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In 'The Little Book of Rugby Facts' Eddie Ryan has gathered together a treasure trove of knowledge about a nation's passion. The book charts the history of Irish and world rugby, blending amazing stories and unique facts, records and outstanding achievements including;What was the first match played in Thomond Park?Which British and Irish Lion holds the all-time appearance record?Who is the oldest player to have appeared in a rugby World Cup?Which Irish player also won Wimbledon?Who is the Six Nation's top scorer?

Twenty years of professionalism has seen rugby union undergo dramatic transformations, from changes to everyday training cultures to the growth of the Rugby World Cup into one of the largest global sporting events. The Rugby World in the Professional Era is the first book to examine the effect that professionalism has had across a number of different aspects of the game and the wider socio-cultural significance of these changes through case studies from across the globe. Drawing on contributions from scholars from across the rugby-playing world, the book explores the role of rugby's professionalisation through a number of social-scientific lenses, including: labour migration race and indigenous populations the globalisation of the game mega-event management male sexualities media representations of rugby - from broadcasting matches to rugby in museums and on stage and screen Offering insights into under-researched areas of the sport, such as the growth of Rugby Sevens into an Olympic sport, and providing the most up-to-date recent history of the sport available, The Rugby World in the Professional Era is essential reading for anyone with an academic interest in rugby, and any student or scholar with interests in sports history, sports sociology, sport management or the economics of professional sport.

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.

Bursting with humour and full of amusing anecdotes, 100 Irish Rugby Greats is a unique celebration of the most significant stars of the sport from the 1930s to the present day. A veritable who’s who of Irish rugby, it takes in all of the true greats, including Jack Kyle, Tony O’Reilly, Mike Gibson, Willie John McBride, Moss Keane, Keith Wood, Brian O’Driscoll and Paul O’Connell. Many of the in-depth and revealing profiles are based on interviews with the legends themselves, as well as with those who have lined up against them. The result offers remarkable insights into the myriad controversies, epic matches, thrilling contests and pivotal events on and off the field in which each player has been involved. Written with an insider’s knowledge, 100 Irish Rugby Greats will prove to be a thrilling read for all fans of the sport.

Here are Irish Rugby's most legendary, celebratory and brilliant moments from the 1940s to today. 101 Great Irish Rugby Moments is a unique celebration of the sport's most significant moments. Featuring: Munster's historic win over the All Blacks Ulster's victory in the European Cup Connacht winning the Pro 12 Leinster's unique European double The national women's team winning the Grand Slam Ireland's double defeat of the All Blacks . . . These epic moments are based on exclusive interviews with Mick Galwey, Ciaran Fitzgerald, David Humphreys, Brian O'Driscoll, Ronan O'Gara and many others from the great and good of Irish Rugby. Enjoy a host of brilliant anecdotes and remarkable insights into the controversies, epic matches, thrilling contests and pivotal events on and off the field which shaped these 101 GREAT IRISH RUGBY MOMENTS. 'The legendary Mike Gibson, once eloquently wrote that "rugby is like love, it is a game of touch and of feel and of instinct". I have no doubt that John Scally has written this book with those same qualities of love, touch, feel and instinct. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.' OLLIE CAMPBELL

History was made on November 22 2003 - England was crowned the World Champion. Everything was ready for rugby to explode in England, for the national team to kick-on, for the level of the domestic game to continue growing and for the sport to truly become prominent nationwide. It did not eventuate. England lost far too many matches and the Aviva Premiership does not match the French Top 14. The result for Rugby World Cup 2015 is a match schedule allocating more games to Wales than to the north of England. Understanding how this came about and also how and why Wales secured matches is an important part of the puzzle and carries substantial implications for future Rugby World Cups. Local and global issues including decision making, rival sports and nationalized players are all tackled in an analysis that seeks to offer realistic and viable solutions for the benefit of English and global rugby.