Showing results for "Audiobooks" in Rugby

No Irish rugby player has ever achieved more, or been a source of more inspiration to teammates and fans alike, than Johnny Sexton. All of this would have seemed highly unlikely as late as May 2009, when – aged 24 – he was nowhere near first choice at Leinster, and still uncapped by Ireland. In his hotly anticipated autobiography, Johnny will tell the story of his life, and explore the sources of his unmatched will to win.

The Extra Mile is no ordinary sports memoir. But Kevin Sinfield is no ordinary sportsman. A one-club legend of Leeds Rhinos, who has now crossed codes as a defence coach for Leicester Tigers, Kevin Sinfield is a rugby icon. But in recent years has shown heroism of a very different kind through his selfless and extraordinary fundraising for Motor neurone disease (MND), the terminal illness that has affected his best mate and former teammate Rob Burrow.

I sometimes wondered if it was meant to be but I kept on smiling and I worked hard as I kept my focus on playing the game that I love, that I owe everything to. And now, a little older and a little wiser – and with over 100 England caps, three Six Nations championships and two Premiership titles to my name, I want to tell you my story. The highs and lows, the good and the bad and everything in between.

Rugby megastars James Haskell, Mike Tindall and Alex Payne get together to discuss the highs and lows of their podcast, friendship and rugby. In one, no-holds-barred book, they will go behind the scenes of the hugely successful podcast The Good, The Bad and The Rugby to pull back the curtain on some of their most outrageous antics on tour – the ups, the downs and the sideways – and leave no story untold. All will be unleashed.

This book is not just about how I got back on my horse and went clippity-clop all the way to the World Cup final in Japan. It's the story of how a fat kid who had to live up to the nickname Psycho grew up to play (and party) for over a decade with rugby's greatest pros. From just about surviving the equivalent of 30 car crashes a game and crooning Adele for team spirit, to extensive field notes on the smell of the Scrum and the fine art of on-pitch relief. Then there's rugby's secret naked wrestling scene and how it was exposed. In my world, you never know how the ball will bounce.

Danny Cipriani has always been searching for something. On the pitch, it was a line-break or space. A chink of light to dart through. An angle that no one else could see. Off the pitch, it was seeking a path through the pressure, fame and chaos that came with being anointed the ‘Saviour of English Rugby’. Who Am I? is the raw and powerful memoir of a man of mercurial talent who, with the world at his feet, made his England rugby debut aged 20.

In the definitive memoir of his life and career, Dan Biggar bares his innermost emotions, from the joy of captaining Wales to victory in South Africa, through Grand Slam glory and World Cup woe, to the devastation of losing his mother just weeks before becoming the Lions number 10. He opens the changing room door on some of rugby’s most compelling episodes – from the threatened strike action that could have bankrupted the game, to the proposed club merger that nearly derailed a Grand Slam campaign.

One of rugby’s most ferocious flankers and biggest characters, James Haskell has had an extraordinary, global experience of the game, having played for the Lions, Wasps, England and in New Zealand, France and Japan . After 17 years and with 77 international caps under his sizeable belt, he has a shitload to say about rugby life - from pitch to pub and everywhere in between. In What a Flanker, Haskell sheds fresh light on the dynamics and the day-to-day of the game.

One of the most respected and revered names in the professional era, Kearney took the art of full-back play to new heights in the number 15 jersey and his longevity, durability and dedication mark him out as a special man – on and off the pitch. Now, in Rob Kearney: No Hiding: My Autobiography he brings to life the players, the coaches, the matches and the moments that helped define his career.

In Ruck Me!, James sets out on a voyage of self-discovery speaking to ex-colleagues, friends and family, reflecting on his career and diving into some of his most memorable personal anecdotes to date. But what started out as a search for understanding and meaning soon turns into a - let’s face it, sometimes warranted - chastisement opportunity with James directly in the firing line. Turns out he has a lot of work to do....

Sam Warburton OBE was not only a titan of Welsh rugby but an icon of the game. Having represented his country as a player and team captain at all junior levels, he propelled himself to international attention in 2011 when named as the youngest ever captain of Wales for the Rugby World Cup. Despite his tender age, Sam's immense displays for club and country were recognised still further in April 2013, when, at just 24, he was named the Lions' captain for the extraordinary 2013 tour to Australia.

Legacy is a unique, inspiring handbook for leaders in all fields, and asks: What are the secrets of success - sustained success? How do you achieve world-class standards, day after day, week after week, year after year? How do you handle pressure? How do you train to win at the highest level? What do you leave behind you after you're gone?

There aren't many people who can say they've been the thirty-first man on the pitch during a World Cup humdinger, Grand Slam decider or Premiership and European Cup final; listened to the sobs of a 20-stone prop as he tries to belt out his national anthem; heard the crunch of bones after some of the mightiest hits known to the game; or been yards away from the greatest players of the last twenty years, doing almost impossible things with a rugby ball - especially when you're a working-class lad from the Forest of Dean, wondering how you ever got there in the first place.

Seán O'Brien does not come from a traditional rugby background. He grew up on a farm in Tullow, far from the rugby hotbeds of Limerick and Cork or the fee-paying schools of Dublin. But as he made his way up through the ranks, it soon became clear that he was a very special player and a very special personality. Now, Seán O'Brien tells the remarkable and unlikely story of his rise to the highest levels of world rugby and of a decade of success with Leinster, Ireland and the British and Irish Lions.

Wrecking Ball is a captivating and humorous memoir by Billy Vunipola, one of the stars of England's recent rugby renaissance, and will be enjoyed by those who have read the recent autobiographies by Jonny Wilkinson, Brian O'Driscoll, Dan Carter and Paul O'Connell. Standing at 6 feet 2 inches and weighing almost 20 stone, Billy is a rampaging and unmissable presence on the rugby pitch, for both club and country.

Everybody faces some degree of adversity at some stage in their lives, but very few have faced as many challenges as Floyd Steadman. Rejected by his father, he coped with a childhood in care. Told he should train to "work with his hands", he insisted on taking A levels, so he could become a teacher. As one of the few Black players in the English club rugby, he was named Saracens captain at the age of 23 and played a leading role in the club’s progress during the 1980s. Many thought he might have played for England, but he was never selected.

There has never been a rugby player quite like Paul O'Connell. His name is synonymous with passion, heart and determination. But he is also the thinking man's rugby player, a legendary student of the game. As the heartbeat of Munster, British and Irish Lions captain in 2009 and captain of the first Ireland team to retain the Six Nations championship, O'Connell became the most beloved and respected of the golden generation of Irish rugby players - and was widely regarded as one of the very best players in the world.

In My Life and Rugby he tells his story for the first time, including the full inside story of England’s 2019 World Cup campaign. Since taking over as head coach of England in 2015, Eddie Jones has orchestrated a complete revival of the national team. He has won the Six Nations Championship back-to-back, including England’s first Grand Slam in a generation and their first-ever whitewash of Australia in their own backyard, as well as taking them on their longest-ever winning streak, matching the world record held by the All Blacks.

Against All Odds traces Siya’s journey from a dusty township to the great arenas of international rugby. It is a remarkable story of grit and determination. From SA Schools matches to success with the Stormers and Western Province to the devastating lows brought on by injury, Siya just keeps on going. As Springbok captain, he carries the hopes of a rugby-mad nation. Hear about the journey, against all odds, of a great South African.

Brian Moylett, rugby’s leading mindset and performance coach for young players, reveals practical strategies that will make you feel unstoppable and help take you to the next level. Mindset is what holds back so many players and this book is essentially a guide on how you develop the mindset needed to succeed in the game.