More Heart and Soul: The Character of Welsh Rugby

Heart and Soul `the character of Welsh rugby' published October 1998, was defined in terms of the relationship between players and supporters. Individual authors evoked the memory of favourite players and went on to trace the differing ways in which the careers of their heroes had shaped their own perception of the game and their sense of Wales. In this new volume, similar themes will be investigated. Again the chosen players are favourites, men who played the game delightfully and effectively whilst at the same time exuding a degree of authority and confidence that inspired a grateful nation. Moreover, many of the subjects were to have second careers when their playing days were over, as administrators, coaches or pundits they still played a part in moulding the rugby culture of Wales. Once again all this will be put in context: historians Gareth Williams and Dai Smith trace the story of Welsh rugby since the publication in 1981 of their excellent centenial volume Fields of Praise whilst Peter Stead and Huw Richards evaluate the state of the game in Wales at the end of the millennium.

Huw Richards is the rugby correspondent of the Financial Times. Peter Stead is a writer, broadcaster, and professor at the University of South Wales. Gareth Williams is a professor at the Centre for Modern and Contemporary Wales at the University of South Wales.