"A day to day diary of the only Australian referee at the Rugby Union World Cup in France 2007. Match commentary, rugby laws and tactics, highs and lows." -- Provided by publisher.

As a pivotal member of the Wallabies, five-eighth Stephen Larkham was as close as anyone to the centre of action in the 2003 Rugby World Cup. Here, in an enthralling day-by-day account, he tells the inside story of the biggest rugby event ever staged. Larkham tells the behind-the-scenes story of the Wallabies' disastrous lead-up to their World Cup campaign, then follows the fortunes of the main contenders, from the World Cup kick-off in Sydney on 10 October through to the tournament's remarkable Australia-England final on 22 November. Along the way, Larkham provides his own assessments of his fellow Wallabies, their coach, Eddie Jones, the strengths and weaknesses of the Wallabies' main rivals, and the impact of the negative media coverage and enormous public interest and hype surrounding the World Cup. This is a book to be savoured by all rugby followers.

A visual history of rugby's greatest sporting event, this beautiful photographic book is a fascinating chronological exploration of the matches, teams, heroes and surrounding stories of the tournament. Each chapter covers a Rugby World Cup, starting with the inaugural competition in 1987 - in which New Zealand confirmed their status as the world's top rugby nation - to the historical 1995 Rugby World Cup in South Africa after the end of apartheid and the international sports boycott through England's fantastic win in 2003 breaking the southern hemisphere's dominance, up to the 2015 qualifiers. The book also looks ahead to Rugby World Cup 2019, with Japan as host city. Each photograph has been carefully selected to give a real glimpse into this great tournament. The ideal, collectable gift for any rugby fan, written by a rugby expert.

This book explores the expansion of rugby from its imperial and amateur upper-class white male core into other contexts throughout the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The development of rugby in the racially divided communities of the setter empire and how this was viewed are explored initially. Then the editors turn to four case studies of rugby's expansion beyond the bounds of the British Empire (France, Italy, Japan and the USA). The role of women in rugby is examined and the subsequent development of women's rugby as one of the fastest growing sports for women in Europe, North America and Australasia in the 1980s and 1990s. The final section analyses the impact of commercialisation, professionalisation and media on rugby and the impact on the historic rugby culture linked to an ethos of amateurism.

By 2008 Robb Peters had been keeping a diary for over ten years. He decided to share the first year of the diary, written between 1998 and 1999, when he was fourteen to fifteen years old. D.A Diary is a year in the life of a teenage boy and his friends. In Robbs opinion, D.A Diary might not be the most interesting book to some, but it is certainly the funniest. Robb says, D.A Diary is like Marmite, you either love it or hate it, but I can guarantee you have never read anything like it in your life (even if youre 94). Enjoy reading about Robbs daily life in 1998 and 1999. Share in the life of a cheeky teen, laugh, cry and enjoy the rollercoaster of the first year of D.A Diary.

'I never set out to take the lead. It just happened - like MND itself. But we are making a fight of it.' DODDIE WEIR In the five years since Doddie Weir's MND diagnosis, he has continued to live life to the max. He's raised millions for research and support for his fellow sufferers with the help of some incredible charity fundraisers, celebrated his 50th birthday and been awarded an OBE. And throughout it all, Doddie has tackled life head on, like the mad charging giraffe he has always been, both on and off the rugby pitch. Now, join Doddie as he lifts the lid on what his life with MND has really been like, both in public and in private. Being Doddie, there's always lots of laughter and an incredibly positive attitude, but it's also a rollercoaster of emotions. It's a battle Doddie will continue to tackle with his trademark dignity and legendary humour. And it's a fight he remains determined to win.