to the full. On the pitch, Doddie's irresistible talent took him to the heart of every team he graced and brought him 61 caps for Scotland. He won fans all over the world with his sportsmanship, humour and boundless energy. Then, in June 2017, Doddie made the announcement that he had been diagnosed with MND. 

One of the most respected and revered names in the professional era, Kearney took the art of full-back play to new heights in the number 15 jersey and his longevity, durability and dedication mark him out as a special man – on and off the pitch. Now, in Rob Kearney: No Hiding: My Autobiography he brings to life the players, the coaches, the matches and the moments that helped define his career. 

Far away from the bright lights of international rugby, there is another version of the game played by ordinary blokes of all shapes, sizes and degrees of physical ability. Steven Gauge was the last person anyone would expect to find on a rugby field, being somewhat shorter than average, bespectacled and decidedly “unsporty”. But as a gentleman of a certain age when strange life choices are sometimes made, Steven chose to pick up a rugby ball and run with it.