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Total rugby is the antithesis of play-safe rugby - an open, ebullient game in which every player is encouraged to show what he can do as an attacker, defender and supporting player. Total Rugby" has become one of the game's most seminal coaching manuals - it highlights Jim Greenwood's radical examination of every facet of the game and his ability to clearly convey the wealth of knowledge he has accumulated over many years. This fifth edition has been thoroughly updated and expanded." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Very Good Book
I am only halfway through this book and find it to be a very well written one.I will be passing this book onto several of the newer members of the rugby club I am a member of.It can be a little complicated to understand at times but all in all you have to remember the perspective of the author, that of a coach.I would recommend this book to any rugby player or fan.

Buy this one
This is a great book.It's has tons of valuable information.Not for the guy who loves pictures.Your coaches and captains should have this book.It will make you a better coach, and improve the quality of your club's play.If you want to keep losing, but have the best parties, get some other book.

Bob

Best book out there
Great, great book.Both for the new rugby player and the old hand.Only criticism I have is that more illustrations and diagrams would be helpful for the total newbie. However, since that wasn't the intended audience it only becomes a problem because there's nothing else comparable out there.Like the Bible, everytime you read it, you learn something new every time.Or something that you weren't ready to understand before becomes suddenly clear.A must-have for the rugby obsessed.

THE Rugby primer
"Total Rugby" is essential reading for players and coaches - and useful for fans. The book covers the essentials of play, from novice to advanced. "Total Rugby" plus a rulebook will take you a long way in the sport. It's not just for 'students of the game'! Leave behind the 'it's just smear the queer' and 'if I hit 'em hard enough we'll win' attitudes and learn something about your sport. You'll never win against skilled teams until you ingrain the information encompassed by "Total Rugby". If you're ready for advance tactics and strategy, check out "Think Rugby" by the same author.

A great book
I've been playing rugby for almost 6 years, and I wish I read this book earlier. While I think this book is a lot more useful for coaches than for players, it is still a great reference- for example, diagrams outlining the best way to drive in a scrum, explanations of drift defense- all important stuff, and he also goes into detail about what each position should do- which is great for beginners, who are often out there not understanding their roles. Being a passionate rugger, I finished this book in one day! ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

Absolutely Brilliant
I was unsure of what to expect from this book.Most sports autobiographies are ghost written, but this book has no ghost writing credit and was actually Neil Back's own work.

The only other books of this nature I had to compare to "Size Doesn't Matter" is Mick Foley's pro wrestling autobiography "Have a Nice Day" and it's followup "Foley is Good." (Neither of these were ghost written either.. a fact he spends about 2 chapters discussing in his second book.)Other than that, I've never read a sports autobiography of any kind.

Now, Rugby and Pro Wrestling are sports that are miles apart.Some argue Pro Wrestling isn't a sport, but I won't even get into that here.Foley's two books are genius, no doubt.Neil Back is at that level as well.

The book starts out at his birth, as is most logical.For the first 2 or 3 chapters, he jumps between time periods quite quickly, and that is a bit disconcerting.He's talkign about when he was 5 and participating in his first Rugby match and then is suddenly talking about a British Lions tour, and is then back to when he was 5.This settles down quickly, though, and the temporal flow becomes much better.

You need to know a bit about Rugby to truly appreciate this book, as he doesn't explain many terms at all, and doesn't really explain the importance of positions.But it doesn't matter that much.. it makes it a little bit less confusing if you know the difference between a Flanker, Winger and Hooker, though.

He progresses through his life to right up after the disappointing British Lions tour of Australia in 2001.Well written the whole way.The only gripe I have is that Neil uses too much British jargon.He gives everyone nicknames.. Jonno, Lol, Robbo, Hilly, Catty, Backy (referring to himself), Deanno and so on.Honestly, by the end of the book, I had forgotten who "Deanno" was and had to go back thru the earlier parts of the book in an attempt to find out.He also makes references to british celebrities, which totally goes over my head... but I can't really dock him for that, as this book was more intended for a British audience, I think.

Overall, if you're a Rugby fan.. even if you don't like English Rugby.. this book is definately one to get. ... Read more

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Rugby is a highly demanding, physical sport. But anyone who has played or coached the game knows that mental skills separate the best players from the rest. Rugby Tough teaches you how to sharpen your focus to play your best.

Rugby Tough covers players’ psychological skills, group dynamics, and mental strategies in competitive play. From building team cohesiveness to tactics for defending and attacking, you’ll find all the tools you need to perform at the highest level.

This definitive word on mental preparation springs from the experience and expertise of coaches and sport psychologists from England, Ireland, New Zealand, Scotland, Canada, Australia, and the United States who’ve played and counseled many of the world’s best rugby performers. Achieve the mindset of a champion and be ready for the ultimate challenge. Be rugby tough. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

How Rugby Touch can assist new players to the sport.
This book gives a very good overview of all aspects of the sport from playing, coaching, and refereeing. It is an excellent communication tool for players new to the game as well as informative to veterans who have not played or kept in touch with new rules, strategies, and drills. I particularly enjoyed the coaching section as that currently interests me. For 15 years, I primarily played tight-head prop (and some hooker, some flanker, some #8, - who hasn't filled in where needed??) and appreciate the "Front Row" discussions - lots of unique memories were resurrected. - I am 61 and have not played a match in 16 years, but I have helped coach a college side at Eastern Kentucky Univ where I currently am a professor.

Not for the average joe...
I have to admit that I was disappointed with the ammount of psychobabble in this book. Granted, some sections were less painful to read than others. It has accurate, good quality information and they made great use of example, however, the book tends to restate itself to the point of redundancy.I was more enthralled reading the textbook from Developmental Psychology. I would not recommend it to a rugby fan or enthusiast, but would recommend it for coaches or a dedicated player looking to put a name to something that they are probably already doing. ... Read more

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Go Forward, Support! is as much a guide to life as it is a guide to rugby. A philosophical jaunt through the cultural evolution and revolution of women's rugby, the book branches out to explore matters of art, sport, science, and the very meaning of life itself. Rugby takes you to the edge, makes you feel alive, and reminds you what a good thing that is. Rugby is about giving your all when you know all may be lost - or won - at any moment. There is plenty of rugby to be found in everyday life, if you only look for it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Rugby Writer with Room to Grow
As a rugby player and writer myself, I bought this book hoping someone had at last put into words the magnificant, life changing experience rugby can be for a woman. Ms. Schmidt is able to capture these feelings at some points through the novel, but I found myself skimming through the technical explanations dominating the first portion of the book. I think readers, non-rugby savvy folks included, would like to see more of Rose herself and hear more of her thoughts on her journey as she relates rugby to life.
Portions of the book are quite well written, particularly the summary of the first official international women's match and the scandal it caused. I also related very well to her discussion on playing injured. Other technical, rule related portions of the book could perhaps have served as appendix material to what is, in essence, a love song to rugby. ... Read more

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As most other team sports, rugby is a sport of technical finesse, tactical boldness, and refined and complex physical development. In this book, only one, but the crucial element of this sport, will be addressed, namely the physical conditioning. This topic represents the foundation of all the other elements of the game. To make this book very practical and easy to apply, a huge amount of different and important aspects for a good training and the anticipated successes and also specific proposals for the abilities of each position and their development is announced in particular. After a description of the fundamentals of rugby and the general physiological demands of the sport, a player profile is suggested in order to present specific testings and trainings. Also short term and annual training plans are shown and explained in detail to improve the different skills of the players. The most important motor abilities, like power, speed and endurance, have their own chapters, where extra training for them is provided as practical as possible, with many examples and drills. In the end, also the recovery and the nutrition are exactly described, whereby the necessary energy for playing and training is warranted. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

At last here is the professional book which missed about Rugby periodization!
Through Tudor Bompa's theories and through the richness of his own practical experiments, Fred Claro peels in-depth the physiological needs for both amateur & professional Rugby players. He shows the great importance of knowing how to create an efficient training periodization to cope with more & more competitions, and to improve the physical, tactical & technical training & games' phases.

Far from the generic physical preparation copied by the majority of northern hemisphere's clubs, Fred focuses on the need of respecting the various segments of the athletic development, & brilliantly shows with details & easiness the importance of the specific training design related to sport's ergogenesis.

This book is undoubtedly the only complete work introducing to general sport's periodization in a part, and specifically focusing on Rugby's periodization.
It definitively is an essential coaching tool for both professional & amateur Rugby.

A must have
Thanks for this excellent book
No lie on the description. This is a very practical and easy to apply book
With clear, exhaustive and fully detailled information about all the aspects of the physical conditioning for rugby
All is clearly explained from theory bases to concrete examples : Physiology, season plannings, drills and lifts, speed,nutrition, recovery ...
With real and full examples to well understand, prepare and apply a rugby conditionning plan
A conditionning and training periodization must have book for every rugby players and coachs ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

rugby for dummies more for the world scene
About two-thirds of this book is the same as Rugby for Dummies, which is subtitled "The official guide to Rugby in North America".The two books share an author (Greg Crowden), and many of the photographs, diagrams, drawings, and narrative is the same.Which is fine--Rugby for Dummies is an excellent introduction to a complex game.Rugby Union for Dummies omits the sections on the greatest North American players, the college scene, etc, and concentrates more on the professional side.You'll see pages on the All-Blacks Haka, for example, in Rugby Union for Dummies that are not in the North American version.

There's a dizzying array of overlapping professional rugby leagues in the world, made even more complex by the idea that a player--let's call him Smith--might play professionally for England in the Six Nations tournament, might play in a league, might play for the British Lions touring team, and the Barbarians, and more, all in the same year.It's not quite as confusing as if Smith played for the Dallas Cowboys Sunday afternoon, for the Bills in the Monday night game, then again with Dallas the next Sunday--but it does take getting used to.

There are differences in the game.You won't find the "Sin-Bin" in Rugby for Dummies, but you will in Rugby Union for Dummies--this is like a penalty box in hockey.Ditto the "Blood Bin".If you're new to the game, and may be playing rugby, there are things to watch out for.Rugby is NOT American football (which derived from rugby).Padding, etc, is minimal, and if you try to use football equipment, almost certainly illegal.The books say that in tackling "keep your head aimed to the side of your opponent's body"--use your brain, not your head!The son of a friend of mine got permanently paralyzed at age about 20 in his first and only game of rugby.Also, as noted--some of the rules (such as offsides, can be very confusing--even for veteran players.These books will help.An interesting sport, and some well-written books to help you understand it. ... Read more

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Whether you think of them as burly brutes or gentle giants, rugby players are a very special breed.Enjoy the passion of the scrum and the thunder of the opposition, as this giftbook reveals the true appeal of rugby - an incurable love of mud. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Ahh, dirt shoveling
Don't expect too much else. Just a lot of shoveling and vauge unispired musings on a life wasted shoveling dirt, while shoveling dirt, dirt, dirt. Blah, blah, blah. The title was the most interesting part.

Wonderful examination of life in modern South Wales
Discussion of Literature of South Wales is usually limited to the Dylan Thomas plays and poems of much earlier this century. It is refreshing then, and long overdue, that we Valley-dwellers now have a new voice. LewisDavies paints an extrodinarily accurate, semi-autobiographical, picture ofthe life of a 20 year male in the South Wales Valleys. The closure of thecoal mines led to high unemployment and lower social conditions than inmuch of the UK. Lewis, a school-leaver at 16, works as a builder for RoyWatkins. He spends his days mixing cement, his evenings training with thefacing-relegation rugby team, and his nights out on the pull - the latterwith mixed success. We follow Lewis over the course of one weekend - not along period of time, but enough for us to realise that this weekend is verymuch like every other.The author is very subtle in the way he portraysWales and the Welsh. The Welsh are often a very subtle people with a gentlesense of humour. The lilting tones of the accent are captured beautifully.This book would therefore appeal mostly to those who are either Welshthemselves, living in Wales, or very familiar with thier culture. As anLondon Welshman myself, I found the book a wonderful window into my ownpast, reminders of people and places I had forgotte, but shouldn't have. ... Read more

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First published in 1979, this classic study of the development of rugby from folk game to its modern Union and League forms has become a seminal text in sport history. In a new epilogue the authors provide sociological analysis of the major developments in international ruby that have taken place since 1979, with particular attention to the professionalism that was predicted in the first edition of this text. Sports lovers, rugby fans and students of the history and sociology of sport will find it invaluable.
Rugby football is descended from winter 'folk games' which were a deeply rooted tradition in pre-industrial Britain. This was the first book to study the development of Rugby from this folk tradition to the game in its modern forms. The folk forms of football were extremely violent and serious injuries - even death - were a common feature. The game was refined in the public schools who played a crucial role in formulating the rules which required footballers to exercise greater self-control. With the spread of rugby into the wider society, the Rugby Football Union was founded but class tensions led to the split between Rugby Union and Rugby League.

The authors examine the changes that led to the professionalisation of Rugby Union as well as the alleged resurgence of violence in the modern game.

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As well reliving the highlights of his illustrious career as a commentator, Bill talks of the game today and his regrets that rugby went professional. He is a fierce critic of what this has led to and fears for the future health and safety of rugby players because he regards the modern game as dangerously physical. His story amounts to a history of the game itself and reaffirms McLaren's status as something of a global treasure. ... Read more

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Lions legend Bobby Windsor has enjoyed triumphs beyond the dreams of most international players but has also suffered personal tragedy. His rugby career as the best hooker in the British Isles during the second golden era of Welsh rugby in the 1970s is a turbulent tale of blood and thunder on the pitch. There are riotous incidents off the pitch, including unscheduled fights with professional boxers, revelations about illegal payments during the so-called amateur era and what Windsor did to upset the Establishment and become blackballed by one of the most famous clubs in the world. Windsor's irrepressible sense of humour comes shining through on every page, except when he gives chapter and verse on the personal crisis that drove him to plan suicide. The Iron Duke is the no-holds-barred, warts-and-all story of a working-class Welsh folk hero who rose from humble beginnings to become a permanent member of the greatest Lions team in the history of rugby union. ... Read more

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A reissue designed to appeal to a new generation of Coarse Rugby players. It contains all the truly fine points of the game, from how best to take advantage of a blind, short-sighted or deaf referee to how to avoid paying for the beer after the match. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

rules? what rules?
There's much in this delightful little book that will remind you of Stephen Potter's "upmanship" books, as in gamesmanship.Potter, however, tended to emphasize the psychological ploys, and "winning games without actually cheating".You'll get the full gamut, however, in the Art of Coarse Rugby--psychology, rule-bending, and outright cheating.All done in good--or bad--fun. You'll read about the Old Rottinghamians, and their arch-foe the Bagford Vipers.You'll read about Slasher Williams ("so called because of his habit of letting his nails grow long in the rugby season").

It's suggested that one should always carry a small penknife, so that if you're ahead and worried about the other side catching up, you surreptiously puncture the rugby ball (in the Old Rottinghamian matches, spare rugby balls are an extreme rarity).If you have false teeth, leave them with the referee.If you need to bite an opponent, retrieve them from the ref, bite away, and return them to the ref.Having blood-spattered goalposts on your home turf can work wonders. Tell your rivals that you're taking up a collection before the match for an opponent in the previous match who had both his legs broken by a particularly vicious tackle by one of your players.There are suggestions about drawing up ambiguous instructions to help your opponents find your ground--hoping that 4-5 will get lost, and then if you must loan the other club a player, you always have a real ringer available.Bribing groundskeepers to close the field 15 minutes early when you're in the lead is a must.And so on.

We're not talking about the Lions here, or the All-Blacks, just low-level club rugby.You'll find this book lots of fun!

Funniest book in years
I read the original edition in the 1960's, and desperately want to find a copy.

It was one of the funniest books I ever read, but will appeal only to those who play, or are at least familiar with, rugby.

hilarious stories of those not able to be on the first side!
I laughed so hard reading this book!After reading his book you can tell if you are a rugger (play on the first side) or a coarse rugby player (play on the other sides).A must read for all rugby footballers ... Read more