World in their Hands recounts the remarkable events that led to a group of friends from south-west London staging the inaugural Women’s Rugby World Cup in 1991. The tournament was held just 13 years after teams from University College London and King’s contested a match that catalysed the growth of the women’s game in the UK, and the organisers overcame myriad obstacles before, during and after the World Cup. Those challenges, which included ingrained misogyny, motherhood, a recession, the Gulf War and the collapse of the Soviet Union, provide a fitting framing device for a book that celebrates female achievement in the face of adversity.

Although ostensibly a story about women’s rugby, this is a tale that has rare crossover appeal. It is not only the account of a group of inspirational women who took on the institutional misogyny that existed in rugby clubs across the globe to put on a first ever Women’s Rugby World Cup. It is also the compelling and relatable tale of how those women, their peers and others in the generations before them, reshaped the idea of what it means to be a woman, finding acceptance and friendship on boggy rugby pitches. At the time, with the men’s game tying itself up in knots about professionalism and apartheid, these women were a breath of fresh air. Three decades on, their achievements deserve to be highlighted to a wider audience.

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In 1999 Ulster became the most unlikely European champions in rugby history. A squad that included builders, students and lorry drivers, mixed with a handful of players of international quality, overcame the odds and helped to unite a divided nation through the power of sport.

‘The Last Amateurs’ tells the story of how a team went, in just fourteen months, from a record-breaking 56-3 defeat to Wasps, to securing their place in Irish history as the first European champions from Ireland.

Based on interviews with all the key members of the squad – including David Humphreys, Mark McCall, Simon Mason, Andy Ward and Jonny Bell – the book focuses on the players, their varied backgrounds and how the team came together. It also highlights the very different nature of the game, which has become increasingly monetised and sanitised in the years since.

‘The Last Amateurs’ is a celebration of the 1999 victory, and of a campaign that, in the end, managed to bring together the whole island of Ireland – Protestants and Catholics; rugby die-hards and GAA converts. United for eighty minutes, they created one of the most passionate and vibrant scenes the Heineken Cup competition had ever seen, as David Humphreys, alongside the injured Mark McCall, fought through the throng of jubilant pitch invaders to lift the trophy and crown Ulster kings of Europe.

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Glory in Union is a pictorial celebration of the Rugby World Cup, taking us on a thrilling journey from the inaugural tournament in 1987 to the present day.

Using stunning stock images, it brings you the greatest and most iconic stars to have ever played the game, including Jonah Lomu, David Campese, Jonny Wilkinson, Sebastian Chabel, Zinzan Brooke, Michael Jones, Brian O’Driscoll, Richie McCaw, Francois Pienaar and many more.

This beautifully illustrated book covers the great matches, the turning points, the controversy, the heroes, the villains and the iconic moments that have made the World Cup the most prestigious tournament in rugby. Glory in Union is an essential piece of World Cup nostalgia for every rugby fan.

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The English rugby team has been scrummaging its way around the rugby fields of the world since 1871.

James Stafford’s An Illustrated History of English Rugby takes you on a thrilling journey through a century and a half of glory, failure, mediocrity and brilliance. 

Mixing stats and facts with player profiles, match reports and social history, this book is perfect for hardcore and casual fans aged eight to 80. Packed with delightful illustrations from Raluca Moldovan, this follow up to Stafford’s best-selling An Illustrated History of Welsh Rugby will give readers a new appreciation of the stars of today and the pioneers of yesteryear.

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