In 1995 rugby union became the last significant international sport to sanction professionalism. To some this represented an undesirable challenge to the traditions of the game. To others the change was inevitable and overdue – an acknowledgment of both the realty of modern sport and the extent to which money had already permeated the game. While there are some commonalities in the response to professional rugby, the contributions to this book, representing almost all of the significant rugby playing countries, reveal much more that was shaped by particular local contexts both within rugby and in terms of its place within the economic, political, class and social structures of the surrounding society. The authors assess the contrasting ways in which rugby administrators at local, regional and national level grappled with the changes that were required and the demands of the corporate backers who funded the transition to professionalism. But the more contentious relationships considered are those involving the many amateur rugby players and committed fans who found that significant community and historical reference points were subtly altered or simply obliterated in the face of new commercial imperatives – and especially new competitions that separated elite players from the grassroots of the game. Some have adapted to the replacement ‘product’ with relish, others have not. Some have genuine and well articulated grievances against the processes of changes. Others have fallen victim to a nostalgia which appropriates very selective memories of the amateur past to highlight apparent problems with the professional present. Above all, these contributions provide a range of perspectives that enable the reader to take stock at a particular point in what is still a rapidly evolving game. Read in ten or twenty years, this book may confirm that many of the right paths have been taken – or it may provide pointers to crisis as yet unimagined.

The official guide to rugby in North America, revised and updated Rugby For Dummies is the guide to rugby in North America, endorsed by USA Rugby and Rugby Canada, the official regulating bodies for the sport. It gives you a look at how rugby is played, offers strategies for winning, and covers every level of the sport, from high school to college (including women's rugby) to the international leagues. Plus, this new edition addresses changes to the rules of rugby, includes new rugby player bios, and looks at rugby's upcoming return to the Olympic games. Inside you'll find easy-to-understand explanations of rugby rules and positions, plus in-depth lessons on skills, fitness training, and winning techniques. Add in entertaining stories from rugby in North America and around the world, and you've got the definitive book on rugby! Covers every level of the sport Includes the latest rules and information on rugby Discusses rugby's return to the Olympic games Whether you're new to rugby or a scrum veteran, this friendly guide is for you.

There’ s an old joke about rugby players and oddballs. However, there certainly have been quite a few of them playing rugby in the history of the game. And not just oddballs, there’ s been pitbulls, quiet men, iron men, and unsung heroes. And you can meet them all in this quirky collection of the famous and infamous of the game. Characters include Wilfred Wooller, who, playing in the ‘ 30s, was described as a ‘ juggernaut, leaving a trail of prostrate figures in his wake.’ Then there was Gordon Brown (not the PM), known as ‘ Broonie’ but also as the baby-faced assassin when he first entered the Scottish team in 1696. Right up to Sir Clive Woodward who transformed the England side from amateur to professional – a man who knew his own mind, but didn’ t seem to sure about anyone else’ s. Using extensive research author John Griffiths wins bonus points for a funny, fascinating, remarkable collection of the good, the bad and the ugly, of the scrums, forwards, fly halfs, flankers and dummy passers. A great gift book for all rugby fans. John Griffiths is the author of six books on rugby and for many years co-edited Rothmans Rugby Yearbook and the IRB's Rugby Yearbook.

This is the first book to introduce key themes in the study of women’s rugby from multi-disciplinary perspectives, including history, sociology, gender studies, sport development and sport science. Featuring contributions from leading researchers and former international players from across Canada, England, France, New Zealand and the USA, the book opens with a global history of women’s rugby, locating the game in the wider context of the development of women’s sport and exploring important social issues such as race, gender and violence. The book then looks at training and performance analysis at pitch level, helping the reader get a sense of the game from the ground up, before focusing on women’s rugby through the eyes of others (such as rugby coaches), women’s experiences of rugby’s culture and promotional culture. This is fascinating reading for anybody with an interest in women’s sport, rugby, sport and social issues, sport development, or sport history.

Rugby has always been a sport with as much drama off the field as on it. For every thrilling last-minute Jonny Wilkinson drop-goal to win the world cup or Jonah Lomu rampage down the touchline for a try, there has been a split, a feud or a controversy. The Oval World is the first full-length history of rugby on a world scale – from its origins in the village-based football games of medieval times up to the globalised sport of the twenty-first century,now played in well over 100 countries. It tells the story of how a game played in an obscure English public school became the winter sport of the British Empire, spread to France, Argentina, Japan and the rest of the world and commanded a global television audience of over four billion for the last world cup final. And how American football – and other games such as Australian, Canadian and Gaelic football – emerged from rugby and highlight just how much the modern gridiron game owes to its English cousin. Featuring the great moments in the game's history and its great names – such as Jonah Lomu, David Duckham, Serge Blanco, Billy Boston and David Campese alongside Rupert Brooke, King George V, Boris Karloff, Charles de Gaulle and Nelson Mandela – The Oval World investigates just what it is about rugby that enables it to survive and thrive in countries with very different traditions and cultures. This is the the definitive world history of a truly global rugby.

The must-have companion to the greatest event in world rugby, the Rugby World Cup France 2023. Containing everything rugby fans will need to enjoy the World Cup, this official guide is packed with images, profiles, previews and charts, making it essential reading for any fan and the perfect companion to all of the tournament action. Contents include: • Team-by-team profiles • Star player profiles • A guide to every venue • Fill-in tournament progress chart • History of the Rugby World Cup • Rugby World Cup records • Qualification round-up And much, much more besides.

My name is Francis Levi. Well, not really, that's just a pseudonym. You see, every character in Revelation for the Revolution is an actual person, so I have changed our names to keep us anonymous. We characters lived the content, and the content is very real. I invite you to enter into our dialogue, the questioning, the seeking of Truth. This is something that will touch your core and suck you into the saga of actually knowing yourself. Honest transparency shows both the ugliness and beauty of our human experience. I have shared mine so that you might judge yours and test the existence we now share. The Foundation takes you through my coming-of-age moment in time. It begins after my high school graduation in 2002 and ends just before I enter graduate school in 2007. My goal in this four-part series is to empower you, to show you how I have changed since college over thirteen years, to encourage you to own your own life's story. Remember, if your life/world is not how you want it to be, change it so that you might be fulfilled. I do not believe in fate; however, I do see how good may come from the evil horrors that free will (by its very nature) must allow to exist. I hope you will too. Flip through these pages and see if anything hits you. Look at the illustrations, read a poem, see if anything corresponds. Enter the story. It begins now.