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.

Bill McLaren's career as a rugby commentator spanned fifty years and earned him enormous respect. He is therefore well placed to choose his all-time favourites from the world of rugby in this entertaining collection. His marvellous powers of description and huge depth of knowledge ensure that this is a comprehensive insight into rugby's most memorable moments and characters, including Jonny Wilkinson, Colin Meads, David Campese and Jean-Paul Rives.

The author of the bestselling Hard Men of Rugby gives us the thrilling stories of 20 of the greatest rugby mavericks from the last 80 years. Featuring exclusive player interviews, this lively book brings some of rugby's craziest moments, biggest characters and most remarkable stories to life.

In this collection, the authors have selected some of the great characters from the Five Nations Championships of recent years - from the successful Tony O'Reilly of Ireland to Gareth Chilcott from the West Country. The Welsh heroes of the Seventies are well represented through the likes of Gareth Edwards, JPR and Barry John. Coach Ian McGeechan and captain David Sole celebrate Scotland's victory at Murrayfield to take the 1990 Grand Slam.

On July 3, 1958, Arthur Milton and MJK Smith opened the batting for England in the third Test against New Zealand at Headingley. Coincidentally, Milton was the last Englishman to play football and cricket for England and Smith the last Englishman to play rugby and cricket for England. However, both before and after that Test in 1958, there have been a number of sportsmen and sportswomen who have represented their country in more than one sport. In this book are listed biographical details of 172 sportsmen and sportswomen, including some of whom are disabled, who have excelled at more than one sport. Some, such as CB Fry and Denis Compton, will be well-known; others, such as Aramugam Vijiaratnam, who represented Singapore in four sports and Ken Hough, who played three different sports for three different countries may be less well-known. But everyone listed has excelled at more than one sport and this book serves to recognize their achievements.

Based on exclusive interviews with 40 celebrated players, past and present, Legends of Irish Rugby is a veritable who's who of the sport. Immortals such as Jack Kyle, Willie John McBride, Tony Ward, Brian O'Driscoll, Gordon D'Arcy and Paul O'Connell bare their souls to reveal themselves as men of vision, passion and dedication - men who, through their glories, disappointments and dramatic deeds, have inspired others to realise their dreams. In this engrossing and entertaining account of the bittersweet history of Irish rugby, these powerful personalities offer startling insights into some of the sport's most controversial moments - from the assault on Ronan O'Gara during the 2001 Lions tour to Gary Ella's tenure as Leinster coach. They also express their opinions on the most important issues facing the game today - from Brian O'Driscoll's hair to the role of the coach and the future of the sport itself. Their take on the times is often as comical as it is insightful. Compelling, informative and humorous, Legends of Irish Rugby is by far the most revealing volume yet on one of the country's favourite sports.