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.

"A thoroughly researched and comprehensive guide to the 2019 Rugby World Cup, to be held in Japan in September. The sporting highlight of the year, with teams from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland all competing for the coveted William Webb Ellis trophy. The book will provide the reader with all the information and insight needed to understand and enjoy the competition. All 20 national teams involved are analysed and assessed on their chances of success, the star players are featured and each coach's basic strategies outlined and explained. With this book, the reader will have a handy, competent source of information on hand both before the start and especially whilst the tournament proceeds to its thrilling conclusion." --

As Britain’s Empire went to war in August 1914, rugby players were the first to volunteer. They led from the front and paid a disproportionate price. In 1919, a grateful Mother Country hosted a rugby tournament: sevens teams at eight venues, playing 17 matches to declare a first ‘world champion’. There had never been an international team tournament like it. For the first time teams from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Britain and France were assembled in one place. Rugby held the first ever ‘World Cup’. It was a moment of triumph, a celebration of military victory, of Commonwealth and Allied unity, and of rugby values, moral and physical. In 2015 the tournament returns to England as the world remembers the Centenary of the Great War. Values of teamwork, respect, discipline were forged and tested in war – and enjoyment of rugby helped men through it. With a foreword by Jason Leonard, this is the story of rugby’s journey through the First World War to its first World Cup, and how those values endure today. 'After The Final Whistle' is shortlisted for the 2016 Cross Sports Book of the Year award.

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.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE TELEGRAPH SPORTS BOOK AWARDS 2020 - RUGBY BOOK OF THE YEAR This is a complete history of the Welsh rugby union team – told by the players themselves. Based on a combination of painstaking research into the early years of the Wales team to interviews with a vast array of Test match players and coaches from the Second World War to the present day, Ross Harries delves to the very heart of what it means to play for Wales, painting a unique and utterly compelling picture of the game in the only words that can truly do so: the players' own. Behind the Dragon lifts the lid on what it is to pull on the famous red shirt – the trials and tribulations behind the scenes, the glory, the drama and the honour on the field, and the heart-warming tales of friendship and humour off it. Absorbing and illuminating, this is the ultimate history of Welsh rugby – told, definitively, by the men who have been there and done it.

"The Official IRB Rugby World Cup 2011 Guide provides excellent background information about the host nation, New Zealand, key details of the venues along with tourist highlights. It includes a must-have tournament fill-in chart, to keep fans in-tune and involved with the matches."--Publisher's description.

How was rugby born in 1823? Why didn’t the first Rugby World Cup take place until 1987? Why are there so few «new nations» emerging in the world of rugby? How did the sport establish itself in New Zealand, South Africa, France, Ireland, Fiji, Georgia and Hong Kong? Are women’s rugby and the Olympic discipline of 7-a-side rugby opening up new frontiers? Why are the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia interested in the sport? Through 50 geopolitical and international questions, Kévin Veyssière invites rugby fans, the curious and budding geographers alike, to discover the genesis and evolution of this sport, so attached to its traditions and long kept out of the spotlight. The book’s concise, entertaining approach helps readers to better understand how rugby has become part of the global sports industry over time and across continents, and how it has become a formidable tool for understanding the political, economic and social changes taking place in the world today. Kévin Veyssière, 31, an expert and professor in the geopolitics of sport, is the founder of the Football Club Geopolitics medium, which has over 70,000 subscribers on social networks. He is already the author of two books (Football Club Geopolitics and Mondial) published by Max Milo.

When Rassie Erasmus took over as coach of the Springboks in 2018, few thought they had a chance of winning the Rugby World Cup. The Boks had slipped to seventh in the world rankings and lost the faith of the rugby-loving public. Less than two years later, jubilant crowds lined the streets of South Africa's cities to welcome back the victorious team. Sportswriter Lloyd Burnard takes the reader on the thrilling journey of a team that went from no-hopers to world champions. He examines how exactly this turnaround was achieved. Interviews with players, coaches and support staff reveal how the principles of inclusion, openness and focus, as well as careful planning and superb physical conditioning, became the basis for a winning formula. The key roles played by Rassie Erasmus and Siya Kolisi shine through. There were ups and downs along the way: beating the All Blacks in Wellington during the Rugby Championship was a high point, but then came Kolisi's injury, while in Japan the distractions of a volatile support base sometimes shook the players' focus. Miracle Men is filled with marvellous anecdotes and sharp insights. It is also inspiring testimony to what can be achieved when a group of South Africans from all backgrounds come together as a team.

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.

Ever since the springboks won the Rugby World Cup in 1995, South Africans have been passionate about the tournament that is the pinnacle of sporting achievement. Nick Mallett, who coached the Boks at the 1999 World Cup, has become a household name for his incisive and forthright commentary and analysis. Join him as he takes you into the beating heart of the tournament, which kicks off in Paris in September. He tackles the following key questions: •How strong are the Boks going into the RWC? •Who are the favourites to win, and why? •How does one 'play' the referee – both on and off the field? •What are playing conditions like in France, where Mallett coached for a decade? •Can Rassie Erasmus do it again and pull off a double win? Filled with keen insights, opinions and anecdotes of games past, this is a book every fan should read.