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A WATERSTONES BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023 – SPORT

‘A mesmerising, unforgettable journey around world rugby. ‘
Donald McRae – Twice Winner of the William Hill Sports Book of the Year

‘Magnificent… hugely intelligent and entertaining.’
Stuart Barnes, Sunday Times

‘Really enjoyed it.’
Will Carling

‘An absolutely marvellous book… Recommended heartily.’
Jonathan Drennan, Sydney Morning Herald

CONTRASTING CHARACTERS, COLLIDING CULTURES, THE SAME OVAL-SHAPED BALL. A JOURNEY TO FIND THE RUGBY’S MOST REMARKABLE PEOPLE, TEAMS AND PLACES.

What makes rugby special? Which individuals and teams have defined the modern game? Around the World in 80 Minutes charts the ‘golden era’ of global rugby union between 1973 and 2023 and goes in search of the sport’s most influential trailblazers.

Robert Kitson, the Guardian’s long-time rugby union correspondent, assesses the game’s current health, tracks down the battered gladiators of yesteryear and asks some pertinent questions. Does rugby retain its old rugged charm? What does its future look like? And what, ultimately, constitutes rugby ‘greatness’?

Observant, amusing and thought-provoking, the journey takes in some of the game’s more prominent names – including David Campese, Brian O’Driscoll, Maggie Alphonsi, Sean Fitzpatrick, Eddie Jones and Sir Clive Woodward – to reflect on rugby’s intangible shared joy.

Millions of fans continue to find rugby maddeningly irresistible and endlessly compelling. This book is for them, and for anyone else wondering where the appeal lies.

Publisher Review

A mesmerising, unforgettable journey around world rugby. With a brilliant cast of great players, Rob Kitson's riveting new book spans contrasting eras and countries with the depth and range, wit and grit, substance and style of the great sport it captures and celebrates. -- Donald McRae - Twice Winner of the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Hugely enjoyable. Full of a generosity that can't help but rekindle those warm, fuzzy feelings of shared communion, but without avoiding the hard edges of injury, racism, sexism, the future. I can't see how anyone who loves rugby - or who wants to love rugby - could fail to enjoy this book. -- Richard Beard, award-winning author of The Day That Went Missing and Muddied Oafs An adventure through the very heart and soul of rugby, guided beautifully by an author who has seen it all, from gleaming World Cup finals to the Forest of Dean. -- Michael Aylwin * The Observer * A glorious, warm, perceptive, eclectic exploration of the essence of rugby and rugby folk. Finishing it, I came within a whisker of dragging those 30-year-old boots out of retirement. * Paul Ackford, former Harlequins and England forward * Around the World in 80 Minutes takes us on a fascinating journey through the highways and byways of global rugby union, celebrating its past and exploring the issues confronting it today. It's essential reading for serious fans of the game. * Professor Tony Collins, author of The Oval World: A Global History of Rugby * Magnificent ... a hugely intelligent and entertaining interweaving series of tales that gets into the "how" of rugby. * Stuart Barnes, Sunday Times and Times columnist, former Bath and England fly-half *